Grand Admiral Thrawn’s 5 Greatest Victories (and 5 Greatest Defeats)

Grand Admiral Throne has a well-established history as one of these Star Wars Franchise’s greatest tacticians, with impressive victories and defeats in canon and legends continuities. Thrawn debuts in Timothy Zahn’s Throne trilogy, which breathes new life into the Star Wars franchise in the early 1990s. yet Star Wars Undergoing a partial reboot in 2014, it wasn’t long before a new incarnation of Thrawn joined the modern canon, making his animated debut in Star Wars Rebels and live-action debut in Ahsoka. While the two timelines give Thrawn different histories, he retains key traits in both incarnations.

Grand Admiral Thron is One of the greatest military minds in the Star Wars franchise due to several reasons. Most famous is his use of artwork to extrapolate cultural and tactical traits of specific species, thus predicting the moves of his enemies and exploiting their weaknesses. Thrawn was also economical in his use of whatever military assets were at his disposal. From Imperial Army troopers to star destroyers, Thrawn saw value in every unit under his command, maximized their effectiveness, and never needlessly sacrificed them. In canon and legends continuities, here are Thrawn’s greatest victories and defeats.

10

Battle for Outbound Flight (Victory)

He fought two enemies simultaneously

As shown in Timothy Zahn’s 2006 novel Outbound flight, One of Thrawn’s most impressive early victories in the original Legends continuity Seeing him fight two enemy forces simultaneously, with one being led by a dangerous fallen Jedi. In the Unknown Regions, Thrawn—a Force Commander in the Chiss Ascendancy at the time—faces both the Outbound Flight Program (supported by six Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers) and hundreds of pirate vessels belonging to the Vagaari Empire. Thrawn’s force has a thousand appropriated Trade Federation droid starfighters, several Chase starfighters, and two warships.

Thrawn played his two opponents against each otherWith the Jedi stop the Vagari, making the Last Throne’s first goal. The deaths of the many Vagaari negatively affected the Jedi of Outbound Flight, making them easier prey for Thrawn’s forces. Thrawn didn’t count on Jorus C’baoth to turn to the dark side, but his ally – Kinman Doriana – sent the droid starfighters to attack Outbound Flight in retaliation, resulting in the deaths of most of the ship’s inhabitants – including C’ baoth.

9

sunrise battle (victory)

Throne demonstrated tactical brilliance

As depicted in Timothy Zahn’s 2021 novel, Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil, One of Thrawn’s most impressive early victories was during his time as a senior captain in the Chiss Ascendancy. In an engagement known as the Sunrise Battle, Thrawn’s warships faced off against the Grecians in the Unknown Regions. Even early in his career, Thrawn demonstrated tactical brilliance.

Upon entering the Sunrise system, Thrawn had his forces deactivate their ship’s systems, revealing Delict. Once the Greek vessels arrived, Thrawn’s fleet reactivated their systems and took them by surpriseMethodically destroyed their ships and killed Gyxtus, a Greek leader and existential threat to the Chis rise. Despite Thrawn’s victory, his decision to attack the Greeks violated Chis law, resulting in the removal of his rank in the Ascendancy and exile to wild space, but it also led to his eventual contact with the Galactic Empire.

8

Battle of Atollon (Victory)

Throne handily defeated the rebels

One of Thrawn’s most devastating victories in the early days of the Rebellion is shown in the Rebels Season 3 finale. The Battle of Atollon was the culmination of Thrawn’s direct and indirect clashes with the Rebel Alliance’s Phoenix Cell, which not only Allowed him to predict their tactics but also discover Their hidden base in the Lothal sector of the Outer Rim. Although the Rebels escape Thrawn’s attack, he deals a major blow to the fledgling Alliance.

The first part of Thrawn’s assault on Atollon saw his fleet blockade the planet, deploying an Interdictor-class star destroyer to prevent jumps to hyperspace. Unfortunately for Thrawn, Admiral Constantine broke ranks with a revenge-fueled attempt to claim the defeat of Jun Sato, resulting in both of their deaths and the loss of Thrawn’s gravity well. The Earth invasion was similarly successful until the mysterious Bendu created enough chaos And confusion for the rebels to slip away. Despite the unforeseen factors, Thrawn handily defeated the rebels.

7

Battle of Derra IV (Victory)

Thrawn orchestrated a key victory against the Rebel Alliance

In the original Legends continuity, Grand Admiral Thrawn orchestrated a key victory against the Rebel Alliance shortly before the events of The empire strikes back. Thrawn learned of a Rebel convoy in the Derra system and designed an ambush. Notably, due to the Empire’s prejudice against non-humans, Darth Vader presented Thrawn’s plan as if it were his own.

Thrawn commanded the Imperial Naval Forces from his Imperial V-class Star Destroyer while Soontir Fell led the 181st Imperial Fighter Wing – using standard TIE Fighters at the time. Although the rebels defended their convoy with renegade flight – led by the venerable commander Arhul Narra – Thrawn’s plan of attack and the sheer skill of Fel and the 181st proved too formidable for themAnd there are no rebel survivors of the engagement. Thrawn’s victory at Derra IV led to Soontir Fell’s ascension to nobility (known as Baron Soontir Fell) and Luke Skywalker taking Narra’s place as the commander of Echo Base’s Rebel Rightrights.

6

Battle of Peridea (Victory)

After years of exile, he remained an effective tactician

After Grand Admiral Thrawn’s banishment to the extragalactic world of Peridea in the modern Star Wars canon, He began a long-term plan to return to the main galaxy. Thrawn allied himself with the Great Mothers – Nightsisters – on Peridea, who not only helped him and the crew members of his flagship – Chimaera – survive Peridea, but also contacted Morgan Elsbeth with their unique powers. Thrawn and the Great Mother’s plot led Elsbeth to bring an intergalactic hyperspace ring to Peridea to transport the Chimaera back to the main Star Wars Galaxy.

Although not a full-scale battle, The Battle of Peridea demonstrated that Thrawn remained an effective tactician, Even after years of exile. Thrawn used both Elsbeth and a contingent of zombified stormtroopers to keep Ahsoka Tano, Sabine Wren, and Ezra Bridger busy as Thrawn escaped the distant planet. Elsbeth and Thrawn’s zombies were killed and Ezra Bridger was deployed on the Chimaera, but Thrawn effectively made his return, leaving Tano and Ren behind.

5

Mission to Ryloth (Defeat)

Thrawn chose to simply observe the rebels’ tactics

Grand Admiral Thrawn’s earliest encounter with the rebels of Phoenix Squadron occurs early in Rebels Season 3, during the Ghost crew’s second mission to Ryloth. Thrawn quickly saw through the crew’s initial diversion tactics and captured both Hera Syndulla and Ezra Bridger, before delegating command to his subordinate, Captain Slavin. Thrawn also stole an heirloom from Syndulla’s family – their Calicori – keeping it as part of his collection of cultural artifacts.

After a skirmish between Rylot’s Twi’lek Rebel Cell and Slavin’s forces, the members of Phoenix Cell fled Rylot. Thrawn had an opportunity to pursue the Rebels but chose to simply observe them insteadStudy their tactics when pitted against a more typical Imperial leader like Slavin. Thrawn may have failed to capture the Ghost, but he made it an instructive defeat, with the mission contributing to his victory on Atollon.

4

Bombardment of Obn (Defeat)

He is unable to gain any insight from Kaleesh’s artwork

In the legend’s continuation, Grand Admiral Thrawn is famous for learning his enemy’s art to deduce their tactics, but there is one species whose art baffles even the legendary mind of Thrawn. Thrawn references an engagement with the species in Timothy Zahn heir to the empireAnd later legend-era works would reveal the species to be none other than the Kaleesh. While Grand Admiral Thrawn and the dreaded Sys Supreme Commander General Grievous never battled one another, Grievous may have been among the few capable of defeating Thrawn.

On the wild space planet of Oben – a Kaleesh colony world – Thrawn (only a captain at the time) battled the Kaleesh warlord Bentilais San Sk’ar. Thrawn was unable to gain any insight from Kaleesh’s artworkSo he resorted to the simple and brutal Imperial tactic of simply bombarding Oben from orbit with his fleet of star destroyers. The battle was only a victory for Thrawn on the surface, however, as his failure to learn anything about the Kaleesh from their art made it a tactical and intellectual failure, at least in his opinion.

3

Battle of Lothal (Defeat)

His single biggest defeat in the modern Star Wars canon

Grand Admiral Thrawn’s single greatest defeat in modern times Star Wars Cannon so far is in the Battle of Lothal, featured in the Rebels Series finale. The Rebels outwitted and captured Imperial Regional General Pryce, using her to enter the Imperial installation—the Dome—on Lothal and enact Protocol 13, which ordered the withdrawal of all Imperial forces. Thrawn arrived on Luthal and interrupted their planHowever, threatening to bombard Lothal from the Chimaera.

Ezra Bridger submitted to thrones, Buy the rest of the Rebels time to put up shields to protect Lothal’s capital. Bridger also summoned Purgil, who brought the Chimaera—along with Bridger and Thrawn—out of the Lothal system and into another galaxy. With Thrawn gone, the remaining rebels destroyed the Dome, freeing Lothal from Imperial rule and depriving the Empire of one of its most effective tacticians.

2

Siege of Coruscant (Defeat)

Thrawn launched an unsuccessful attack

Although not a true defeat, Grand Admiral Thrawn launched an unsuccessful attack on the New Republic capital of Coruscant in Timothy Zahn. The last command. Thrawn’s forces are far outnumbered by the New Republic’s Home Guard fleetYet he made inventive use of cloaked asteroids, creating a screen around the planet that was difficult to detect. General Garm Bel Iblis – a formidable strategist in his own right – brought up Thrawn’s strategy after the loss of a Nebulon-B frigate, and Thrawn and his forces retreated.

Grand Admiral Thrawn may have failed to conquer Coruscant, but his cloaked asteroids wreaked havoc on the New Republic. It was difficult to detect the asteroids, making Coruscant functionally blockaded. The New Republic’s search for a means to quickly and efficiently remove Thrawn’s cloaked asteroid screen would lead to the final battle in the Thrawn campaign, however.

1

Battle of Bilbringy (Defeat)

Rook ended Thrawn’s reign

Grand Admiral Thrawn’s greatest defeat in the original Star Wars Legend’s continuity was nearly one of his greatest victories. The Battle of Bilbringy, Featured in the climax of The last commandSaw Thrawn pulling New Republic forces out of hyperspace using Interdictors. Thrawn very nearly defeated the surprised New Republic, but his bodyguard – the Noghri Rukh – assassinated Thrawn in his captain’s chair before being killed by stormtroopers stationed on the Chimaera. With Thrawn gone, Captain Gled Peleon ordered a retreat.

Thrawn’s critical mistake was cruelly continuing a tragedy that began with Darth Vader. Rather than provide the Noghri—whose home planet was devastated by a Clone Wars-era Separatist bioweapon—with relief, Thrawn secretly perpetuated their suffering to ensure a lasting supply of their deadly warriors. Thanks to Princess Leia, the Noghri learned the truth, and When the news reached Rook, he immediately seized the throne and finished his life Star Wars Rule.