Many “Star Wars” fans who only watch the movies and live-action series may have seen him for the first time in the new episode “Ahsoka.” But Thrawn is one of the most popular and best villains in the Star Wars universe. That’s why we’d like to explain his backstory to you here – especially since it also provides a good explanation for his strategic and cold pursuit of power in ‘Ahsoka’ – and get you in the mood for future episodes of the series.
Author Timothy Zahn once invented the character Thrawn for his novel “Heirs of the Empire,” set after “Star Wars 6: Return of the Jedi.” The book trilogy that began in 1991 is probably the best to come out of the sometimes rather confusing Expanded Universe. It’s no surprise that Lucasfilm later brought the character into the official canon. Before taking on a similar role in “Ahsoka” as a dangerous threat to the New Republic as he did in Zahn’s trilogy of novels, he was already established in the animated series “Star Wars Rebels.” Here he proves to be a dangerous opponent for the rebellion.
But this history is not what we are talking about here. Author Timothy Zahn was also brought back to explore the character’s background in two (!) new novel trilogies. While the books “Thrawn”, “Thrawn: Alliances” and “Thrawn: Betrayal” show how he became part of the Empire and made his career there and complement his appearances in “Star Wars Rebels”, here we want to focus on the fascinating Trilogy ‘Thrawn – The Ascension’.
Because The books ‘Impending Calamity’, ‘Hidden Enemy’ and ‘Dear Victory’ provide a great example of why Thrawn acts so coldly and wants to put down the rebellion and now the New Republic. Here he is the hero of the story…
To ensure that you don’t have to read three long books until the next episode, we would like to summarize some important information for you here. Spoilers for the novels requiring explanation follow. The author of these lines can also recommend you to know this information to try out the exciting books when you have the chance.
Thrawn and his origins: These are the Chiss
Thrawn belongs to the Chiss people, who live in complete isolation in the so-called Unknown Regions. The powerful people, characterized by a complicated political system around several competing yet jointly ruling families, try to isolate themselves as much as possible. Contacts with other peoples are only maintained when necessary. Normally you don’t start wars, but you can end any conflict and crush enemies with your powerful war spaceships.
Thrawn joins the army and makes a career in the fleet thanks to his excellent strategic skills. However, he has no idea of the political machinations of his people – and he begins to bend the rigid and strict rules early on. This makes him unpopular with people in powerful positions who therefore want to get rid of him…
Thrawn saves his world…
But it is Thrawn who is one of the few in the new trilogy to recognize that there is a great danger to his people. Because at the beginning of the new series an external threat comes into the picture. At first it appears to be purely military in nature – even though it will require dangerous and potentially costly battles (as well as all of Thrawn’s strategic skills and cunning) to defend his people against it.
But little by little it comes out that in the background a dangerous nation is pulling the strings to plunge the Chiss empire into civil war and destroy it in the process. Operating from the dark, the adversaries benefit from the political system of the blue-skinned alien race and its distrustful family clans.
At the end of the new trilogy, Thrawn and a few comrades manage to fend off the threat with very risky maneuvers that break several Chiss rules, but at an extremely high price: Due to his rule breaking, Thrawn becomes a leper and is banished from the world of the Chiss.
But as a final twist reveals, he has consciously accepted this enormous sacrifice for himself. Because it is the only way for him to not just save his people this once, but to protect them forever. Because Thrawn and a few confidants recognize that the enemy is not defeated forever and that the Chiss people will continue to face dangers in the future that the ruling political classes will not recognize in their disputes with each other. Protecting the Chiss in the long term requires a strong alliance – which the government will never officially form due to its isolation policy.
…and now continues to protect the Chiss
Thrawn uses his exceptional position in exile to get closer to a powerful empire he heard about during an encounter with the Jedi Anakin Skywalker. In Palpatine, he finds the man he trusts to use his power to protect the Chiss homeland in the long term. He quickly rises in his career under the Emperor and becomes one of the most important Imperial leaders.
The rebellion must therefore be a thorn in his side, because it endangers the emperor’s position of power. That’s why Thrawn acts so mercilessly against them. He is not driven by malice or sadism, but by care for his people. A weakened Emperor can no longer guarantee the safety of the Chiss as they may eventually face an enemy too powerful for even their vast defense fleet.
This is how the past explains its plans in “Ahsoka”
This also makes it clear why Thrawn is now a threat to the New Republic. If he becomes the most powerful man in a galaxy, he will obviously have all the resources to fend off any threats to his original home. An alliance with the Republic should not be an option for him. He himself knows how weak this country is with its disarmament strategy. He also learned firsthand that a political system can be undermined. Thrawn is convinced by his past that one person ruling with a strong hand is the best to ensure peace.
It’s not a new insight that a villain is much better if he has a motivation that makes him a good guy, a hero from his own perspective. That’s exactly why Thrawn is so fascinating. If you know his whole backstory, you will understand him much better and have a completely different view of his actions. He is not someone who just cruelly pursues power, but he believes that it is best for everyone if a strong person, himself, rules.
And he believes that individual sacrifices should be accepted – whether they are old enemies like Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) or even short-term allies like Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson). After all, he has already made great sacrifices himself – and would always be willing to make them again if he believes that this is the only and right way.
The next episode of “Ahsoka” will be released on Disney+ in the early hours of September 27, 2023. Early birds can stream the new episode from 3am on Wednesday.