9 Key Moments In Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Canon Story (& How They Could Impact His Star Wars Future)

Several key moments in the Star Wars canon are crucial to Grand Admiral Thrawn’s story (and will likely impact his future). Returning to the established Star Wars canon in 2016 with the animated series Star Wars Rebels, Thrawn made his live-action debut in 2023’s Ahsoka. He’s also been positioned to become a major threat in the future with upcoming Star Wars projects set in the New Republic timeline.

Originating from the Unknown Regions of the Star Wars galaxy, Thrawn originally served the Chiss Ascendancy before he eventually became a Grand Admiral in the Galactic Empire, a rare alien officer in the entire xenophobic regime who had gained Palpatine’s favor due to his impressive mind as a tactician and his knowledge of the Unknown Regions themselves. During the New Republic Era, Thrawn certainly looks ready to unite the various factions of the Imperial Remnant in a bid to take back the galaxy. Keeping that in mind, here are 9 key moments from Grand Admiral Thrawn’s story that will likely have an impact on his future in the Star Wars timeline.

9 Grand Admiral Thrawn Meets Anakin Skywalker

His First Time In The Established Star Wars Galaxy

Still serving the Chiss Ascendancy, Thrawn left the Unknown Regions and the ranks of the Chiss to scout out the more known sectors of the Star Wars galaxy, hoping to learn more about the state of the galaxy and a means of turning the tide against their rivals, the Grysk Hegemony. This led to Thrawn’s meeting with Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars. Together, Thrawn and Anakin joined forces on a mission to save Padmé Amidala, as well as to disrupt the operations of a special Separatist droid factory. In exchange, Thrawn learned more about the Clone Wars from Skywalker and also received a deflector shield generator for his people.

Thrawn’s time with Anakin was depicted in the canonical novel Thrawn: Alliances by Timothy Zahn (who created Thrawn for his Legends trilogy of novels). It’s the reason why Thrawn does a double take decades later in Ahsoka when Morgan Elsbeth confirms that Tano’s master was Anakin. Thrawn knew exactly who Anakin was, having personally seen him in action while also respecting him as a warrior. As such, he changed his tactics accordingly when it came to dealing with his apprentice, and will likely come into play in Ahsoka season 2.

8 Thrawn Pledges Loyalty To Emperor Palpatine

(At Least He Seems To)

Years later, Thrawn returned from the Unknown Regions seeking allies for the Chiss. This leads to a meeting with Emperor Palpatine himself who grows intrigued by Thrawn using Anakin Skywalker’s name as someone who could vouch for him. Having been granted a place within the Empire, Thrawn pledges his loyalty to Palpatine as a means to eventually broker an alliance between his people and the Empire.

Zahn’s canonical trilogy of Thrawn novels heavily implies that Thrawn’s loyalty was only ever a means to aid his own people. To that end, Thrawn: Treason confirms that Palpatine intended to speak with Thrawn about where his true loyalties lay following encounters where the Grand Admiral had to choose between Imperial service and aiding his people. However, Thrawn was exiled to Peridea before that conversation could happen. To that end, future Thrawn stories set during the New Republic Era are primed to reveal what Thrawn will do now that Palpatine is gone. Perhaps Thrawn intends to take command of the Imperial Remnant for the sake of supporting the Chiss.

7 Thrawn Meets Morgan Elsbeth

And Predicts The Empire’s Demise

While Admiral Thrawn was still climbing the ranks, the former Nightsister Morgan Elsbeth gained his attention thanks to her unique designs for a new TIE Fighter, as seen in the animated miniseries Tales of the Empire. Seeing her value and what she could provide, Thrawn brings Morgan into his inner circle. He also predicts that the Empire will gradually crumble and collapse if it continues to trade lives for the sake of profit due to the weakened and disillusioned military such actions would inevitably create.

To that end, the Empire does indeed collapse once Palpatine is no more. Likewise, Morgan Elsbeth ends up becoming a critical player in his return to the known Star Wars galaxy years after his exile ahead of the original trilogy. As such, it will be very exciting to see how Thrawn intends to correct the mistakes of the past Empire.

6 Thrawn Given Command of The 7th Fleet

Becoming A Grand Admiral Aboard The Chimaera

Finally becoming a Grand Admiral, Thrawn is given command of the Seventh Fleet, his flagship being the uniquely armed and painted Star Destroyed known as The Chimaera. Tasked with hunting down Rebel cells, Thrawn makes the elimination of Phoenix Squadron and the Spectres a key priority, as seen in Star Wars Rebels seasons 3 and 4. This served as his official reintegration into the established Star Wars canon, mirroring his character in Legends with an all-new story.

However, Thrawn’s conflict with the Spectres is what eventually leads to his exile in the Star Wars timeline. Furthermore, several members of this Rebel family including Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, and Ahsoka Tano will more than likely continue to be his key rivals as Thrawn’s story continues in future Star Wars projects. However, Thrawn knows how to gain strength from failure and exploit his opponents’ weaknesses. Likewise, his return to the galaxy will no doubt prove to be incredibly challenging for the New Republic overall.

5 Thrawn Faces The Bendu

During The Battle of Atollon

During the Battle of Atollon, Thrawn and his forces would have wiped out Phoenix Squadron had the large Force known as the Bendu not intervened. After the Bendu created a powerful and very destructive lightning storm, the Rebels were able to escape the system. As such, this likely served as a key moment in Thrawn’s canon story in which the Grand Admiral bore witness to the power of the Force and how its unpredictable nature could alter even his best strategies.

To that end, it’s already been shown in Ahsoka how the Grand Admiral is seemingly making up for that which he lacks: the ability to wield the Force. It’s certainly no accident that he’s since surrounded himself with allies gifted in the dark side. However, this interaction with the Bendu also saw the creature telling Thrawn that he could see his future defeat, “like many arms, surrounding you in a cold embrace”. Keeping that in mind, it will be very exciting to one day compare the Force-being’s words with Thrawn’s final demise down the line.

4 Thrawn Joins Forces With Darth Vader

The Emperor’s Best

Between Star Wars Rebels seasons 3 and 4, The Emperor tasked Thrawn to join forces with Darth Vader, and this was also in the Thrawn: Alliances novel. Intelligent enough to deduce that Vader was once the man he met during the Clone Wars, the dynamics between Thrawn and Vader are fascinating as they embark on this new mission, one that evokes the same adventure they shared years ago when the Dark Lord was still Anakin Skywalker. As such, this resulted in a key moment for the Grand Admiral, making him one of the few people in the entire galaxy who knew the truth about Darth Vader.

Likewise, Thrawn would later use this information against Anakin’s apprentice as seen at the end of 2023’s Ahsoka. One can imagine that the Grand Admiral will continue to do so in any future encounters, as it’s a darkly effective means of exposing any lingering doubts or insecurities within Tano. That said, Ahsoka’s recent (and hopefully future) interactions with her former master’s spirit will likely keep her centered and focused in the future.

3 Thrawn Goes Missing During The Battle of Lothal

Thanks To A Pod of Purrgil

During Thrawn’s final endgame with Phoenix Squadron on Lothal, the Grand Admiral suffered one of his worst failures. This was again due to the unpredictability of the Force, as Jedi Knight Ezra Bridger called out to a pod of interstellar purrgil to attack Thrawn’s fleet, sending both Ezra, the Grand Admiral, and the bulk of his forces away from Bridger’s homeworld to parts unknown. As such, Grand Admiral Thrawn missed out on the entirety of the Galactic Civil War which began in earnest just after this conflict with the Battle of Scarif (as seen in Rogue One).

This moment explains why Thrawn wasn’t in the original trilogy, and likely the Bendu who had foreseen his defeat. However, Thrawn being sent away before the Galactic Civil War means that he’s now ready to take command of what remains during the New Republic now that Vader and Palpatine are both gone. Had he been present leading the Seventh Fleet, Thrawn would have likely led the Empire to victory over the Rebellion. That said, it’s just as possible that he might have also met his end right alongside the Sith Lords.

2 Thrawn Spends Nearly A Decade In Exile

(Ezra Bridger Too)

Thanks to Ahsoka, it was revealed that Thrawn and his forces spent nearly a decade on the extragalactic world of Peridea with no way of getting back to the known Star Wars galaxy. While the details of their time stranded on this planet are largely a mystery, it’s clear that they likely faced their share of combat due to their damaged armor. However, it’s likely that the full extent of what happened to Thrawn and his men will be revealed down the line in Ahsoka season 2 and other future New Republic projects.

1 Thrawn Returns To The Known Star Wars Galaxy (With New Allies)

Allied With The Nightsisters

By the end of Ahsoka, Thrawn makes his back to the known Star Wars galaxy with his men and the Nightsisters known as the Great Mothers. They also have several boxes on board The Chimaera taken from Peridea’s crypts which many have presumed are Nightsister corpses. Seeing as how Ahsoka ends with Thrawn presumably basing himself on the Nightsisters’ world of Dathomir, it does seem as though the Grand Admiral intends to learn from his past failures and never underestimate the Force again, having made new allies who helped him return and also wield magicks sourced in the dark side.