The new Star Wars Disney+ series Ahsoka has promised the arrival of a dynamic villain to their streaming universe with Grand Admiral Thrawn. While this marks the live action on-screen debut of Thrawn (who is being portrayed by Lars Mikkelsen in a reprisal of his voice work on Rebels), fans of Star Wars know that this fascinating character is far from new. (In fact, the fan favorite villain has been a major player in both Star Wars Legends and canon content!) But who exactly is this cunning adversary? And what does his return mean for the galaxy at large? Read on to find out everything you need to know to prepare for his upcoming entrance on Ahsoka. 

Who is Grand Admiral Thrawn?

Grand Admiral Thrawn, whose full name is Mitth'raw'nuruodo, is an Imperial military leader and a member of the Chiss Ascendancy. He is of the Chiss species, a race with blue skin and red eyes. Thrawn is a formidable presence, notable for his intelligence and knack for strategy. One of the keys to his success is his dedication to understanding everything about his enemies, from their military operations to their cultural traditions. The character was first introduced in Timothy Zahn's , which began with 1991's . This series now exists as part of the Star Wars Legends collection, though Thrawn has since been reintroduced into the canonical expanded universe.  

Grand Admiral Thrawn's fearsome presence and resonance with fans has drawn comparisons to the most famous villain of the Star Wars canon, Darth Vader. Though both powerful leaders, Vader is more driven by emotions while Thrawn is ruthlessly strategical and guided by logic. "Most of the Imperial leaders we see in the movies rule through a combination of fear and manipulation," author Timothy Zahn observed in a 2017 interview with USA Today. "I wanted to create something different: a commander who could lead through loyalty. The result was Thrawn, a tactical genius whose troops follow him willingly, and who will fight for him whether or not he’s watching over their shoulders."

When was Thrawn first introduced? And what’s his story so far?

Grand Admiral Thrawn's story started with Heir to the Empire, but as of 2012, this original trilogy and became a part of Star Wars Legends and, as such, are no longer considered part of the canon. He wouldn't remain decommissioned as a character for long. In 2017, Zahn came back to the canon with a new trilogy, leading up to Thrawn's first appearance in the third season of the animated series Star Wars: Rebels.

Zahn’s canon Thrawn trilogy opens before the events of the original 1977 Star Wars film Here, listeners are introduced to Thrawn at a time when he's been seemingly exiled as a Chiss warrior. He is subsequently rescued by Imperial soldiers, and his intelligence and tactical expertise draw the attention of Emperor Palpatine. Thrawn quickly rises in the ranks. While Thrawn advances in the Imperial Military, he forms an alliance with Governor Arihnda Pryce and searches for the Rebel leader Nightswan. Thrawn later reveals himself to be a double agent for the Chiss Ascendancy who faked his exile to infiltrate the Empire. During the Clone Wars, Thrawn goes on several missions with Anakin Skywalker to Batuu; later, after Skywalker has fallen to the dark side as Vader, the two form an uneasy alliance working together for the Empire. In early 2020, Zahn released the first of a new canon trilogy entitled . The new novels gave readers more information about Thrawn's origins and his rise to power. Thrawn was born on the planet Rentor around 59 BBY. His given name at birth was Kivu'raw'nuru with the core name of "Vurawn," and he was born into the small, poor Kivu family. But while Vurawn attended an academy on Rentor, his talents gained the attention of the powerful Mitth family, one of the Nine Ruling Families of the Chiss Ascendancy. The Mitth family accepted Vurawn into their family as a merit adoptive, and he was reborn as Mitth'raw'nuru, with the core name "Thrawn."While Thrawn has yet to appear in any live-action Star Wars series, he did make a notable turn in an animated series. In , Thrawn is a Grand Admiral of the Galactic Empire tasked with destroying the Rebel Alliance. While he almost succeeds in his mission, he is ultimately lost to the Unknown Regions alongside Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger during their climactic battle on Lothal. Thrawn was also previously mentioned by name in in an Ahsoka cameo that teased the live-action spin-off. No one has seen Thrawn since his disappearance into the Unknown Regions years earlier, but in season three of there are whispers of Grand Admiral Thrawn's return and the delivery of Project Necromancer. picks up on this thread, with Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren searching for Thrawn in a race against the Grand Admiral's allies, Morgan Elsbeth, Balyan Skoll, and Shin Hati.