Related
The true perfection ofGrand Admiral Thrawn’sfinal moments inStar WarsLegends is going to be very hard for the current and canonical timeline to beat . In the late ( and now non - canon ) timeline , Thrawn received a dynamic dying that was truly worthy of his character , having been one of theExpanded Universe’sbest villains . While he ’s quickly become one of the Modern canyon ’s upright as well , it may prove difficult to give Thrawn an end that tops what ’s already been insure in Legends .
debut in Timothy Zahn ’s book trilogy of the early 90s , Thrawn was relegated to the non - canon Legends in 2014 like so many other stories and characters when Disney rebooted the entire timeline away from the core moving-picture show and shows . However , Thrawn was bring back to the canyon thanks to 2016’sStar Wars Rebels , and 2023 saw his live - action entry as one of the New Republic timeline ’s biggest villains , mirror constituent of his original introduction while subsist in a very dissimilar narrative . However , the officialStar Warscanon is going to have a arduous time topping Thrawn ’s last Bible from Zahn’sThe Last Command(1993 ) .
Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Legends Defeat Is So Perfect
There Are Two Ways To Interpret Thrawn’s Final Words
For all his impressive logical system and impressive accomplishment as the Empire ’s dandy tactical mind , Grand Admiral Thrawn ’s movement were undone , and his biography ended with a major betrayal in Legends , one generate by the Rebels themselves . While Palpatine ’s alien death commando have a go at it as the Noghri had been patriotic to Darth Vader for years , Leia let on the verity that the Empire were not their saviors but instead their hidden slave dealer . As such , The Noghri ally themselves with the New Republic , and Thrawn ’s personal Noghri bodyguard Rukh stabs the Grand Admiral in the back . This motivatesThrawn ’s surprising and touching final words to Captain Pellaeon :
Thrawn was sitting upright in his chairwoman , his side strangely calm . In the middle of his bureau , a dark red stain was spreading across the spotless blank of his Grand Admiral ’s uniform . glint in the center of the stain was the tip of Rukh ’s assassin ’s tongue .
Thrawn charm his eye ; and to Pellaeon ’s astonishment , the Grand Admiral smiled . “ But , ” he whispered , “ it was so artistically done . ”
The smile faded . The glow in his optic did likewise … and Thrawn , the last Grand Admiral , was gone .
Interestingly , there are two chief waysStar Warsfans have interpret Thrawn ’s final speech , and both are quite compelling . The first is that Thrawn was look up to the way in which his plans were all undone by Leia and the New Republic . He respected the aesthetic nature of how the lunar time period was turn out of his favour in mode he could n’t predict ahead of Rukh ’s betrayal that took his lifespan .
The second is that Thrawn was admiring / bewail his own work and all the effort he ’d put into his movement , only for his chef-d’oeuvre to go unfinished due to his demise . Either path , Thrawn ’s final words in Legends absolutely speak to his reference . It ’s sure as shooting a testament to Zahn ’s impressive writing , who probably intend for threefold interpretations withthis very strong ending for such a dynamicStar Warsvillain .
Can Star Wars Canon Beat That Iconic Moment?
It’s Going To Be VERY Hard to Top
Now looking at the establishedStar Warscanon , it sure looks as though Grand Admiral Thrawn is being pose to become just as freehanded of a baddie in thecurrent New Republic timelineas he was in Legends . The character is largely the same ; a brilliant tactician with a high degree of perceptiveness for art and regard for his opponents ' strategies . That said , the events of his death will likely be quite unlike for many reasons , include the fact that Rukh perish in theStar Warscanon well before the consequence of the original trilogy .
As a result , one would hope that Lucasfilm will find a way to keep Thrawn ’s final words the same . His last will undoubtedly occur under different portion in the newStar Warscanon . However , those last sentiments from theGrand Admiral in Legendsare far too everlasting to pass away up in their entireness .
The only alien to ever ascend to the rank of Grand Admiral , Thrawn is a strategic genius who herald from an isolationistic raceway known as the Chiss . Thrawn ’s motif are enigmatical , but his tactical splendor made him a vital asset for the Empire . Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger successfully overcome Thrawn during the Battle of Lothal , leave in Thrawn ’s exile to the distant planet Peridea in another galaxy , but the Grand Admiral has now returned .
Upcoming Star Wars picture
Release Date
The Mandalorian & Grogu
Custom Image by Kevin Erdmann
May 22 , 2026
The only alien to ever ascend to the rank of Grand Admiral, Thrawn is a strategic genius who hails from an isolationist race known as the Chiss. Thrawn’s motives are enigmatic, but his tactical brilliance made him a vital asset for the Empire. Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger successfully defeated Thrawn during the Battle of Lothal, resulting in Thrawn’s exile to the distant planet Peridea in another galaxy, but the Grand Admiral has now returned.
The only alien to ever ascend to the rank of Grand Admiral, Thrawn is a strategic genius who hails from an isolationist race known as the Chiss. Thrawn’s motives are enigmatic, but his tactical brilliance made him a vital asset for the Empire. Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger successfully defeated Thrawn during the Battle of Lothal, resulting in Thrawn’s exile to the distant planet Peridea in another galaxy, but the Grand Admiral has now returned.