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Grand Admiral Thrawn’s (Lars Mikkelsen) transition to live action in “Ahsoka” was a long time coming. The character was first created by Timothy Zahn, who wrote the Thrawn trilogy in the ’90s. The first book, “Heir to the Empire,” was a touchstone for many, which is why Star Wars showrunner Dave Filoni incorporated the character in what many consider the best Star Wars series, “Rebels.”
“You couldn’t have grown up a Star Wars fan without encountering Thrawn in ‘Heir to the Empire,'” Filoni told Entertainment Weekly. “It was a dark time when there weren’t any more movies, and it blew our minds that there could be more.” In what is no longer a lawless time, many Star Wars properties now explore different avenues, but Thrawn is still a source of great fascination. Zahn himself has been open about his appreciation for resurrecting Thrawn and even had an “Ahsoka” theory of his own regarding the character.
“Zahn’s take on Thrawn’s goals in #Ahsoka: Everything flows from his motivation to help the Chiss,” writer Nate Manning tweeted after seeing Zahn speak at Twin Cities Con. “He believes the New Republic won’t be able to help that goal so bringing the Empire back is the only way.” In the series that aired on Disney+, Thrawn is as closed off as ever. He keeps his plans close to the chest, a move that is entirely in character for the Chiss.
Thrawn’s motivations were missing from Ahsoka
When viewing the events of Star Wars through Thrawn’s perspective, the Chiss are downright reasonable. Unlike more one-dimensional villains, like Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), who is only interested in obtaining power, Thrawn has a much more complex motivation. Hailing from the planet Csilla, the Chiss are xenophobic, believing that they are superior to all other races. This is not to say that Thrawn is on the side of good; his backstory merely makes him a more interesting villain than most.
When Csilla’s sun began to die, Chiss society, known as the Ascendency, turned to the reaches of space, which led them to partner with the Empire. The Empire had the resources for the Chiss to utilize. Uniting with a dictatorship was logical, especially for this society. The Chiss Ascendancy is stronger than the Empire, so the New Republic would not be useful in helping them.
These motivations are not explored in “Ahsoka,” and nor would they be. Thrawn is calculating above all else and not the type of villain to announce his plans. But from the mouth of the character’s creator, Thrawn’s devotion to his culture is the obvious reason for his actions. Anyone would want to save their society, especially if they were raised to believe theirs was the best. After being stuck on a remote planet for years, Thrawn would undoubtedly want to return to the galaxy we know and raise the Chiss to the glory he believes they deserve.
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