Star Wars Confirms Palpatine’s Return Connects To Grand Admiral Thrawn
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WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for The Mandalorian season 3, episode 7.
Star Wars confirmed that Grand Admiral Thrawn is tied to Palpatine’s return and that those connections will be explored in The Mandalorian. During Lucasfilm’s Studio Presentation panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023, which Screen Rant attended, the first seven minutes of The Mandalorian season 3, episode 7 were screened. In addition to revealing the return of Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), The Mandalorian’s upcoming episode also teased the return of Thrawn.
Grand Admiral Thrawn made his Disney Star Wars canon debut in Star Wars Rebels season 3, making it the first major character from the Expanded Universe to return after those stories were labeled as Legends. When it comes to live-action, Thrawn was first name-dropped in The Mandalorian season 2’s “The Jedi”. Now, more than a casual mention of the iconic Star Wars villain, The Mandalorian is revealing how Thrawn’s “imminent” return ties into other Star Wars plotlines. Thrawn is also confirmed to appear in Ahsoka.
Thrawn Is Involved In Palpatine’s Resurrection Through Project Necromancer
The Mandalorian season 3, episode 7’s footage shown at Star Wars Celebration 2023 reveals that Grand Admiral Thrawn’s return is imminent, and that the Imperial Shadow Council is aware of it. How exactly Thrawn ties into the Imperial Shadow Council and the Imperial resurgence of which Moff Gideon is a part is difficult to say, but the fact is that Thrawn is somewhat involved in something known as “Project Necromancer”. A council of Imperial leaders working on a “Project Necromancer” all but confirms that Moff Gideon and Grand Admiral Thrawn are both involved in Palpatine’s resurrection. Gilad Pellaeon, who served with Thrawn, was also mentioned.
The reveal that Moff Gideon is involved in Palpatine’s resurrection is no surprise,considering that Gideon’s search for Grogu had always suggested that the remaining Imperial figures were conducting experiments involving clones and the Force itself. Still, Thrawn’s involvement with Palpatine’s return had so far only been speculated. Thrawn has been away from the Star Wars canon since the Rebels finale, and even before that, the Chiss was not necessarily a fan of the Emperor. That said, having two major villains in the post-Return of the Jedi timeline – Gideon and Thrawn – placed in completely different storylines would have been a mistake. Fortunately, Thrawn’s return is tied to bigger plotlines.
Star Wars Is Setting Up Thrawn For A Major Villain Role
For decades, Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy was the closest thing to an Episode VII Star Wars ever had, as George Lucas wanted to focus on a prequel trilogy first. Thrawn was created as Star Wars’ next big villain after the Emperor, serving as the main antagonist for the adventures of older Luke, Leia, and Han in the Expanded Universe. Thrawn’s role in the Disney Star Wars canon has been a bit different, as all of his stories have happened before the Emperor’s death. Now, Star Wars has the chance to revisit the concept of Thrawn as a post-Emperor villain with The Mandalorian and Ahsoka.
Related: All 8 Ways Thrawn Is Set Up As Star Wars’ Next Big Villain
The Mandalorian’s timeline is one of the most promising eras for Star Wars to explore, as more than 20 years separate the events of The Mandalorian season 3 and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and Skeleton Crew are promising an interconnected storyline that explores the state of the galaxy after the Empire’s downfall, meaning that this “Mandoverse” needs an overarching antagonist that brings all of those shows together. Thrawn always seemed an obvious candidate, and The Mandalorian season 3, episode 7’s Thrawn namedrop all but confirms that the currently missing villain will indeed be the Mandoverse’s big bad.
What Thrawn’s Palpatine Connection Means For The Mandalorian & Star Wars
Grand Admiral Thrawn’s imminent return by itself is major news for Star Wars, as everything regarding Thrawn after Rebels’ finale came down to speculation and conjecture. Considering that the Purgill, Star Wars’ space whales, do not come with a hyperspace traveling map, Thrawn could be anywhere. Now, The Mandalorian season 3 confirms that the Imperial Shadow Council knows where Thrawn is, or at least has some solid confirmation that Thrawn is making his way back to the known regions of the Star Wars galaxy. The Mandalorian’s Thrawn namedrops essentially places the show in a broader Star Wars story.
Related: Star Wars Is Making Thrawn Its New Phantom Menace
Emperor Palpatine’s return through Project Necromancy ties into the Star Wars sequels, but it can also set up more immediate storylines not only for The Mandalorian, but also for the other Mandoverse shows like Ahsoka and Skeleton Crew. Limiting Thrawn’s return to Palpatine’s resurrection and the Star Wars sequels would not make sense, as those stories only happen far into the future. As such, Thrawn’s Palpatine connection could be the starting point for the interconnected storyline tying The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and Skeleton Crew, which may lead into the crossover movie to be directed by Dave Filoni.
New episodes of The Mandalorian stream Wednesdays on Disney+.