Unveiling Grand Admiral Thrawn's Ultimate Achilles' Heel in Star Wars

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Ahsoka episode 8

Summary

Despite his intelligence and brilliance, Grand Admiral Thrawn has a weakness: he craves for his adversaries to acknowledge his victory and understand how they have been defeated. However, this vulnerability affords his enemies the opportunity to respond and possibly reverse the situation, especially when time is running out.

Thrawn's triumphant return to the Star Wars galaxy in the finale of Ahsoka's story demonstrated his vulnerability despite his formidable skills and the unpredictable nature of the Jedi and their use of the Force. Grand Admiral Thrawn, portrayed by Lars Mikkelsen, emerged victorious, yet also revealed his ultimate weakness in the show's conclusion. Despite his intelligence and tactical genius, Thrawn has one flaw that his adversaries can potentially exploit in the imminent conflict between the original and sequel trilogies of films.

In the finale episode of Ahsoka, it is evident that Ahsoka Tano and her apprentice Sabine Wren were unsuccessful in preventing Thrawn from escaping his exile in another galaxy. Thrawn had been stranded for more than 11 years in the Star Wars canon. However, Jedi Ezra Bridger managed to secretly infiltrate Thrawn's Star Destroyer, thus ending his own exile. As a result, Ahsoka and Sabine find themselves as the stranded Jedi heroes in another galaxy. Nonetheless, there is a crucial moment before Thrawn's triumph that foreshadows how the galaxy's heroes will most likely defeat him in the near future.

Grand Admiral Thrawn Needs His Enemies To Know He's Won

Grand Admiral Thrawn's strategic prowess is no secret. He was once one of the Empire's greatest leaders before being exiled by Ezra Bridger in the finale of Star Wars Rebels. Imagine if Thrawn had been present during the Galactic Civil War between the Empire and the Rebellion depicted in the original trilogy. The Rebels' chances of victory would have significantly decreased even further. Now, Thrawn is ready to rise as the "Heir to the Empire" and take command of the Imperial Remnant. He aims to establish a true Imperial Resurgence, as the New Republic era of Star Wars unfolds.

Thrawn does not make decisions based on emotion or impulsiveness. He is exceptionally patient and strategic, meticulously studying his rivals' backgrounds, cultures, and weaknesses to create innovative strategies and backup plans. It is not uncommon for Thrawn to be several steps ahead of his adversaries. However, Ahsoka's final encounter with him reveals one of his crucial vulnerabilities. Thrawn craves for his enemies to acknowledge his victories and understand how they have been defeated. This is evident when he directly communicates with Ahsoka, proudly proclaiming his triumph and knowledge of her master, Anakin Skywalker, before his ship vanishes into the known galaxy.

This Means Thrawn's Enemies Will Have Time To React

Thrawn's tactical genius is undeniable, but his need to showcase his victories becomes apparent in Ahsoka's finale. Winning alone is not enough for him – he desires his enemies to witness and comprehend his triumphs. This trait aligns perfectly with his inspiration from Sherlock Holmes, who also relishes in delivering detailed explanations. It is worth noting that Thrawn frequently demonstrated this behavior in Star Wars Rebels, as well as in the canon and Legends novels penned by Timothy Zahn.

Nevertheless, this inclination becomes a vulnerability as it allows Thrawn's adversaries to seize opportunities and react while he is engrossed in lecturing. In critical moments, when Thrawn erroneously believes his victory is assured, the tables can turn. This weakness, combined with the Jedi's enigmatic application of the Force (yet another vulnerability), serves as proof that Grand Admiral Thrawn is fallible, despite his resurfacing in the Star Wars galaxy following the events involving Ahsoka.

All episodes of Ahsoka are now streaming on Disney+.