The true perfection of Grand Admiral Thrawn's last moments in between star Wars The legends will be very difficult for the current and canonical timeline to pass. In a previous and now non-canon timeline, Thrawn received a revolutionary death that his character truly deserved, due to being one of the Expanded Universe's best villains. While he's one of the best in the new canon as well, it might be hard to give Thrawn a top finish from what's already been seen in Legends.
Originating from Timothy Zahn's book trilogy of the early 90s, Thrawn was relegated to non-canon mythology in 2014 like many other stories and characters when Disney rebooted the entire timeline alongside the main movies and shows. However, Thrawn was returned to the list in 2016 Star Wars Rebelsand 2023 saw his live-action debut as one of the main villains of the New Republic timeline, mirroring aspects of his original introduction while existing in a very different story. However, the officer star Wars Canon will have a hard time getting past Thrawn's final words from Zahn Last Order (1993).
The Defeat of Grand Admiral Thrawn's Tales Is Very Complete
There are two ways to interpret Thrawn's last words
For all his amazing intellect and impressive ability as the great strategic mind of the Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn's efforts were thwarted, and his life ended in a great betrayal of the Legends.built by the Rebels themselves. When Palpatine's death commandos learned that the Noghri had been loyal to Darth Vader for years, Leia revealed the truth that the Empire were not their saviors but rather their secret slaves. As such, the Noghri align themselves with the New Republic, and Thrawn's Noghri bodyguard Rukh stabs the Grand Admiral in the back. This prompts Thrawn's dramatic and poignant final words to Captain Pellaeon:
Thrawn sat straight in his chair, his face strangely calm. In the middle of his chest, a dark red stain spread across the spotless white of his Grand Admiral's uniform. Glistening in the center of the field was the tip of Rukh's assassin's knife.
Thrawn caught his eye; and to Pellaeon's surprise, the Grand Admiral smiled. “But,” he whispered, “it's very artfully done.”
The smile faded. The light in his eyes did the same… and Thrawn, the last Grand Admiral, was gone.
It is interesting that there are two main ways star Wars fans translated Thrawn's last wordsand both are compelling. The first is that Thrawn loved how his plans were thwarted by Leia and the New Republic. He respected the art of how the tide turned against his kindness in ways he could not have predicted before Rukh's betrayal took his life.
The second is that Thrawn loved/mourned his work and all the effort he put into his campaign, so that his masterpiece wouldn't be finished because of his death. Either way, Thrawn's final words in Legends speak well of his character. It's certainly a testament to Zahn's impressive writinghe may have intended a dual interpretation with a complete ending for that variable star Wars a criminal.
Can the Star Wars Canon Survive That Iconic Moment?
It will be VERY hard to top
Fixed lookup star Wars Canon, it certainly looks like Grand Admiral Thrawn is positioned to be a major villain in the current New Republic timeline as he was in Legends. The character is very similar; a brilliant strategist with a high level of art appreciation and respect for the strategies of his opponents. That being said, the events of his death will likely be very different for a number of reasons, including the fact that Rukh died in a hospital star Wars Canon before the events of the original trilogy.
Thus, one can only hope that Lucasfilm will find a way to keep Thrawn's last words the same. His death will no doubt take place under different circumstances star Wars The canon. However, those final sentiments from the Grand Admiral in Legends are too perfect to pass up entirely.
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