“I started hearing whispers about Thrawn’s return as heir to the Empire”
If you’ve been following The Mandalorian or watched the Ahsoka teaser trailer from Star Wars Celebration, then you know the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn is near!
Thrawn’s one of the most iconic villains of the Star Wars franchise, having appeared in books, the Star Wars Rebels animated series, and now set to return in live-action. If you’re looking for more backstory on him then check out the prose novels all written by the character’s creator Timothy Zahn! Here’s a quick guide on what’s available:
Legends:
- The Thrawn Trilogy (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command) – The classic Star Wars Legends trilogy that introduced the character, set after the events of Return of the Jedi: Star Wars: Episode VI. It’s possible this trilogy’s serving as inspiration for Thrawn’s upcoming live-action appearance in Ahsoka, with the teaser trailer even name-dropping “heir to the Empire.“
Canon:
- The Star Wars: Thrawn series (Thrawn, Thrawn: Alliances, Thrawn: Treason) – Follow Thrawn’s rise to power in the Empire.
- The Ascendancy Trilogy (Chaos Rising, Greater Good, Lesser Evil) – Discover Thrawn’s origins within the Chiss Ascendancy, set before he traveled to the Empire and became a Grand Admiral.
The full list of titles is below and you can always ask your local comic shop to pick them up for you!
