Thrawn’s creator didn’t know about the Star Wars villain’s return on The Mandalorian. Grand Admiral Thrawn is a cunning, top-ranked imperial agent and major antagonist of the Star Wars universe, introduced by writer Timothy Zahn in the book Heir to the Empire in 1991. Despite being a beloved character in a highly regarded piece of franchise lore, Thrawn, like most novelized Star Wars works, was consigned the status of “Star Wars Legend,” and not initially regarded as part of the main continuity of Star Wars films and television. However, the character eventually became a part of canon with his debut on Star Wars Rebels at the start of season 3 in 2016.
Thrawn would serve as the primary adversary during the final seasons of Star Wars Rebels. Pursuing the Phoenix Squadron across the galaxy, he worked to quell the opposition of the rising rebellion prior to them becoming the organized military body audiences know from Star Wars: A New Hope. Thrawn was seemingly defeated in the Rebels series finale, “Family Reunion and Farewell” in 2018, where he and Jedi/rebel hero Ezra Bridger were dragged into hyperspace by giant whale-like creatures called Purrgil. Now two years later, on the most recent episode of The Mandalorian, it is revealed by Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) that Thrawn, in fact, lives, and this timeframe of his return positions him to ultimately assume control over the imperial forces, as chronicled in Zahn’s novel.
This week Zahn announced in a Facebook post that he was unaware of Thrawn’s return in the latest Mandalorian episode titled “The Jedi.” He only just learned about his famed character’s comeback and had this to say about it:
No, I was not holding back on you (or anyone else). I was (and am) completely out of the loop on all things Mandalorian. The first I heard about Ahsoka's name-dropping question was when people began peppering this page with comments, questions, and verbal high-fives.
So what will happen next? Your guesses are as good as mine. One thing I do know: Good writers/producers/directors don't drop a bombshell like that without some kind of follow-up somewhere down the line. I'll be sitting right there with all the rest of you, eagerly waiting to see how the saga unfolds.
Hopefully, it will be artistically done.
Thrawn’s legacy in Heir to the Empire kicked off five years after events of Return of the Jedi, but his story played out over the course of a trilogy of novels including 1992’s Dark Force Rising and 1993’s The Last Command, all written by Zahn. In the books Thrawn faces off against Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the heroes from the original films. And although Ahsoka mentions him, it’s still yet to be seen exactly how much of Thrawn's escapades from Zahn’s novels will make their way onto The Mandalorian. As it stands, Din Djarin, aka The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) already has his hands full dealing with the present threat of Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito).
Thrawn’s reveal, however, does open up several new queries including what the dynamic will be between Thrawn and Gideon in the struggle for control amidst the Empire’s current power vacuum. If Thrawn survived the Purrgil journey through hyperspace then it's likely Ezra Bridger did as well. Perhaps Ezra will be the next animated character to get the live-action treatment and be the Jedi to answer the call of training Baby Yoda, aka Grogu. And if popular Star Wars Legends characters like Thrawn can be officially drafted into the Star Wars universe, perhaps another of Zahn’s fan-favorite creations, Mara Jade, may not be too far behind. Many fans have been clamoring for the eventual appearance of the woman who would become Luke Skywalker’s wife. Only time will tell when The Mandalorian answers all these questions.
Source: Timothy Zahn