Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) has officially made his return to the Star Wars universe in Ahsoka. Thrawn’s return was confirmed ahead of Ahsoka’s premiere, but it wasn’t until episode 6, “Part Six: Far, Far Away,” that he made his grand entrance. This was viewers’ first time seeing the villain since Star Wars Rebels, which concluded in 2018. During Rebels, Thrawn was a high-ranking Imperial officer tasked with crushing the beginnings of rebellion on the planet Lothal. However, Thrawn was defeated and taken far away from the Star Wars galaxy during a monumental battle by a hyperspace-traveling purrgil.
Thrawn’s survival was confirmed shortly after Star Wars Rebels. Hence, viewers have waited five years for the legendary Star Wars villain to return and claim his title as Heir to the Empire. It’s important to remember, though, that quite a bit more time has passed in-universe than just five years. Just as Thrawn will have to adjust to a galaxy vastly different from what he remembers, viewers will need to get used to Thrawn being slightly different from the Star Wars Rebels villain they remember.
Grand Admiral Thrawn is older in Ahsoka
Thrawn is a bit older in Ahsoka than viewers will recall him being in Star Wars Rebels. This is because about 9–12 years have passed between Ahsoka and the events of Star Wars Rebels. As a result, even Star Wars Rebels’ youngest characters, like Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), are nearing their 30s in Ahsoka. However, Thrawn was already an adult in Star Wars Rebels, raising the question of just how old he is now.
According to Star Wars Timelines, Thrawn was born in 59 BBY. Hence, if Ahsoka takes place in 9–12 ABY, it’s estimated that Thrawn would be about 68–71 years old. Meanwhile, his actor, Mikkelsen, is 59 in real life, allowing him to look like an age-appropriate Thrawn in live-action. Of course, he brought much more than the age component to Thrawn. Mikkelsen had previously proven he had the voice of the villain in Star Wars Rebels, but Ahsoka also sees him nab the presence, intellect, and intimidation of Thrawn, making his transition from animation to live-action quite flawless.
(featured image: Disney+)
