In The Mandalorian’s second season, fan-favorite Ahsoka Tano made her live-action debut, played by Rosario Dawson. In the episode “Chapter 13: The Jedi,” Ahsoka confronted Imperial Magistrate Elsbeth, vowing to best her in combat and force her to reveal the location of her master. Following the climactic duel, the identity of Ahsoka’s target is revealed: Grand Admiral Thrawn.

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A few weeks after the episode aired, Lucasfilm announced an Ahsoka spin-off series to be released on Disney+. It seems as though the former Jedi’s hunt for Thrawn will continue into her solo series, and the blue-skinned bureaucrat will be the show’s main villain.

Thrawn Is Perfect: He’s Been Around For Three Decades And Still Has Untapped Potential

Thrawn art for Timothy Zahn's Treason book in current canon

Grand Admiral Thrawn was initially introduced in the Expanded Universe. As one of the Empire’s greatest assets, he’s been featured in three decades’ worth of Star Wars stories.

But unlike well-worn characters like Emperor Palpatine and Han Solo, he still has a ton of untapped potential. After all these years, it seems like Thrawn’s story is just getting started. He could be the Thanos-style big bad of the entire Mandalorian universe.

Might Appear: Barriss Offee

Barriss Offee with red lightsabers in Clone Wars

Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee developed a strong friendship throughout The Clone Wars. While their personalities were wildly different, they bonded over their shared combat experiences.

Offee eventually became disillusioned with the Jedi teachings and turned to the dark side, which played a major role in Ahsoka’s decision to renounce the Order herself.

Thrawn Is Perfect: He’s A Cold, Calculating Military Leader

Thrawn's rise to power is the central through line in Star Wars: TIE Fighter.

One of the reasons why the Empire was so successful at the height of its powers ruling over the galaxy was Grand Admiral Thrawn’s cunning military strategy. He was personally responsible for a lot of the Empire’s biggest victories.

It’s possible that Thrawn is the one spearheading the Imperial Remnants in the backdrop of The Mandalorian. Maybe Thrawn is the higher-ranking Imperial figure that Moff Gideon has to answer to.

Might Appear: Emperor Palpatine

Emperor Palpatine in his Exegol throne room in Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker

The first two seasons of The Mandalorian have been quietly setting the stage for Emperor Palpatine’s resurrection in the sequel trilogy with the Imperial Remnants’ attempts to kidnap Grogu and extract his blood for a cloning engineer to create clones with his “M-count.”

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Ian McDiarmid’s performance in The Rise of Skywalker proved he hasn’t lost the ability to balance Palpatine’s pure evil with his deceptive campiness; it would be great to see his zombified self in its early days in Ahsoka.

Thrawn Is Perfect: He’s A Different Kind Of Star Wars Villain

Star Wars Thrawn Comic Preview

Thrawn’s ruthless military bureaucrat characterization makes him a different kind of Star Wars villain. He’s not Force-sensitive; he’s just a sharp military mind. He feels more like a Star Trek villain than a Star Wars villain.

And unlike a lot of Star Wars’ bureaucratic antagonists, like Grand Moff Tarkin, Thrawn’s personality isn’t marked by his theatrical smarm; it’s marked by his terrifying coldness.

Might Appear: Cad Bane

Cad Bane wars a big hat and aims his gun in Star Wars art.

Ever since The Mandalorian started introducing live-action versions of characters from the animated series, Star Wars fans have wanted to see Cad Bane, the gunslinging Duros bounty hunter featured predominantly in The Clone Wars.

Before The Clone Wars was temporarily canceled, there was a story arc planned that ended with Bane being killed by a young Boba Fett. But since this arc was never produced, Bane’s death technically isn’t canon.

Thrawn Is Perfect: It Was Set Up In The Rebels Finale

Grand Admiral Thrawn studies planets in Star Wars Rebels

Exactly where Thrawn is at this point in The Mandalorian’s timeline is unclear, but Ahsoka’s search for the Imperial baddie was set up by the Rebels series finale. Thrawn and Ezra Bridger both went missing in the finale episode and, at least in the official Disney canon, neither of them have shown up on the timeline after that.

Ahsoka Tano reappeared in the Rebels finale to launch a galaxy-wide search for Ezra in the aftermath of Return of the Jedi. The Mandalorian has shown that five years later, she’s looking for Thrawn. Ahsoka’s new spin-off can follow on from Rebels’ ending.

Might Appear: Moff Gideon

Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian

In the second-season finale of The Mandalorian, Mando captured Moff Gideon as a prisoner. With any luck, this character’s arc is far from over, because he’s already one of the best new Star Wars villains and Giancarlo Esposito is an incredible actor.

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If he somehow manages to escape from Mando’s custody, Gideon could regroup with Thrawn and make his way into Ahsoka’s new series.

Thrawn Is Perfect: He Gets In His Enemies’ Heads

Star Wars Rebels season 3 - Grand Admiral Thrawn

Grand Admiral Thrawn’s most terrifying power isn’t Force-choking like Vader or lightning fingers like Palpatine; it’s his uncanny ability to figure out what makes his enemies tick and use it to outwit them.

This character will present an interesting casting challenge. Popular fan castings include Benedict Cumberbatch, who’s already ruled himself out, and Robert Downey Jr.

Might Appear: Anakin Skywalker

Force Ghosts of Young Anakin, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi Star Wars Return of the Jedi

After Return of the Jedi, when the new Ahsoka series will take place, Anakin Skywalker is no longer a villain. He was redeemed on the second Death Star when he killed Palpatine to save Luke and came back as a Force ghost when he died because he’d returned to the light side.

It would be great to see Anakin’s ghost, played by Hayden Christensen, communicating with his former apprentice in her new spin-off, clearing the air about his turn to the dark side and return to the light.

NEXT: The Book Of Boba Fett: 5 Possible Storylines (& 5 Ways It Could Tie Into The Mandalorian)