Why Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Empire Will Be Even More Dangerous Than Palpatine’s

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Ahsoka

Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Empire will be far more dangerous than Palpatine’s during the original trilogy of Star Wars films. Having been exiled to the extragalactic planet of Peridea just before the events of A New Hope, Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) was not present for the events of the Galactic Civil War nor the Empire’s eventual downfall at the hands of the Rebellion as seen in Return of the Jedi. However, Thrawn has finally returned to the known galaxy in the wake of the new Ahsoka series, and it stands to reason that his Empire will be far more formidable.

As seen in Ahsoka episode 8, Grand Admiral Thrawn successfully escaped the world of Peridea with assistance from the Nightsisters known as the Great Mothers and their dark magicks. Joined by the remains of his forces aboard Thrawn’s Star Destroyer known as The Chimaera, it’s clear that Thrawn stands ready to rally the Imperial Remnant as “Heir to the Empire”. To that end, some key indicators suggest that the Empire under Thrawn’s leadership will be even more powerful and dangerous than it ever was under the rule of Emperor Palpatine during the original trilogy.

Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Night Troopers Serve As A Symbol Of His Purpose

Grand Admiral Thrawn makes his live-action debut in Ahsoka episode 6 aboard his Star Destroyer, parts of which are covered with what looks to be gold, repairing the damage sustained when the ship was attacked by purrgil and sent to Peridea thanks to Jedi Ezra Bridger (as seen in Star Wars Rebels). Led by Captain Enoch, Thrawn’s stormtroopers are now known as Night Troopers, seen wearing cracked armor also filled with gold along with red bandages likely coming from the Nightsisters who’ve pledged themselves to Thrawn. As such, both Thrawn’s Night Troopers and his ship are key symbols pointing to his ultimate purpose for the remains of the Empire.

Essentially, Thrawn’s soldiers have been maintaining their armor in the classic Japanese style of Kintsugi. This is the art of putting broken pottery pieces back together by filling the cracks with gold. It’s based on the philosophy that by embracing flaws and imperfections, one can then create something even stronger and more beautiful than it was before it was broken. Not only does this fit incredibly well with Thrawn’s established passion and study of art, but it’s also symbolic of what he will do with the shattered Empire. Now that he’s returned to the known galaxy, Thrawn will seek to restore the Empire, forging it into something stronger and even more dangerous.

Under Thrawn, The Empire Will Be More Dangerous Than Ever

Under the rule of Emperor Palpatine, the Empire was prone to in-fighting and competition between officers vying for power within the Imperial hierarchy. It was Palpatine’s way of establishing his own power and maintaining authority over those who served him. Likewise, the Empire believed its power was absolute and practically invincible, having established nearly 20 years of rule from the events of Revenge of the Sith up until A New Hope where the Death Star’s destruction marked the first true sign to the galaxy that the Empire could be hurt and one day defeated.

Now, the Rebellion has emerged victorious with its New Republic, while the Empire has become the diminished Imperial Remnant in the wake of Palpatine’s and Darth Vader’s deaths. On the whole, Palpatine’s Empire was evil and extremely oppressive, but it was also capricious. In contrast, Grand Admiral Thrawn has proven in both Rebels and Ahsoka that his tactics are always deliberate, patient, and strategic, meaning everything his Empire does will be with purpose. He’s not too prideful to retreat or admit defeat, especially if a believed long-term advantage can be gained from short-term loss.

Now that he’ll be in charge, Thrawn’s Empire will be dedicated and carefully channeled with focused intention. The New Republic and its defense fleet have become quite the formidable force in the galaxy with the new government having been installed for about five years. In contrast, the Imperial Remnant is scattered, its broken pieces hiding in the shadows of the Outer Rim and Unknown Regions just waiting for the catalyst that is Thrawn to forge them back together as a new Empire, one that is far stronger and infinitely more dangerous in Star Wars‘ future.

All episodes of Ahsoka are now streaming on Disney+.