Originally published March 2, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
Longtime fans of the old Star Wars Expanded Universe, now known as Legends, received a great gift when fan-favourite villain Grand Admiral Thrawn was brought into actual canon through his role in the Star Wars Rebels television series, voiced by House of Cards‘ Lars Mikkelsen. Timothy Zahn, the author who created him, has been working on Star Wars: Thrawn,a book in the new canon to explain Thrawn’s origins and how he rose through the ranks of the Empire, which will be released next month.
USA Today released an excerpt from the story’s second chapter, which sees him meeting Emperor Palpatine for the very first time and offering his military skills to the Empire while also revealing he knows the true identity of an iconic character in the Star Wars universe. You can read the excerpt here.
Thrawn was first introduced in Star Wars: Heir to the Empire, the first book in a trilogy that took place a few years after Return of the Jedi. Zahn’s influence when he created Thrawn was to show a very different kind of Imperial officer than had been seen in the Original Trilogy. “Most of the Imperial leaders we see in the movies rule through a combination of fear and manipulation. I wanted to create something different: a commander who could lead through loyalty,” Zahn said. “The result was Thrawn, a tactical genius whose troops follow him willingly, and who will fight for him whether or not he’s watching over their shoulders.”
On writing a new origin for Thrawn, Zahn was actually excited to explore a point in time where Thrawn was newly recruited in the Empire. “I get to show how he’s treated by his fellow officers and shipmates on his way up the military ladder, particularly when he’s not in a command position over them.”
After Thrawn is rescued from exile by Imperial soldiers, his deadly ingenuity and keen tactical abilities swiftly capture the attention of Emperor Palpatine. And just as quickly, Thrawn proves to be as indispensable to the Empire as he is ambitious; as devoted as its most loyal servant, Darth Vader; and a brilliant warrior never to be underestimated.
On missions to rout smugglers, snare spies, and defeat pirates, he triumphs time and again—even as his renegade methods infuriate superiors while inspiring ever greater admiration from the Empire. As one promotion follows another in his rapid ascension to greater power, he schools his trusted aide, Ensign Eli Vanto, in the arts of combat and leadership, and the secrets of claiming victory. But even though Thrawn dominates the battlefield, he has much to learn in the arena of politics where ruthless administrator Arihnda Pryce holds the power to be a potent ally or a brutal enemy.
All these lessons will be put to the ultimate test when Thrawn rises to admiral—and must pit all the knowledge, instincts, and battle forces at his command against an insurgent uprising that threatens not only innocent lives but also the Empire’s grip on the galaxy—and his own carefully laid plans for future ascendancy.
Star Wars: Thrawn is set for release on April 11th.
