Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) has returned to the Star Wars universe in Ahsoka, but the latest episode makes us wonder if he bears a connection to the franchise’s other most iconic villain, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen). For those who have kept up with Star Wars TV and film, it will be hard to imagine their paths ever crossed. After all, Thrawn’s first canon appearance was in Star Wars Rebels. By then, Skywalker had already turned the dark side and only appeared in the series as a hologram or as Darth Vader (James Earl James).
While Thrawn climbed the ranks of the Imperial Navy, it was not widely known that Anakin was Darth Vader, so he easily could’ve served the Empire without ever hearing the name Anakin. Meanwhile, during the rebellion, Thrawn got carried away to Peridea, missing the fall of the Empire and Darth Vader’s demise. However, in Ahsoka episode 7, “Part Seven: Dreams and Madness,” it appears that he does know Anakin.
In one scene, Thrawn gathers information on Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and pauses when he reads that Anakin was her master. He then suggests that Ahsoka may be “unpredictable” and “dangerous” if she’s anything like Anakin. Based on Thrawn’s reaction and statement, the name Anakin is definitely significant to him. In fact, the scene sparked some online discussion among viewers who couldn’t help but notice the odd reaction from Thrawn.
While it’s clear Thrawn knows Anakin, it raises the question of how they know each other.
Ahsoka references Thrawn’s and Anakin’s Clone Wars meeting
Anakin and Thrawn did meet in the Star Wars universe, just not onscreen. Those familiar with Thrawn’s origins will know that author Timothy Zahn created him in the non-canon Star Wars trilogy Heir to the Empire. After Thrawn was introduced to the official Star Wars canon in Star Wars Rebels, Zahn ended up writing two more Thrawn trilogies, both of which are canon. Among these canon novels was Thrawn: Alliances, which follows Thrawn’s adventures with Anakin and Darth Vader.
The novel reveals that before Thrawn entered the Imperial Navy, he served the Chiss Ascendancy’s military. The Ascendancy governed the Chiss people in the isolated, Unknown Regions of the galaxy. When the Ascendancy was threatened during the Clone Wars, though, Thrawn went against the Ascendancy’s orders, traveling into the known regions of space to look for allies to help combat the threat. He landed on the planet Batuu, where he ran into Anakin, who was serving as a General for the Grand Army of the Republic at the time.
However, Anakin also happened to be disobeying orders and was on a mission to find Padmé Amidala. The two formed an alliance, with Thrawn agreeing to help Anakin find Padmé in exchange for information about the Clone Wars and the Known Regions of the galaxy. Each of them ended up getting what they wanted. Additionally, they both impressed each other with their intelligence and strategic skills. This was their sole mission together, but Anakin left a lasting impression on Thrawn.
Did Thrawn know Anakin was Darth Vader?
While Thrawn never worked with Anakin again, he did work with Darth Vader. After the Clone Wars, Thrawn was accepted into the Imperial Navy, where he was told Anakin had died. Upon rising through the ranks to the status of Grand Admiral, he was granted a direct mission with Vader, coincidentally on the planet Batuu. It’s important to remember that Thrawn is brilliant. He’s considered a military genius, with some even arguing he may be a superior strategist to Anakin.
Thrawn’s greatest ability was always being able to see the bigger picture and predict every possible outcome of a scenario. As a result, it’s hardly surprising that, when working alongside Vader, he was able to put it together that Vader was Anakin. Hence, Thrawn was one of only a few characters in the Star Wars universe who knew Vader’s true identity.
As a result, his reaction to learning that Anakin was Ahsoka’s master isn’t surprising. He knows full well what Anakin was capable of. The fact that he has this knowledge could actually be quite dangerous for Ahsoka. While Ahsoka is walking a far different path from Anakin, one can’t help but wonder what Thrawn can infer about her just from knowing her master. We also can’t help but wonder if his feelings towards her might change upon realizing they share a mutual friend. Only time will tell how Thrawn confronts this reminder of his past in Ahsoka.
(featured image: Lucasfilm/Disney+)
