Summary
- Thrawn gained Palpatine's favor and respect by showcasing his genius intellect as a tactician, becoming one of his most successful commanders.
- Thrawn and Palpatine's dark alliance was brutal for those resisting the Empire, and Thrawn's exile before "A New Hope" likely aided in the Rebellion actually having victories.
- Thrawn's knowledge of the Unknown Regions was invaluable to Palpatine's plans, as it eventually led to the emergence of the First Order in the sequel trilogy and his work on Exegol.
Grand Admiral Thrawn and Emperor Palpatine have quite a complex history in the Star Wars canon. Hailing from the Unknown Regions as part of an entirely separate regime, how Thrawn entered the service of Palpatine and his Empire is rather intriguing. Likewise, their relationship directly informs Thrawn's imminent role in the Star Wars galaxy as the new Heir to the Empire.
Having made his live-action debut in Ahsoka played by Lars Mikkelsen, Grand Admiral Thrawn is prepared to become a major galactic threat during the New Republic Era. However, his origins date back much further, having been created in 1991's Thrawn trilogy of novels by author Timothy Zahn. While the trilogy beginning with Heir to the Empire became part of Lucasfilm's non-canon Legends banner following Disney's purchase of the Star Wars IP and subsequent canon purge, Thrawn was later re-canonized in 2014's Star Wars Rebels animated series. To that end, here is Thrawn and Emperor Palpatine's history in the established canon, and why it's so important.
