Grand Admiral Thrawn's Epic Return: Star Wars Corrects Major Canon Change with a Perfect New Home

Summary

Dathomir, Thrawn's new home, is significant as it has been the power base of Palpatine's rivals and the homeworld of the Nightsisters.

Thrawn has formed an alliance with the Nightsisters, thus bringing them to Dathomir. This suggests that he intends to utilize their assistance in his ongoing conflict against the New Republic.

Furthermore, Thrawn's association with the Nightsisters raises doubts regarding his loyalty to Palpatine's previous Empire, and suggests his ambitions to seize control of the Empire for his own purposes.

Grand Admiral Thrawn, portrayed by Lars Mikkelsen, has made a long-awaited comeback to the Star Wars galaxy after his exile. His choice of the menacing planet Dathomir as his new base, along with his newfound allies, gives us a glimpse into his plans for the future Empire. This could potentially signal a significant correction to his underlying motivations within the established Star Wars canon.

In the wake of the Ahsoka show, Grand Admiral Thrawn successfully escapes his extragalactic exile on the planet Peridea. For nearly a decade, he had been stranded on this world, thanks to the efforts of Jedi Ezra Bridger following the events of Star Wars Rebels. Now, Thrawn resurfaces in live-action form in Ahsoka, having formed an alliance with the enigmatic Force witches, known as the Nightsisters. Their assistance has allowed him to make a captivating return. The fact that Thrawn has chosen Dathomir as his newfound stronghold holds great significance, considering the planet's influential history within the Star Wars canon and its implications for Thrawn's own destiny.

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Dathomir Has Always Been The Power Base Of Palpatine's Rivals

Dathomir holds immense significance in the expansive Star Wars mythology and canon. After migrating from Peridea, it became the ancestral planet of the Nightsisters, a group of powerful sorceresses who wielded the dark arts. This female-centric society, headed by Mother Talzin during the era of the prequel trilogy, posed a genuine threat to Emperor Palpatine himself. Furthermore, according to E.K. Johnston's novel, Crimson Climb, Darth Maul also called Dathomir home during the tumultuous Dark Times. Exploiting his base on this planet, Maul clandestinely plotted against Palpatine, overseeing and manipulating five criminal syndicates: Black Sun, Crimson Dawn, the Hutts, the Crymorah, and the Pyke.

Now on Dathomir, Thrawn has established his presence, leveraging the planet known as the ancestral home of the Emperor's adversaries. Furthermore, he has also assembled the remaining Nightsisters of Peridea, referred to as the Great Mothers, and potentially possesses vast numbers of deceased Nightsisters awaiting revival through their dark magicks. Despite the known annihilation of the Nightsisters by General Grievous and his droid forces under Palpatine's directive during the Clone Wars, Grand Admiral Thrawn appears to have provided the Nightsisters with an opportunity for rejuvenation during the era of the New Republic.

Thrawn Has Allied With The Emperor's Traditional Enemies

Collaborating with the Nightsisters allowed Thrawn to evade his exile while also providing the Great Mothers an opportunity for escape. Despite their influential status, the Great Mothers show considerable subservience to Thrawn by addressing him as "Lord" and acknowledging their obligation to pledge loyalty to him due to the "Thread of Fate". Presumably, this is because Thrawn is essential for their own survival and the chance to revive their fallen sisters. Nevertheless, the conclusion of Ahsoka implies that Thrawn remains on Dathomir, indicating his intention to continue utilizing the Nightsisters as he prepares for a conflict with the New Republic.

This ongoing alliance with the Nightsisters raises doubts about Thrawn's loyalty to Palpatine's former Empire. The prevailing expectation has been that as the "Heir to the Empire," Grand Admiral Thrawn would simply lead and support the Imperial Remnant Shadow Council depicted in The Mandalorian season 3. However, the situation may not be so straightforward. Not only is Palpatine still secretly exerting control over the Imperial Remnant, but Thrawn's alignment with Palpatine's traditional adversaries could result in a more intricate Imperial succession for the Grand Admiral.

Has Thrawn Come To Lead The Empire - Or Claim It?

Thrawn's story, both in Legends and the canon novels, goes beyond his association with the Empire portrayed in the shows. His decision to align with the Empire and advance within its ranks always aimed at securing support for his people residing in the Unknown Regions. However, Thrawn's loyalty to the Empire does not make him a typical Imperial. He shows little tolerance for the remaining warlords and their insignificant domains of influence, or for the clandestine schemes that are unfolding to eventually establish the First Order under the covert reign of Palpatine, who, as revealed in The Rise of Skywalker, is still alive.

Thrawn's association with Dathomir suggests a significant indication of his intentions to take ownership of the Empire, instead of merely holding it as a temporary custodian until Palpatine returns. The Empire's failure in the original Star Wars trilogy undoubtedly makes it unattractive for him. Regardless, discovering Thrawn's forthcoming plans in future Star Wars projects is highly anticipated.

Watch all episodes of Ahsoka on Disney+ now.