Star Wars! It is one of the best series ever created, both in movie format and in book format. There are many great Star Wars novels and characters that I could explore. Today, I decided to dive into a Star Wars character, specifically a villain. The character I will be discussing today started as a book character before going on to be the main character of multiple book series, the main villain in an animated TV show, Star Wars Rebels, and he will soon debut as a live-action character in the highly anticipated mini-series, Ahsoka! Who is this character? Some die-hard Star Wars fans may know him as, Mitth’raw’nuruodo. But he commonly goes by the name Thrawn.
Before I get started, as usual, here is your spoiler warning! Though I have tried to keep major spoilers out of this post, consider yourself warned! If you need to go read the books first, please save this post and come back to it once you have read the relevant series (Refer to the list at the end of this post).
Who is Thrawn?
"To defeat an enemy, you must know them. Not simply their battle tactics, but their history, philosophy, art."
- Thrawn, Star Wars Rebels
Thrawn is a Star Wars character created by Timothy Zahn, making his debut in 1991’s Heir to the Empire (reference 1). In Heir to the Empire, Thrawn is the main villain who goes up against Luke Skywalker, and friends, to try to gain control amidst the power vacuum created after the Emperor's death in Empire Strikes Back. Timothy Zahn went on to include Thrawn in three other series (listed at the end of this article), including an origin story trilogy. Thrawn continues to be a favorite villain both in books and on the screen. But before I get deeper into this character, for those who have not seen or read any Thrawn content, here are some things you should know about the character.
Species: Chiss
Home world: Rentor (in deep space)
Physical description: Blue skin, blue/black hair, red eyes, stands at about 5 foot 10 inches (resource 2), and broad-shouldered.
Memorable Trait: His voice. Thrawn is portrayed both in audiobooks and TV shows as having a relatively quiet, calm, civilized, and almost melodic voice.
Background: Having been initially trained on his home planet, Rentor, Thrawn served in the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet, a military branch of the Chiss Ascendancy. Eventually, he trained in the imperial army, becoming the first non-human species to achieve the rank of Grand Admiral in Emperor Palpatine’s Empire.
Skills: Though he has been trained in close combat and space combat, his primary skill is his intelligence, specifically military strategy, and both inductive and deductive reasoning. He has a natural skill in military strategy that was spotted by his peers very early in his career and helped him rise in ranks much faster than those around him. In addition to these skills, Thrawn possesses the ability to quickly determine, through the study of their cultural art, the military strategies that his opponents will likely use. Regarding close combat, based on the books I have read and Star War Rebels, his favored weapons seem to be a blaster and fighting sticks.
Weaknesses: Thrawn's greatest weakness is in politics. Thrawn is unable to understand the constantly changing political landscape both on an individual level and on a grander scale. This is most likely due to his innate connection to data and disconnection from easily swayed emotions. He seems to value data-driven assessment and logic more than power struggles and prestige.
Why He is Such a Compelling Villain…From My Point of View
The main reason Thrawn is so popular is simple. He is smart. We all know that when it comes to storytelling, deeply intelligent people are sometimes lacking, especially in the bad guy department. Thrawn is completely different, and, from my point of view, there are at least three reasons why.
Motivations
"I can beat them, Ziara. I can take all four, right now, without any serious damage to the Parala."..."I can see it all," he said, his voice strained. "Their tactics, their patterns, their weaknesses, I could tell you right here, right now, how to beat them."
- Thrawn, Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising by Timothy Zahn
While I have yet to read all of the books that feature Thrawn, in the books I have read, Thrawn’s motivations seem a little unique for a "bad guy." Unlike most villains, Thrawn does not always seem motivated by a desire to gain personal glory and boost his ego. Instead, he seems more motivated by a combination of loyalty and attraction to success. In reference to loyalty, Thrawn displays loyalty to both his home world and to the Empire. In the prequel books that tell of Thrawn’s rise to military achievement among his own people, Thrawn could be seen as a good guy. He fights to protect his people and seems to dislike leaving other worlds defenseless when he can help. Although, his desire to help could simply be due to his ability to see a clear path to success that he does not want to ignore because he finds pleasure in solving problems. In other books, Thrawn fights outside his home world’s military, under Emperor Palpatine, to understand threats that may present themselves to his own people and to go after those who are part of the rebellion.
In reference to his attraction to success, Thrawn clearly enjoys outwitting others and gaining the upperhand. Despite having what seems to be a desire to protect and defend (mostly in his origin story) and remain loyal to those he works for, he seems to display a need for his enemies to know he was the one who defeated them. This desire could be grounded in an ever-growing desire for power. However, there is a tactical advantage in one's enemies knowing how dangerous one is, so there is a possibility he is more concerned about the tactical advantage that intimidation offers. To me, it seems more likely that he simply likes the challenge and enjoys the process of using his skills to the best of his abilities. To truly understand his motivations, though, you will have to read the books.
Logical and Detailed Mind
"It's just...it took me fifteen voyages, in four different ships, before I developed that kind of awareness. This Mitth'raw'nuru did it in one."
- Junior Captain Vorlip, Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising by Timothy Zahn
The second thing that makes Thrawn such an interesting bad buy is his highly logical and detailed mind. Logic is what he filters all of his decisions through. Unlike villains such as Darth Vader, Thrawn is seldom in a rush and rarely acts out of emotion, instead following logic and tapping into his vast knowledge of his enemies to achieve his appointed tasks at precisely the right moment. He picks up on the smallest of details quite fast and studies his opponents, garnering information about them that others miss even when they are looking for it. He also regularly experiments in the field, gathering data that will help him solve problems both in the moment and down the line. In fact, he is so skilled in logic and spotting small but important details that many people who work with him do not see or understand why he makes certain decisions until after those desisions produce the desired results. These skills in logic and detail allow Thrawn to frequently outwit those he goes up against with an almost elegant style.
Treatment of Subordinates
"I wasn't joking, Commodore," Thrawn assured her. "The point is that you are an exceptionally competent commander, and the imperial fleet needs to recognize and reward all such people."
- Thrawn, Thrawn: Treason by Timothy Zahn
Again, unlike Darth Vader, who regularly strangles his subordinates with the force (or something much worse) when he is displeased with their results, Thrawn's first reaction is not usually violent. Rather, respect is usually garnered through his record of success, strong sense of loyalty, and an almost nurturing leadership style. He values the ability to think creatively and adapt to new situations and even takes time to teach those who work under him to use logic and problem solve, sometimes even giving them logic puzzles to help hone their skills. This specific quality, in my opinion, is the biggest one that sets him apart from other "bad guys" and almost make Thrawn appear friendly in some cases, especially in the Ascendancy Trilogy. However, this does not mean that Thrawn is not a dangerous force to be reckoned with or is not a threat. He is willing to do what it takes to accomplish his missions, and he does seem to value success more than morality. For example, in Heir to the Empire, he has one of his crew killed when he fails to demonstrate adaptable thinking skills in a battle situation. However, in multiple books, his lethal actions seem to be reserved mainly for his enemies, not his crew. Even then, he displays a preference for keeping some people in play, if for no other reason than to gather data on how they and their comrades operate.
What Does He Add?
In books and all forms of stories, characters need to add value to the story. Thrawn adds more than just what is expected. His unique motivations, logic, attention to detail, loyalty, and well-balanced emotions create a character who not only poses a serious threat to those who fight him but also provides a beautiful contrast to the Darth-Vader-type bad guy. Thrawns calm, cool, and collected bad guy vibe is in direct contrast to Vader’s aggressive, easily triggered, and emotionally unstable bad guy vibe. In addition, Thrawn’s interest in art gives his writers an excellent avenue for telling the audience more about the other characters he encounters. Thus, Thrawn not only adds value as a refreshing take on villains and a formidable foe, but he also adds value as a device to expand the audience’s understanding of the world the story is set within. In short, Thrawn is the ultimate bad guy.
What to Read
If you want to learn more about Thrawn, check out the book list below or the references section for articles on Thrawn (spoilers for the books and TV shows may be included in the articles).
Hair to the Empire (1991)
Dark Force Rising (1992)
The Last Command (1993)
Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn Duology:
Thrawn (2017)
Thrawn: Alliances (2018)
Thrawn: Treason (2019)
Star Wars: The Ascendancy Trilogy:
(List found at resource 3)
You can also find Thrawn in TV shows such as Star Wars Rebels and the upcoming mini-series Ahsoka.
Have you read any of the Thrawn books? Comment and tell me which one is your favorite! If you want to find out what I think of the Thrawn books I have read, subscribe to my newsletter here!
References:
Resource 1 - Mitth'raw'nuruodo | Wookieepedia | Fandom
Resource 2 - Grand Admiral Thrawn - Force Aura (tapatalk.com)
Resource 3 - Star Wars: Thrawn Books - The Complete 'Heir to the Empire' Reading Order (fictionhorizon.com)
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