For the first time ever, we have an official glimpse at Grand Admiral Thrawn himself in live-action Star Wars!
In the new trailer for Ahsoka, we first see the same shot of the back of his head, walking onto the bridge of Morgan Elsbeth’s ship, that we saw in the Celebration trailer. But then later, we see a full look at his face, with Lars Mikkelson bringing him to life. This shot was actually glimpsed by those in attendance at Celebration but was not widely released, so this marks the first time that it’s been released to the public. And I think he looks really good, and think the team captured his likeness well. Just think about when we get to hear his voice and Kevin Kiner’s chilling theme!
Mikkelson is returning to the role of Thrawn after voicing him in the animated series Rebels, and his performance was so distinct and perfect that he was by far the obvious choice to play him in live action as well. As is evident in the trailer, the hunt for Thrawn will be a significant driver of the plot. Ahsoka Tano and her allies (including Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wren) are looking for him to try to stop the rising threat, while Elsbeth and her allies (including Baylon Skoll and Shin Hati) are looking for him to reclaim the Empire’s might.
When last we heard from Thrawn he was jettisoned into the unknown regions by a group of purrgil (space whales) alongside the Jedi Ezra Bridger. Thrawn was therefore missing during the Galactic Civil War, but in this series – set approximately five years after the war’s end – rumors of his return are swirling. Such an event would spell big trouble for the fledgling New Republic, something the new government seems entirely unprepared for.
For many viewers, it might be confusing why the appearance of this strange blue-skinned guy would be met with such excitement from fans. Thrawn first appeared more than three decades ago in Timothy Zahn’s book Heir to the Empire, which told of the further adventures of Luke, Han, Leia, and the rest after Return of the Jedi. In that story (which was the first of a trilogy of books), Thrawn – the last remaining Imperial Grand Admiral – returned to the known galaxy and began amassing forces to rebuild the Empire. He waged war on the New Republic and came remarkably close to victory before his defeat.
The book, released in 1991, was groundbreaking. As hard as it is for modern Star Wars fans to imagine, this was a time where the future of the franchise was uncertain, and the books and publishing wing had yet to really be developed. This story was a major factor in sparking the Expanded Universe, and Thrawn was a central component of that. How could there be a compelling villain after you’ve already faced Vader and Palpatine? Zahn answered that by creating an entirely different kind of foe, one who achieved victory through his tactical cunning and calculating genius, not his raw strength or mastery of the Force. It’s that which continues to make Thrawn a compelling villain; he won’t pull out a lightsaber and start fighting an enemy, but he will almost certainly outsmart them.
Fans will get a chance to see him in live action for the first time, 32 years after he was introduced to Star Wars, when Ahsoka premieres later this summer.
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