Admiral Thrawn is one of the most interesting villains in Star Wars. The character made his debut in 1991 in the old extended universe, with creator Timothy Zahn saying his ambition was to create a different kind of Imperial villain as “we hadn’t seen much in the way of Imperials who were certainly brilliant, aside from Vader and Palpatine.”
Thrawn’s success meant it wasn’t a huge surprise when he made the jump to the current canon in Star Wars: Rebels, where his fierce tactical skills made Ezra Bridger’s life a misery. Right now, his status in the galaxy is unknown, though he’ll almost certainly play a major role in the upcoming Ahsoka Disney Plus show.
Now Star Wars fans are debating whether Thrawn is strictly evil in the same way other Imperial commanders are. Could it be that he’s simply pragmatic and practical in achieving his aims?
The top comment succinctly defines Thrawn as a classic “lawful-evil” character, pointing out that while he’s not twirling his mustache or engaging in cackling monologues, he’s still serving a brutal system:
But he has committed crimes that do take him beyond the pale:
Another points out that the character has evolved over the years:
‘Complicated’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting here:
Is being ‘practical’ really a justification?
Other replies aren’t so wavering, saying that Thrawn should be judged by his actions and who he’s aligned himself with:
Ahsoka will hit Disney Plus in Spring 2023 so we should start hearing more about it soon. Rumors suggest Thrawn’s Rebels voice actor Lars Mikkelsen will reprise the role in live-action (he certainly looks the part). We’re hoping that story is true, as Ahsoka has the potential to introduce a whole new audience to one of the most complex Star Wars antagonists. Let’s hope for some confirmation soon.
