Summary
- Grand Moff Tarkin's importance to the Empire is confirmed by various elements of Star Wars canon, including his role in expanding the tyrannical regime across the galaxy.
- Tarkin's home planet of Eriadu served as the Empire's secondary capital in the Outer Rim, providing a strong foothold for Imperial control in that region.
- Tarkin's death left the Empire defenseless in the Outer Rim, as he was one of the few leaders with significant knowledge and coordination abilities in that area. This loss of a vital cog in the Empire's machine can be argued to have directly led to its downfall.
Wider elements of Star Wars canon have confirmed just how important Grand Moff Tarkin was to the Empire including why his death was such a significant event. While upcoming Star Wars movies are unlikely to feature the return of Tarkin, other shows, books, and comics have explored his history at length. Tarkin's Star Wars timeline before the events of A New Hope is one of the more interesting regarding minor characters in a galaxy far, far away, and proves just how vital he was to the Empire.
