Wilhuff Tarkin first appeared in the original Star Wars, and though he dies at the end of that film when the Death Star is destroyed, he’s appeared in numerous other films, series, comics, novels, and video games since, all set prior to the events of A New Hope. He was a calculated and ruthless figure, both in his political career and as a military commander for the Republic and the Empire. From the day they first met, Sheev Palpatine took special interest in Tarkin, and for good reason.
The original Star Wars is filled with iconic performances, from Mark Hamill’s wistful Luke Skywalker and Harrison Ford’s devil-may-care Han Solo to Alec Guinness’s wizened Obi-Wan Kenobi and Carrie Fisher’s unflinching Princess Leia. Of course, the villains also deserve credit for the film’s success, and while David Prowse and James Earl Jones’ work as Darth Vader understandably gets more attention, Peter Cushing’s performance as Grand Moff Tarkin is also a cornerstone of A New Hope. Like Guinness, Cushing was a veteran of the stage and screen when he was cast in Star Wars, and he brought a level of measured intensity as the face of the Galactic Empire that made Tarkin an instant hit with audiences. Since then, the franchise has returned to Tarkin time and time again.
But what did the rest of Tarkin’s life look like, before the completion of the Death Star and his eventual demise? His career in galactic politics began long before the start of the Clone Wars, and he only became more influential after Palpatine’s rise as Emperor. Through it all, Wilhuff Tarkin showed himself to be an unparalleled strategist and tactician, and one of the most brutal leaders in the galaxy.
Tarkin’s Early Years
Tarkin was born on the Outer Rim world of Eriadu, a lush and dangerous planet teeming with wildlife, estimated around 64 BBY. The Tarkin family had been a dominant force in Eriadu’s politics for generation, as Wilhuff’s ancestors had played a major role in taming the planet’s wilderness. As the son of such a powerful family, Wilhuff was trained in all manner of skills from the time he was a child, including survival techniques, combat skills, and space flight. When he was old enough, Tarkin enlisted in the Outland Regions Security Force – the dominant military and peacekeeping force of Eriadu’s Seswenna sector.
From there, the young Wilhuff quickly gained fame and respect as one of the region’s most capable officers. He led a swift, effective and brutal campaign against the sector’s pirate gangs, building enough of a reputation to move on to the Republic’s own Judicial Department. Along the way he met Naboo senator Sheev Palpatine, who helped Tarkin gain entry to the Republic's prestigious Judicial Academy and encouraged him to consider a political career. By the time the Clone Wars began in 22 BBY, Tarkin had taken Palpatine’s advice and, with some assistance from the senator, become Governor of his home planet.
Tarkin In The Clone Wars
Once the war with the Separatists broke out, Tarkin returned to his military roots and became an officer in the Republic Navy. He fought in several major campaigns as a captain, once even being captured by Separatist forces in 20 BBY and subsequently rescued by a team led by Jedi Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano. Throughout and in the wake of this incident, Tarkin showed disdain for both clones and Jedi and demonstrated fierce loyalty to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.
After his rescue, Tarkin joined the Republic’s Special Weapons Group, where he began working with Orson Callan Krennic on construction of what would eventually be called the Death Star. As the war continued, Tarkin rose to the rank of Admiral and continued to take part in various high-level military operations from the strategic side. He also took a personal interest in Ahsoka Tano's alleged bombing of the Jedi Temple, of which she was later proved innocent.
The Imperial Era
Following the Republic’s reorganization into Palpatine’s Galactic Empire in 19 BBY, Tarkin’s role in the regime only grew. He kept his military title, was named Moff of his home Seswenna sector, and continued to lead much of the work on the Death Star’s construction through the Empire’s Advanced Weapons Research division. In the immediate aftermath of the war, Tarkin also visited the cloning facilities on Kamino, where he announced the discontinuation of Jango Fett clones and took a special interest in the renegade Clone Force 99, as seen in the beginning of Star Wars: The Bad Batch.
Through the early years of the Empire, Tarkin led a number of military campaigns against both Separatist remnants and any others who opposed absolute Imperial rule. These included brutal campaigns on Mon Cala, Antar 4, and in the Salient system, among others, all of which earned Tarkin the fierce hatred of the Empire's enemies. Tarkin was a driving force in the capture, interrogation, and subjugation of various insurgent groups, all the while continuing to work on the Death Star project. He worked often with Darth Vader during this time frame and continued to gain the admiration of the Emperor, eventually being promoted to the lofty role of Grand Moff in 14 BBY.
The Reign Of Grand Moff Tarkin
As Grand Moff and governor of both the Death Star and the Outer Rim Territories, Tarkin continued to grow in power and influence. He spent considerable time and effort in the Outer Rim organizing and expanding the Empire’s industrial interests on worlds like Lothal, all in the interest of bolstering Palpatine’s military might and pressing the outlying worlds into submission. Tarkin worked extensively with the Chiss strategist Thrawn during this period, but as the Empire tightened its grip on the Outer Rim, more and more systems slipped through its fingers. The Rebel Alliance began to build strength and cohesion in these days, beginning around 5 BBY, earning the special attention of Tarkin and Thrawn.
In the final days of the Death Star’s construction, Tarkin took full command of the battle station in 0 BBY. For decades he had seen it as the ultimate method of galactic control, and the Emperor himself entrusted Tarkin with its operation. Tarkin intended to use the Death Star to wipe out the Rebellion quickly and efficiently, destroying the prominent planet of Alderaan in a genocidal display of its raw power. Unfortunately for him, the Rebel Alliance was able to find a weakness in the station in its structural plans, intentionally put in place by designer Galen Erso. In a rare instance of miscalculation, Tarkin opted to remain on the Death Star during the rebel attack, certain that he would be able to demolish their base on Yavin 4 before any significant damage was done. Of course, he was wrong, and his Star Wars story ended as Luke Skywalker destroyed the Death Star during the Battle of Yavin.