Dave Filoni teases why Thrawn could still pose a threat in ‘Ahsoka’

It has long been presumed that Grand Admiral Thrawn will be the central villain in the upcoming Star War series Ahsoka, starring Rosario Dawson. But while we know that he is being hunted by the former Jedi Padawan, what would establish his status as the major menacing force in the series? Well, writer Dave Filoni has dished out some interesting (and indirect) teasers. 

As per The Direct, in The Art of The Mandalorian: Season 2, Lucasfilm executive creative director Dave Filoni has addressed the character of Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth who appeared in “Chapter 13 – The Jedi” of The Mandalorian Season 2. While explaining what made Morgan an important asset for the Empire, he also teased that the fact that people like her are still being recruited means the scheming minds (i.e. Thrawn) behind the fallen Empire are also very much active.

“The magistrate is a former Imperial, but she’s an industrialist. My idea was that she had an idea of metallurgy and obviously knew what beskar was. And she was pillaging this planet and stealing all its of resources – people who were willing to take everything from a world and give it to the Empire were valuable to the Empire.”

And even after the fall of the Empire, the people who built the war machine were still out there and really dangerous. They need to be tracked down because otherwise, they’re going to keep doing what they’re doing and find new ways to exploit people.”

Every ardent Star Wars fan who has binged Star Wars Rebels has already seen Thrawn pillaging the land of Lothal for his TIE Defender project, and it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that he is continuing to be one of the most ruthless minions of the largely defunct Empire.

As for his connection to the magistrate, it was first teased in The Mandalorian Season 2, when Ahsoka Tano cornered the cruel woman in the city of Calodan on the forest planet of Corvus. After defeating her, she questioned her about the whereabouts of Grand Admiral Thrawn, establishing that Morgan was plundering Corvus on his orders. 

Whatever new evil antics Thrawn is up to now, he will inevitably cross paths with Ahsoka who is still hot on his trail. The upcoming series will likely see her pursuing her mission to find the missing Jedi Ezra Bridger, who went up against Thrawn at the end of Star Wars Rebels during the battle for the liberation of Lothal. While it was initially assumed that both died when the ship they were on went into hyperspace, Dave Filoni later confirmed that they both survived. 

As for who could play Thrawn in Star Wars’ Ahsoka, there have been no official confirmations apart from the fact that Thor: Dark Worlds’ Ray Stevenson has joined the cast.