10 Things You Didn't Know About Grand Admiral Thrawn

I first picked up Timothy Zahn’s original Thrawn Trilogy when I was around twelve years old. Here, I was introduced to the Grand Admiral Thrawn, the brilliant military strategist who seemed to know his enemy’s every move before they even thought of it. His character became canon when he appeared in Season 3 of Star Wars Rebels and in Zahn’s new Star Wars: Thrawn trilogy. Ahsoka Tano’s mention of his name in The Mandalorian promised that we would see more of him in the near future.

Here are 10 things you may not have known about Grand Admiral Thrawn

1.) His full name was Mitth'raw'nuruodo.

He was more commonly known by his core name Thrawn. He was a Chiss from the planet Rentor, located in the Unknown Regions. The Unknown Regions are located even further beyond the Outer Rim, and are still largely unexplored. For reference, Tatooine is part of the Outer Rim.

2.) He met Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars.

Thrawn, then an officer in the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet, helped Anakin Skywalker in his search for Padme Amidala, who had seemingly disappeared on Batuu.

3.) Years after the Clone Wars, the Empire found him seemingly exiled on an unidentified planet in Wild Space.

Thrawn actually planned to infiltrate the Empire either to make it an ally or weaken it enough that it became a juicier target to some unknown threat in the Unknown regions. After impressive solo guerrilla attacks on the Imperial troops, he willingly surrendered to them.

4.) Thrawn’s position as Grand Admiral was very unique in the Empire.

There were only twelve Grand Admirals in the Empire. They were considered the highest ranking officer in the Imperial Navy, and typically given command of a fleet. Thrawn’s accomplishments and military acumen allowed him to rise through the ranks despite all the Imperial prejudice against non-humans.

5.) He had a strong appreciation for art, especially that of other cultures.

Thrawn believed that in order to defeat an enemy, one must understand them in every aspect, including their history and philosophy. The artwork would help him understand the psyche and culture of the people who made it, allowing him to better anticipate their actions in certain situations.

6.) His leadership style was vastly opposite of the Empire’s.

The Empire favored ruling by fear (as outlined by the Tarkin Doctrine). On the other hand, Thrawn’s intelligence and abilities commanded respect from his subordinates, and he was able to lead through loyalty. According to Zahn “[His] troops follow him willingly, and will fight for him whether or not he’s watching over their shoulders.”

7.) He was not present for the events surrounding the Battle of Yavin and beyond.

During the events of Star Wars Rebels, Thrawn and his ship the Chimaera seemingly disappeared into deep space.

8.) Thrawn was against the construction of the Death Star.

He believed that the project took up too many resources that could be put to better use elsewhere. Some fans had speculated that if Thrawn was around, the Empire would not have lost the Battle of Yavin. Pellaeon thought as much in the first Thrawn book in Legends, Heir to the Empire.

9.) Thrawn was modeled after various historical and fictional figures.

In response to a fan’s letter, Zahn stated that, in creating the character, he drew inspiration from figures such as Erwin Rommel, Robert E. Lee, Hannibal Barca, Alexander the Great, and Sherlock Holmes.

10.) He was very skilled at hand-to-hand combat.

While most high ranking military officers were not known for their physical prowess, Thrawn kept himself fit and frequently practiced with sentry droids. His skills allowed him to survive assassination attempts.

Written By Apinya Wong

Syndicated From Culture Slate

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