“Multiple species, with multiple viewpoints and racial philosophies, simply cannot hold power together for long. The dominant voice must certainly be wise enough to adopt ideas and methods from its allies and member peoples. But there must be a dominant voice, or there is only chaos. In this part of the galaxy, that voice is the Empire.”
-Grand Admiral Thrawn
A Chiss Grand Admiral during the period of time that came after the collapse of the Jedi and the rise of the Galactic Empire, Thrawn was one of the Empire’s most brilliant military strategists, responsible for leading the Imperial Fleet to victory after victory, regardless of the enemy they faced. And, following the latest trailer for Star Wars Rebels S3, he has been officially introduced into the canon Star Wars mythos. So, what are the implications of his character, especially in a universe where most of what we have grown up with and known to be Star Wars does not exist, and what does Disney’s willingness to accept him as a canon character mean for the Star Wars franchise?
In my previous video, I speculated that Season 3’s central plotline would revolve around Ezra’s force dichotomy of sorts: the two sides being Kanan and Maul respectively. However, it would be a lie to say that the latest trailer hasn’t caused a change in my thoughts. Regardless of how Ezra’s arc pans out, it is quite obvious, at this point, that Thrawn will be the major antagonist of this season – a character much like in terms of character role, but infinitely more dangerous than, Season 1’s Grand Inquisitor.
Thrawn will pose a threat unlike any the Rebels have faced so far. I mean, think about it. In retaliation to the formation of a Rebel Alliance, the Empire has done surprisingly little thus far. General Kallus, the Inquisitors, even Vader, have all been a physical danger that they have relatively easily overcome. In the case of Vader, he hadn’t even considered the Rebels a large enough threat to command his own attention, leaving the task of their extermination to beings that are only but shadows of his shadow. But Thrawn isn’t like this. He is smart enough not to underestimate a competent opponent, and knowledgeable enough to fight not with his blaster, but with his mind. In addition, he commands the respect of the entire Imperial Army, Vader, and even the Emperor himself. Thrawn, whether he chooses to use them or not, holds the lives of millions in his hands, and the Rebels will need to find a way to outsmart a man, who outsmarts for a living.
In a larger sense, Thrawn’s introduction into canon also represents Disney’s first baby steps, if you will, back towards the EU. This is huge. In the EU, Thrawn is one of the galaxy’s major players: involved in the discovery of the Yuuzhan Vong, the formation of the New Republic, the creation of his own empire, and the survival of his clones. This begs the question, will Disney and LucasFilms go far enough to canonize those as well, or will they create a largely separate “canon” story for him. The canonization of his EU story would eventually lead to the canonization of the EU Skywalkers’, Luke’s EU story, Kyle Katarn, and just… so much more that it leads to believe that it is improbable. However, the fact that Disney is taking steps to reintroduce parts of the EU back into canon is, in my opinion a huge step in the right direction, and honestly, it gives me hope for the future of Star Wars as much more than a mere spectacle, but as a medium of storytelling, a platform for connection, and ultimately, a narrative of life
