Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Ahsoka episode 3.
The Ahsoka series is building Lars Mikkelsen’s Grand Admiral Thrawn up as the greatest threat to the New Republic in between Palpatine and Snoke. But in all likelihood, his live-action debut won’t be the spectacle the series is making it out to be. Ever since the Star Wars Rebels finale, Thrawn has been lost with Ezra Bridger in a separate galaxy. At the time, no one bothered trying to find them due to the war between the Empire and the Rebellion. But now that the fighting has died down, Imperial Loyalists such as Morgan Elsbeth have taken it upon themselves to bring Thrawn back to the galaxy far, far away.
In Rebels, Grand Admiral Thrawn was easily one of the most brilliant tacticians in the Empire and quite possibly the entire franchise. He was on the brink of a decisive victory at the Battle of Lothal had it not been for Ezra’s unforeseen Purrgil allies. It’s understandable why Morgan, Baylan, Shin, and Marrok are all searching for Thrawn, given Thrawn could easily become a leader and a face for their resurgent Empire. And while the live-action Thrawn will likely be everything the audience could hope for, there is still one big problem with his upcoming appearance.
Ahsoka Is About The Quest To Find Grand Admiral Thrawn
The series has made it clear that the characters are setting out on a quest to find Thrawn on the Pathway to Peridea. But with the way the series has gone so far, it’s likely not going to show much of Thrawn himself. The show will likely set up Thrawn for a much larger role in the Star Wars franchise, and it’s possible he will be the main villain of the upcoming Mandalorian movie. Ahsoka exists to lead up to Thrawn and establish him as the next threat to the galaxy, but it doesn’t necessarily need to show Thrawn extensively to accomplish this.
Thrawn Is Probably Only Going To Appear In Ahsoka’s Finale – Briefly
Because the series is about the journey and not the destination, Lars Mikkelsen’s Thrawn will probably only appear toward the end of the show, and briefly at that. As disappointing as it sounds, he may even only show up in the final moments of the finale in order to set up Disney’s next Star Wars project. The Ahsoka series is already bursting with strong villains for Ahsoka and Sabine to handle, which is why introducing too much Thrawn would overshadow the other threats Filoni has already set up.
There is still hope Thrawn will appear earlier in the Ahsoka series than expected, and that he will get plenty of screen time to prove why he is such a big threat to the galaxy. But it’s unlikely given Baylan Skoll and Morgan Elsbeth’s presence in the show thus far. Before Ahsoka can take on Thrawn, she must first deal with the Imperial Loyalists who are hunting him down. Any real action with Thrawn will likely be saved for the next Star Wars project after Ahsoka.
Ahsoka releases new episodes Tuesdays at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Disney+.
