Star Wars' Grand Admiral Thrawn feared Ahsoka Tano, but it wasn’t just because she was a trained Jedi or Anakin Skywalker’s former Padawan.Grand Admiral Thrawnwas one of the Empire’s most revered (and feared) tacticians – and with good reason. He was one step ahead of the Rebel Alliance at almost every turn during the early days of the Galactic Civil War, sniffing out Phoenix Squadron’s hidden base on Atollon with skill and determination. Thrawn was so well-respected, in fact, thatEmperor Palpatine believed he was one of the few Imperial leaders who could truly destroy the Rebellion.
Of course, that all changed when the young Jedi Ezra Bridger did something even Thrawn couldn’t predict inStar Wars Rebels: sacrifice his future with his family to save his homeworld, Lothal, and remove Thrawn from the equation. After all, the Force and the Jedi’s ideals were always one of Thrawn’s weak points. That doesn’t fully explain why he was so afraid ofAhsoka Tano, however, despite her considerable power as a Force-wielder. No, to understand that, you have to look back at the first season ofStar Wars: The Clone Wars.
Thrawn Didn’t Know Of Ahsoka By Name… But He Knew Of Her By Reputation
InStar Wars: The Clone Warsseason 1, episode 19, “Storm Over Ryloth,” Ahsoka Tano learns a valuable but incredibly tough lesson, as a surprise attack led by her against a blockade of Trade Federation ships causes her to lose most of her clone squadron. Ahsoka is understandably devastated, but Anakin, ever the optimist, coaches her through it, even placing her in charge of a second, equally risky attack.
Setting the ethical issues of putting a 14-year-old in charge of a major naval operation – even one trained as a Jedi – aside, this was a major moment in Ahsoka Tano’s journey as a Padawan and leader, one that arguably had massive ramifications for the galaxy at large.For the second (successful) attack, she invented the Marg Sabl.This maneuver entails a warship turning its hangar bay away from its opponent, so fighters can be launched undetected and sneak up on the enemy with accelerated speed.
It was later confirmed in Timothy Zahn’s canon novelThrawn: Alliancesthat Thrawn learned of the Marg Sabl through Senator Padmé Amidala. Padmé mentioned that the tactic was invented by“[Anakin’s] former Padawan learner,”and later said Ahsoka’s name briefly in passing. Of the move itself, Thrawn said to Padmé,“Interesting. I can see how that could be useful against certain species.”
The move became one of Thrawn’s favorite tricks, both in Legends and in canon, and it’s understandable why. Thrawn valued cunning above all else. Why not take your enemies by surprise when they least expect it? Thrawn’s line to Padmé, of the move being“useful”against certain species, is a call-back to Thrawn’s first adventures in the Legends novelStar Wars: Heir to the Empire, too (in Legends, the Marg Sabl was known as an ancient attack maneuver).
Marg Sabl is the name of a Togrutan flower. Ahsoka is a Togruta.
In that story, Thrawn uses the Marg Sabl against the Elomin, an alien species who revere rigidity and structure above all else.The Marg Sabl is a completely unstructured plan of attack – the whole point is the element of surprise. As such, the Elomin and other species like them couldn’t defend against it. Thrawn studies his opponents meticulously, including their culture and history. That’s what makes him so terrifying, and why he kept the Marg Sabl in his tactical rotation.
The Force Was Always Thrawn’s Weakness, But Ahsoka Was Worse
The Force has always been one of Grand Admiral Thrawn’s biggest weaknesses. It’s the one thing he could never fully understand, and therefore, never fully prepare himself to handle or plan an attack against it. This affected him during the Empire’s reign, even if he didn’t suffer a full defeat until Ezra Bridger used the Force and called the purrgil against him. When he found the Rebel base on Atollon, he never expected to be attacked by a powerful, Force-wielding creature known as the Bendu.
Thrawn may well have feared Ahsoka Tanoin part simply because she was a gifted Force-user and because Thrawn had known her Master, Anakin, as a rather reckless individual. It would stand to reason that his Padawan would be just as unpredictable, too – and to an extent, she is. Leaving the Jedi Order when she was technically still a Padawan was a major move on her part. Thrawn even mentions it himself inAhsokaepisode 7:“If she’s anything like her Master, she will be unpredictable and quite dangerous.”
To Thrawn, Ahsoka is more than just a Jedi. She’s a tactical thinker, someone who matches his level.
Presumably, given how clever Thrawn is, once he learned Anakin was her Master, he immediately recognized her as the creator of the Marg Sabl, given his history with Padmé. Imagine that? A Jedi, an impulsive one, the creator of one of his favorite tactical moves precisely because the element of surprise is its key component. He could study her stats and the Inquisitorius’ reports all he wanted, but she was coming for him. He could try to force her onto his chosen path, but Ahsoka has never been one to play by the rules.
To Thrawn, Ahsoka is more than just a Jedi. She’s a tactical thinker, someone who matches his level. To be able to wield the Force and possess a cunning mind? She could potentially outsmart him. Following in Ezra’s footsteps, Ahsoka may be the one to take Thrawn down once and for all, and given how the New Republic’s storyline is being built, with Ahsoka front and center in the fight against the Grand Admiral, that might be exactly what happens – even if it costs her dearly.
Thrawn Will Have Been Relieved That Ahsoka Was Stranded On Peridea
In the end, of course, Thrawn got exactly what he wanted – he managed to escape Peridea with the Great Mothers and his horde of zombie stormtroopers. Ahsoka Tano and her apprentice, Sabine Wren, remain trapped in another galaxy (thankfully, Ezra Bridger also managed to escape from exile) by theend ofAhsokaseason 1. All I can think is that Thrawn would have felt relieved to have left her behind. She’s a wildcard, the complete opposite of his meticulous plans. He truly believed that, if his patched-up Star Destroyer left, there would be no way for anyone else to return home.
We don’t know how or when Sabine and Ahsoka will return toStar Wars’ primary galaxy, but there is no way either would ever willingly accept their exile without a fight.If Ahsoka could make it to Peridea without an ancient navigational chart and the purrgil, there’s no telling what she might do to bring her and her mentee home in one piece. Ahsoka Tano may not have met Grand Admiral Thrawn during the Galactic Civil War, but their rivalry has only just begun inStar Wars.
2025
