In Star Wars, Grand Admiral Thrawn was a dangerous force found only in the Legends canon. However, following his introduction to the main canon in the animated series Star Wars Rebels, he quickly became one of the most dangerous officers in the Empire. In the series, he was tasked with eliminating a Rebel cell on Lothal that proved far too difficult for the officers already stationed there. However, by sending him on the mission, he also showed the viewers how terrifying the Empire actually was.
Even in his early years in the Chiss Ascendency, Thrawn showed expertise in military strategy and understanding his opponents. He took this into the Empire, where he quickly earned a reputation as a cold and calculating leader. Rising through the ranks, his ruthlessness was hidden by a shroud of regality and a calm demeanor. He had an affinity for collecting artifacts from his enemies as he felt he could learn from their culture and take that knowledge into battle.
In Rebels, when he finally encountered Hera Syndulla and the rest of Ghost Squadron on Ryloth (Season 3, Episode 5 "Hera's Heroes"), Thrawn's competence level was shown almost immediately when he revealed that he anticipated Hera's appearance as he had turned her family home into an Imperial base. For the rest of the series, he would be one step ahead of the Rebels when it came to strategy.
In the original trilogy, the terror of the Empire was shown through characters like Grand Moff Tarkin, who, like Thrawn, carried a cold and calculating demeanor. However, aside from him, other officers were shown as incompetent and often on the receiving end of Darth Vader's Force choke. Thrawn's inclusion showed that there were others as dangerous as Tarkin and revealed that the Emperor is as cautious as he is deadly when it comes to who he puts in higher ranks. He continued to prove he was worthy of his rank by using the Empire's military force to keep the Rebellion on the run, even showing up on the battlefield with his men, like in Season 3, Episodes 21-22 "Zero Hour," where he discovered and destroyed a Rebel base.
Thrawn was a master of military strategy in the present and also the future. For the duration of the final season of Rebels, Thrawn tried his best to get an experimental project called the TIE Defender into production. It was a TIE Fighter that was as maneuverable as the others but also carried a deflector shield. While his project would have shifted the war in the Empire's favor, it was scuttled to make way for the Death Star project. This wouldn't stop Thrawn from utilizing the might of the Empire's military one last time before his disappearance by bombing Lothal until the rebels presented themselves.
In the end, Thrawn was a relentless military leader who knew how to utilize the Empire in ways that were never seen again. This could be seen in his daring maneuvers, such as placing his ship above the rebels so that they couldn't escape upward. Thrawn's actions rippled throughout the galaxy, and none have ever compared to his menace. Thanks to his training and brilliant mind, Thrawn helped turn the Empire from faceless enemies to a threatening military force that should be feared.
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