Full Series Thrawn in Rebels

I think Ezra saw the future when he closed the gateway at the Temple. He passed out quickly afterward as if he had a vision and we heard subtly The Son's quote from Mortis "...The future by its nature can be changed"

 

By the future are you talking about the sequel trilogy?

 

More likely the events of RoTJ. Ezra would then know it wasn't him who would defeat the sith - so instead of seeking a confrontation he followed Kanan's example of being selfless to save others. In doing so, he chose the path he needed to and not the path he wanted. As Thrawn pointed out, Ezra was presented with choices during the finale. He could have chosen to continue fighting and sacrifice innocents. Later he could have chosen to rewrite his life by saving his nuclear family. Instead, he chose the Jedi way by putting his life on the line to save others.

 

I am desperately trying not to put too much wishful thinking into the future of Thrawn. If I got my wish then Timothy Zahn is already mapping out a trilogy of Thrawn & Ezra and he makes it all fit with Thrawn's character both in last year's novel (much more sympathetic and "grey") and Rebels (where he was quite a lot more ruthless). And the two of them end up protecting the galaxy from outside evils...

On the other hand, the writers could also decide that Ezra was trying to hold out an olive branch to Thrawn who rejects that because he is an evil ### after all and then is basically killed off. Ezra can after all come up with perfect plans for any situation himself so does not need a buddy. I am sure he will find some more Force-sensitive animals as well.


Being a bit extreme in both versions here. But seeing how my expectations for Thrawn in Rebels were not at all met (my bad) I don't want to feel disappointed again. I just hated every time he said "my Emperor" and the fact he never did any proper fleet action (Atollon aside). What is the point of being Grand Admiral if you babysit one planet most of the time? Even his analysis of art they made into some sort of colonial cultural theft in the final. Small issues perhaps but they grind.
Thrawn's best episode to me was "Through Imperial Eyes" way back in S3. If only he had been recalled after the end of Atollon.
Sorry, rant over.


Someone above said we are comparing Thrawn to a non-canon version, and I totally get that. I just cannot delete that version from my mind! And IMHO, unless you knew Thrawn from Legends, would you really come away thinking that this guy is miles better than the rest of the Imperial Admiralty? Or that he has his own unique approach to strategy?

So, I cannot help myself, I am hoping for the best. Although part of me longs to just let go and this hurts!

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@Rennzwerg I understand what you mean. You should go with the interpretation of Thrawn's character and future you feel most happy with. I hope Dave will show eventually what happened to them but for now we can use our imagination to get some closure.

One side-effect of Ezra's actions in the finale is that it also weakened the Empire because of Thrawn's disappearance. I mean, would the rebellion have survived the trilogy if they had both Vader and Thrawn to worry about?

 

Yeah, just as well Thrawn was absent. Despite my liking him I really do want the Rebellion to win.
In my head-canon I had him get into trouble with Palpatine over the Death Star once he found out what it truly could do. Now I won't have to be annoyed with Thrawn condoning it since he is not there. Also he cannot join the First Order (at least not as part of the Imperial remnant) which is another big plus for me! So all in all, it could have been worse. And taking on this forum is always fun, too.

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Personally, I don’t think they should ever drop the aspect of Thrawn being an antagonist, and I think its a pitfall fans of the character often have. In his own novels I think it’s fine to have Thrawn serve as a protagonist and be somewhat more sympathetic...but at the same time we shouldn’t forget in the larger Star Wars franchise this guy is a villain. Whenever he faces off against our heroes (whether they be Ezra/Kanan/Hera or Luke/Han/Leia) it becomes appropriate that he become more threatening.

Granted, Rebels took it too far at times, but I think the aim should be less “misunderstood genius who just wants to do right by everyone” and more “threatening genius who is willing to do bad things for a perceived greater good”. Really, I think the classic Thrawn Trilogy depiction is what they should be looking at and less Outbound Flight. Make him likeable without necessarily making him the good guy.

 

I'm stoked he didn't die, however, exposure to hyperspace at a broken window seems rather die-able but also there's Ezra doing his Jedi devilry at the same time so they both made it out.

 

So, just wondering... If Thrawn met Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars, any chance Ahsoka was with him at the time?

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big possibility actually. In the comic adaptation, Thrawn recollects an image of Anakin in his early Clone Wars getup - so we know it was the time period when she was with the order.

 

I'd dare say that we'll see Ahsoka during the flashback segments of Thrawn: Alliances. And possibly Pellaeon in the "present" segments.

 

It's not about comparing this Thrawn (who slaughters innocent civilians) to the Thrawn of Legends. It's about comparing this Thrawn to the CANON Thrawn of the new book! who spends his time avoiding killing innocents, even risking his career or having problems with his superiors in order to prevent the death of innocent people.

Filoni already tried to show him as a butcher of Batonn in S3, and Zahn found a way to explain in his book that he did not want this, and now Filoni does that again. He absolutly wants to impose HIS view of the character (and so contradicting the new canon book), making him killing innocent civilians whenever he can, just in case children were too stupid to understand that he was the antagonist of the season.

There is still a way for Zahn to save the situation again by saying that it was a direct order from Palpatine, but I wish we could at least see that in the episodes, and not just waiting for the books to make things right. The Thrawn of Rebels and the Thrawn of the Thrawn book seem like two distinct characters, really.

 

On balance I think I prefer DF's simple vision of the character as a brutal Bond villain rather than TZ's softened, heroic benevolent psychopath. DF & TZ both have problems killing their darlings and ascribing aspects of cruelty to them, but I prefer DF's Thrawn and TZ's Pryce.

 

He outright says in that episode that he didn’t want to destroy Lothal, but was put into a situation where it was inevitable. There’s room enough to read into how you will.

Personally, I think that entire scene with the bombardment of Lothal made sense within the context of both page and screen. After everything the rebels had done to retake the planet, it was the swiftest way to get them all to stand down and end things. Even in the scene where he dismisses the Jedi as being too strict with their morals, he still praises Ezra’s decision to turn himself over as a wise one. There’s enough meat in those scenes to see essence of the debate that surrounds Thrawn’s character.

 

Funnily enough, this is what I was thinking - now he looks like a Bond villain.
And I really disliked it as that's just not what this character is (Pryce on the other hand... nice! Only had the hidden dagger in her shoe missing.)

But as @SyndicThrass has said, there is enough room in the episode for a more nuanced view of Thrawn (though I still maintain Dave Filoni could have tried harder to match "his" Thrawn with Zahn's). So I will focus on that, you get the Bond villain and we are both happy.

I love discussing things on this board, with the odd exception it is all very open and fair. And fascinating to see how we all watch the same thing and come away with different thoughts.

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Interesting Thrawn defeat and I liked the Pellaeon name drop.

 

Here is hoping we see both of them in the future. One way or another.

 

I'd love to see a new interpretation of the Thrawn Trilogy, updated and tailored to fit the new continuity.

 

I hope so too, but the novels have put a bind on that by heavily demilitarizing the New Republic following the defeat of the Empire. Thrawn would have bulldozed the NR if he came back onto the scene post-RoTJ with a fleet of Star Destroyers.
I think it's more likely they'll explore Thrawn's relationship with the Chiss, and by extension explore the Unknown Regions and what adventures could be had there.

 

betting we'll see him again in Resistance. Probably been causing all sort of ruckus in the Unknown Regions ever since Ezra dumped him there.

 

Can't wait to see Thrawn's future

 

That is what's going to happen. I put money on it.

Starwars has enough 1 dimensional psychopaths.

 

I think we'll see Thrawn again on TV soon

 

hmmmm. Is this before or after Lothal, I wonder?

https://www.starwars.com/news/get-a-first-look-at-timothy-zahns-thrawn-treason-exclusive

 

Before.