The Mandalorian season 5, episode 2 revealed former Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano is hunting for Grand Admiral Thrawn - so here's everything you need to know about this legendary Star Wars character. Star Wars has always been a major multimedia franchise, with an Expanded Universe of tie-ins that added breadth and depth to the galaxy. When Disney acquired Lucasfilm back in 2012, they made the difficult decision to render the old EU non-canon, dubbing these stories "Legends." Since then, every tie-in has been equal in canon, meaning Star Wars has become a true transmedia universe.
Transmedia universes offer the reward of a truly immersive story for those fans willing to commit to them. The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5 is a classic example; the episode's emotional beats are far more effective if you have watched Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. The episode introduces Din Djarin to former Jedi Ahsoka Tano, a survivor of Order 66 who has previously only appeared in Star Wars animated series, but is now played in live-action by Rosario Dawson. It also name-drops another major figure from Star Wars lore when Ahsoka demands to be told the location of Grand Admiral Thrawn.
But who is Grand Admiral Thrawn? Here's everything you need to know about a legendary figure who was introduced in the Expanded Universe, but has since made the jump into Disney Star Wars canon.
Grand Admiral Thrawn in Star Wars Legends
The character of Grand Admiral Thrawn was created by Timothy Zahn back in 1991, in a series of books known (appropriately enough) as the "Thrawn Trilogy." He was a unique figure in the Empire: the only non-human ever to attain to the rank of Grand Admiral, by virtue of his strategic genius. In Zahn's novels, Thrawn took command of the Empire after Palpatine's defeat in Return of the Jedi, and he almost brought the New Republic to its knees before he was killed by a traitor.
Grand Admiral Thrawn was tremendously popular, and Zahn revisited the character many times in stories set throughout the timeline. He revealed that Thrawn originates from a race called the Chiss, the dominant power of the Unknown Regions, and he was a high-ranking figure in the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet. The Chiss are culturally opposed to proactive military strikes, and Thrawn's willingness to deploy these strategies ultimately led to his exile. He was found by the Empire, and his strategic genius led to his rising through the ranks at stunning speed. The Emperor used Thrawn's knowledge and experience of the Unknown Regions to protect the Empire from mysterious threats, which explains why he only returned some time after Palpatine's death.
Grand Admiral Thrawn's New Backstory In Star Wars Canon
Grand Admiral Thrawn has been absorbed into the Disney canon, with Lucasfilm Publishing allowing Timothy Zahn to continue telling stories exploring his character and background. Impressively, to date the Zahn books fit just as well with the old Expanded Universe as with the current canon, giving an indication of just how much freedom Lucasfilm is allowing this celebrated Star Wars author.
The Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy explores the relationship between Thrawn and the Chiss, with the first book setting up a major conflict between the Chiss and an unidentified enemy in the Unknown Regions. In the end, it's reasonable to assume Thrawn will take drastic action that is condemned by the Chiss government, leading to his exile. Another novel, simply called Thrawn, tells how he came to the attention of Emperor Palpatine and rose through the ranks of the Empire. According to Chuck Wendig's novel Aftermath: Empire's End, the Emperor was particularly interested in the Unknown Regions, because he had sensed a dark side vergence out there - presumably the planet Exegol. He allowed Grand Admiral Thrawn a great deal of freedom in return for coordinates to help navigate the Unknown Regions. Meanwhile, Thrawn earned the approval of Darth Vader, and according to the novel Thrawn: Alliances he was one of the few to figure out Darth Vader is really Anakin Skywalker.
The story of Grand Admiral Thrawn continues in the Star Wars Rebels animated series, with the Grand Admiral called to deal with the Rebel cell based on Lothal. Thrawn correctly deduced the handful of rebels were part of a larger movement, and he struck several decisive blows against the nascent Rebel Alliance. His plans fell apart in the end, though, courtesy of Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger, who used purrgils - a race of space-whales who can manipulate hyperspace - to launch Grand Admiral Thrawn and his flagship into the Unknown Regions. Ezra was only able to accomplish this by sacrificing himself, and he was lost with them. An epilogue scene in Star Wars Rebels season 4 revealed that, sometime after the fall of the Empire, Ahsoka Tano and Mandalorian scientist Sabine Wren headed out on a mission to locate Thrawn and find Ezra, who had been missing for years.
Grand Admiral Thrawn's Star Wars Future
Grand Admiral Thrawn was only name-dropped in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5, but it's safe to assume this is setup. It's possible he has taken charge of the Imperial remnant operating in the galaxy, and he is actually Moff Gideon's commanding officer. If so, the New Republic is in serious trouble, because they don't even know he's out there. Alternatively, he could potentially be the main villain in the rumored Ahsoka series, which could tell the story of Ahsoka Tano's pursuit of Thrawn in the Unknown Regions and her attempt to locate the missing Ezra.
The interesting question, though, is what relationship Thrawn has with the Emperor, who at this point in time has been resurrected on the planet Exegol and who is building up the First Order in the Unknown Regions. There's been some speculation Moff Gideon's experiments with the Force will lead to the creation of Supreme Leader Snoke, which would suggest these aren't simply the actions of rogue Imperials, but rather are deeds performed by loyalists who have stuck with Palpatine all this time. Thrawn, too, could have remained loyal to the Empire - meaning Din Djarin and Ahsoka Tano are unknowingly close to discovering the greatest secret in Star Wars, the fact Emperor Palpatine is still alive.