Mitth'raw'nuruodo is a member of the Chiss Ascendancy from the planet Csilla and the Grand Admiral of the Galactic Empire known by his core name, Thrawn and the main antagonist of the second half of Star Wars Rebels.
He was sent by the Ascendancy to see if the Republic or the Empire was capable of being allies by posing as an outcast of his race. He was also the Commander of the Seventh Fleet and owner of an Imperial Star Destroyer, the Chimaera. During the earlier days of the Rebellion, Thrawn came into conflict with rebels Hera Syndulla and Ezra Bridger.
Background[]
Thrawn was originally called Kivu'raw'nuru and known by his corename, Vurawn before becoming Mitth'raw'nuruodo of the Chiss from the icy planet Csilla in the Unknown Regions, a dangerous territory beyond the Outer Rims.
He was the youngest of two children: an unnamed sister, who was Force-sensitive, whom he loved very much. However, his sister disappeared to become a Sky-walker, Force-sensitive Chiss girls but his parents would not reveal what happened to her. [2]
He was assigned to explore the Outer Rim to find allies against a mysterious threat looming over in the Unknown Regions.
Among his journeys, Thrawn met Anakin Skywalker and worled alongside the Jedi General, who would later speak highly of the Chiss to Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine
Personality[]
- “I am a warrior, Your Majesty. A warrior may retreat. He does not flee. He may lie in ambush. He does not hide. He may experience victory or defeat. He does not cease to serve.”
- ―Thrawn to Darth Sidious
Clever and intelligent, Thrawn was a brilliant military strategist, being able to anticipate any of his enemies moves and learn his enemies' battle tactics. During the rescue of Alexsandr Kallus, he figured out that Kallus was the true rebel spy when Yogar Lyste took the fall for it because he protected the identity of their then prisoner, Ezra Bridger. He also managed to find Phoenix Squadron's hidden rebel base on Atollon in just a matter of months while it took the rest of the Empire years. Thrawn could also tell who Hera (who was posing as a Twi'lek slave) was just by looking at her portrait with her father. The Grand Admiral could also deduce that Nightswan was a Pirate when they first met and trying to deceive them. He was respectful towards his allies and his enemies, acknowledging Nightswan, Hera Syndulla, Commander Jun Sato and Alexsandr Kallus as worthy opponents. However, both hera and Alexsandr remained rude towards him as he spoke to them because they felt animosity towards him. Though he mocked Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger he still spoke in a calm manner.
Despite his calm demeanor, there have been times when he has lost his patience. In Hera's Heroes, He furiously grabbed Slavin by the front of his shirt and growled when his captain called Hera's artwork a "piece of Twi'lek trash." Thrawn later got easily frustrated whenever his subordinates disobeyed a direct order, evident when he glared after hearing Admiral Konstantine would not abide the Chiss' command any more.
Even though he never told anyone, not even his most trusted friend, Eli Vanto, Thrawn despised the oppressive, racist, and corrupt Imperial culture, viewing many of his fellow officers as either evil or downright stupid. He was also one of the few within the Empire to realize how evil the Emperor actually is, even going as far to speculate that he could be in touch with the Force. Being a pragmatist, Thrawn believed the Empire to be a necessary evil and that serving it is the best way to defend his people. Ironically, he managed to obtain the rank of Grand Admiral, meaning that he is one of the highest ranking members of a civilization he neither adores nor originally comes from. Even so, the fact that he purposefully infiltrated the Imperial hierarchy means that he has to follow Imperial directives, meaning that, in order to fit in, he comes across as far more cruel than he actually is on a moral level. He believed in the ends justifying the means, which is evident when he practically kills a mechanic to set an example.
Finally, Thrawn inspires loyalty from his men rather than out of fear. Where people like Darth Vader and Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin seek to punish those who fail, Thrawn sees those failures as opportunities, so that his men can learn to do better and succeed. This includes separating three cadets instead of punishing them. He views death as a means of punishing soldiers as being wasteful. Despite all of that, Thrawn is still a cold-blooded Imperial and one of the Rebels' most dangerous adversaries.
Abilities[]
Physical Appearance[]
Thrawn was a Chiss of tall stature, with blue-black hair, red eyes, and light blue skin. His appearance often made people believe he was a Pantoran.
Star Wars Rebels[]
Season 3[]
Recruited by Governor Pryce[]
Annoyed by the recent rebel activity going on at Lothal, Arihnda Pryce approaches Grand Moff Tarkin and requests for the assistance from someone who sees a "bigger picture" about bring about the downfall of the rebels and requests for the Seventh Fleet led by Grand Admiral Thrawn. While some officers, such as Konstantine, believed that these ships were the rebel fleet, Thrawn and Pryce actually both believed that this group of rebels were the key for the Empire to destroy the Rebellion before it begun. Pryce revealed Thrawn just didn't want to concern himself with just Phoenix Squadron, but the Rebel Alliance as a whole, starting with the rebel cell. (Star Wars Rebels: Steps Into Shadow)
Occupation of Ryloth[]
- “War. It's all you've ever known, isn't it? You were so young when you survived the Clone War. No wonder you are equipped in spirit to fight us like you do. War is in your blood. I study the art of war. Work to perfect it. But you...You were forged by it.”
- ―Thrawn to Hera
Thrawn
moved his plans to capture rebels to Hera Syndulla's homeworld, Ryloth, where he helped the Captain in command, Slavin, on how to outsmart Cham Syndulla and the Rylothian resistance. During his visit to Syndulla's house, he had a battalion of stormtroopers move up to the Syndulla building. Slavin saw the new tactics unnecesary, believing the battle was no where nere here, but Thrawn assured that the battle was in that very building. They came across Twi'lek Hera Syndulla trying to escape with her companion, Ezra Bridger until she was brought back to her father's office while posing as a refugee. However, Thrawn was able to tell who Hera was while Ezra was a scout trooper in disguise. He stunned Ezra and had both rebels locked away. Taking the Kalikori as a trophy, Thrawn acknowledged his respect for Hera and left Slavin to deal with the rebel prisoners, seeing how the rebels would react to rescuing one of their own. After witnessing enough, he allowed the rebels to escape. [4]
Iron Squadron[]
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In a plot to lure Jun Sato out of hiding, he had Imperial forces attack his homeworld of Mykapo. He sent Admiral Konstantine to stop the Rebels from freeing their rebel sympathizers in one ship after learning about Iron Squadron. His plan worked and Thrawn arrived on Mykapo after being contacted by Konstantine, where he had seen his plan to get Commander Sato out of hiding. Welcoming the commander's return, Thrawn and Sato swore to meet again before the rebels and Iron Squadron made it to hyperspace. The grand admiral contacted Konstantine, who had called fit assistance but covered up his excuses by changing it to report that the rebels escaped. However, Thrawn could see through Konstantine's bluff and easily surmised the rebels didn't just evade capture, but with their sympathizers as well.[6]
An Inside Man[]
Following the insurgency of Mykapo, in "An Inside Man," Thrawn returned to the TIE Defender factory on Lothal. During his visit, he killed Morad Sumar (without knowing he was allied with rebels) through a demonstration of a speeder bike that they had rigged. Capturing the rebels was imperative to Thrawn, who wanted to make sure that his TIE defender project was not compromised, which is why he made sure that Section A2 was heavily guarded and those without the proper clearance be killed on sight. Thrawn studied his enemies' art after summoning Lyste and Kallus to his office, including holographic displays of the Spectres, Sabine's art, and a Jedi Temple Guard's helmet and showed Lyste and Kallus Sabine's Starbird painting. While Lyste was dismissive of the artwork, Kallus was able to tell that the graffiti was Phoenix Squadron's symbol. Remembering the spectres he encountered on Ryloth, he could speculate that the Ghost crew were connected to Lothal. Based on Lyste's report that two workers went missing after Grand Admiral Thrawn's speech, he was able to tell that the rebels have infiltrated his Imperial factory (Ezra Bridger, Kanan Jarrus and their droid, Chopper); however, Ezra, Kanan and Chopper escaped with help from Kallus and attempted to escape on the AT-AT walkers until Thrawn told the other drives to fire at the ones controlled by Rebels. However, they escaped when Ryder Azadi and Marida Sumar. At the end, as Thrawn spoke with Kallus and Pryce and dismissed Lyste, Thrawn was able to tell that there was a mole in the Empire. Governor Pryce proclaimed that they must find the traitor. However, Thrawn told her to remain patient when she asked about questioning all Imperial personnel, and that they would set a trap for their Rebel spy.
Visions and Voices[]
He is briefly mentioned by Sabine Wren in "Visions and Voices" when she asks if Thrawn is there, but Hera reveals that they have no confirmation. Ezra was going to lead the attack, but was relieved of duties after seeing visions of Maul. Kanan and Sabine remained to look after him while Hera went on the mission bby herself.[7]
Warhead[]
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Thrawn planned to find out where the rebels were located and had E-XD infiltrator droids deployed to corners of the Galaxy. One found its way to Chopper base on Atollon but it was defeated by Zeb Orrelios, Chopper and AP-5. Fallowing the destruction of the Star Destroyer, Thrawn met with Kallus, who reported with the Grand Admiral how he suspected the rebels were able to foil Thrawn's plans with the infiltrator droids. However, the Grand Admiral remained in high spirits, Kallus was surprised by his superior's response. Thrawn revealed that the incident greatly narrowed down the planets from a thousand planets to ninety-four. Thrawn proclaimed the war would be theirs, as Kallus was left with worry his allies would be discovered.[8]
Through Imperial Eyes[]
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Thrawn summons Lieutenant Lyste, Agent Kallus, and Kassius Konstantine to the Chimaera after calling in Wullf Yularen in to help him find the rebel spy known as Fulcrum and reveals he is close to figuring out where the rebel base is hidden because he narrowed it down to ninety four systems. Thrawn calls the meeting ajourned and dismisses Kallus,Lyste and Konstantine, aware that one of them is the spy when Governor Pryce enters Thrawn's office. Yularen finds out that a prisoner exchange transaction from Lothal had recently occured, causing Thrawn to decide to visit this mysterious prisoner; however, Thrawn, Pryce and Yularen arrived to find the prisoner is missing and they are led to believe that Lyste freed Ezra from his cell (in reality, by Alexsandr Kallus to protect both his and Ezra's identity). Thrawn returns to his office, but finds nothing out of the ordinary, where he is attacked by his own training droids manipulated by Kallus so Ezra could make his escape. With Thrawn distracted, Ezra succeeds in going unrecognized. After defeating the droids, Thrawn warns Yularen the rebels are going to escape. Though Kallus made it look like Lyste is the Rebel spy, Yularen and Thrawn believe things got into place a little too quickly. When the prisoner's effects are brought to Thrawn's office, he is able to deduce from the prisoner's helmet designed by Sabine Wren that their captive was the Jedi Padawan Thrawn encountered on Ryloth, Ezra Bridger and correctly guesses that Kallus is Fulcrum because he withheld Ezra's identity and later used Ezra's Jedi skills to trick the guards into letting them into Thrawn's office. The Chiss believes that they can turn Kallus into an asset against the rebels and believes that Agent Fulcrum will prove more useful than Kallus ever was.
Secret Cargo[]
Unmasking Kallus[]
The Battle of Atollon[]
The Battle[]
Aftermath[]
Thrawn's attack on Atollon led the Rebel Alliance to see they weren't ready for open war yet and postponed their attack on Lothal. ("Zero Hour")
Season 4[]
Liberation of Lothal[]
In the series finale, Thrawn returns from Coruscant, ruining Ezra and his friends' plan in liberating Lothal from the Galactic Empire. Contacted by Ezra to surrender, Thrawn is revealed to be one step ahead of them and instead will only accept the young Jedi's surrender. When Ezra refuses, Thrawn orders a planetary bombardment and had sent Rukh to cause the rebels' shield generator to malfunction. unwilling to see his people suffer, Ezra is coerced into giving into Thrawn's demands. The Grand Admiral warns the young commander to come alone and not to attempt anything heroic or he would continue to bombard the city.
When Ezra arrived on the Chimaera as promised, Thrawn had officially met the captive Jedi face-to-face by having the Stormtroopers bring Ezra to his office and began mocking him for what he stood for, even following his Jedi training. His taunts only aggravated Ezra, who was appalled by Thrawn's art collection, including one of Sabine's works of art. The Grand Admiral revealed he was not destroying Lothal completely, even keeping several artwork he collected over the years. Ezra angrily confronted Thrawn, reprimanding him of taking things that did not belong to him and telling Thrawn he didn't deserve the artwork in his possession or Lothal. The Grand Admiral refuted that power was what people should truly keep and told Ezra that the Jedi would not teach him that and instead would take him to someone who would. He brought Ezra before a hologram of the Emperor, who used his public image when conversing with Ezra. Palpatine dismissed Thrawn, who left Ezra with the Emperor and ordered his forces to resume the city bombardment. During the liberation of Lothal, Rukh was killed by Garazeb Orrelios after throwing him on the destroyed power generator.
Defeat[]
When Thrawn attempted to contact his bodyguard, Zeb answered instead and informed him of the Noghri's death.Despite Thrawn being assured of victory, he was suddenly confronted by Ezra and was generally surprised to see the boy managed to escape capture. Though he only managed to wound the Jedi with his blaster, Ezra used his connection with the Purrgil, who wrapped their tentacles around Thrawn, who was utterly horrified as the creatures disappeared into hyperspace, taking Ezra and Thrawn to parts unknown. ("Family Reunion - and Farewell")
Gallery[]
Relationships[]
Allies[]
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Enemies[]
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References to Other Star Wars[]
- Like the Legends, Thrawn hid out in "Exile" and was found by an officer, named Parcc.
- In Legends, he gained the rank of Grand Admiral after taking down a corrupted Grand Admiral. In canon, Thrawn was granted the title for stopping the rebel insurgence on Batuu.
Trivia[]
- His past is shrouded in mysteries until the release of chaos rising of the Thrawn and the ascendancy trilogy
- His defeat was hinted at in the series finale of season 3, where the Bendu predicted that he would meet his downfall, wrapped around in a cold embrace.
- This ends up being the case in the season 4 and series finale, where Ezra Bridger summons a group of Purrgil, who wrap their tentacles around Thrawn and take him and Ezra into the Unknown Regions.
- Thrawn is considered the savior of the Star Wars franchise because his trilogy by Timothy Zahn when it received positive appraisals and gained popular opinion from fans, peaking their interest back into the franchise since the Return of the Jedi was released in 1983.
- He is a mixture of Sherlock Holmes, Alexander the great, Hannibal Barca, Erwin Rommel, and Robert e Lee.
- Dave Filoni confirmed in the last episode of Rebels Recon that Ezra and Thrawn did survive their trip into hyperspace.
See Also[]
- Chimaera
- Thrawn (novel)
- Seventh Fleet
- Star Wars Rebels (Season 3)
- Hera Syndulla
- Ezra Bridger
- Chiss
- Thrawn's Office
- Csilla