Warning! This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances #1 Thrawn is most widely known as the Heir to the Empire in Star Wars canon (and in Legends), as he was introduced in that capacity, though many may not know that the Chiss has a secret history with perhaps the most influential person in the Star Wars universe: Anakin Skywalker. And now, that secret history is being put on the pages of Marvel Comics’ ongoing Star Wars canon, as Star Wars: Thrawn – Alliances gets an official adaptation.
In a preview shared by AIPT Comics, fans are given a sneak peek at the upcoming first issue of Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances by Timothy Zahn, Jody Houser, Andrea Di Vito, and Pat Olliffe. While no dialogue is offered, the overall plot points of the storyline are abundantly clear: the Emperor assigns Grand Admiral Thrawn and Darth Vader a mission together which mirrors a mission Thrawn and Anakin Skywalker did together during the Clone Wars.
The preview shows Grand Admiral Thrawn being called into the Emperor’s Throne Room where Darth Vader is already waiting. After the Emperor tells them they are to work together on a mission, Thrawn meets with Vader at the hanger bay, where an apparent disagreement ensues – one that nearly ends with Vader Force-choking Thrawn. The comic then cuts to Thrawn and Anakin Skywalker meeting each other for the first time while flying through space in their respective ships, communicating through a shared com-link. The preview ends with Thrawn and Darth Vader fighting alien assailants in a bar.
Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for the 2018 novel Star Wars: Thrawn – Alliances beyond this point
Star Wars’ New Thrawn Series Will Expose 2 Series-Defining Secrets
Since Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances seems to be a direct adaptation of Timothy Zahn’s original novel (the second book in the canonical Thrawn Trilogy), those who have read the book know what awaits Thrawn and Vader (and Thrawn and Anakin). Thrawn and Anakin will discover a secret facility that is technically funded and operated by the Separatists, but is actually a project with Sheev Palpatine’s full attention. This factory is producing Clone Trooper armor that’s impervious to lightsabers, which doesn’t make any sense to Anakin at the time, but will eventually become frighteningly clear upon the execution of Order 66 – which is something Thrawn himself even foresees.
Thrawn and Darth Vader’s mission will reveal something that Thawn was always aware of, but something that Vader and the Empire had no idea about: Force-sensitive Chiss. Thrawn is a Chiss, and he was originally a high-ranking officer within the Chiss Ascendancy (to which he is still fiercely loyal, even in the current canon of the Ahsoka series). His mission with Vader reveals that Chiss use their Force-sensitives to navigate hyperspace lanes, as they have the keen ability to peer into the future.
Star Wars’ New Thrawn Comic Will Help Flesh Out His Character In The Current Canon
While this is a story that Star Wars fans have been aware of since its initial publication in 2018, it’s one that hasn’t gotten the mainstream attention that has now become necessary for the future of Thrawn’s character in Star Wars. Thrawn is currently the ‘big bad’ of the Star Wars universe, as shown in Ahsoka, and much of his motivation will assuredly be tied to the events depicted in the canonical Thrawn Trilogy. Rather than expecting casual Star Wars fans to read three novels to understand what’s happening, however, Star Wars has seemingly opted to put these ‘required reading’ storylines in an easier to digest comic series. This will not only help flesh out Thrawn’s character for the sake of moving it forward in films and TV, but it will also simply be an exciting story to follow specifically for fans who are avid readers of the Star Wars comic series – which is easily some of the best Star Wars content out there right now.
Thrawn’s history in Star Wars canon is incredibly interesting, with his relationships with both Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader being just the tip of the iceberg, and readers get a taste of that with this AIPT Comics exclusive preview of the upcoming series.
Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances #1 by Marvel Comics is available January 24, 2024
