HEIR TO THE EMPIRE: 8 "Thrawn Trilogy" EU Characters We NEED To See In Dave Filoni's STAR WARS Movie

With Dave Filoni's planned Star Wars movie likely titled Heir to the Empire, we're looking at Timothy Zahn's original trilogy of novels and picking the characters who should be brought to life from it!

By JoshWilding - Sep 18, 2023 02:09 PM EST

Filed Under: Star Wars

Grand Admiral Thrawn was first introduced in the pages of Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire, with the villain taking centre stage in a trilogy of novels that saw him very nearly defeat the New Republic once and for all.

Since then, the character has been added to the current canon in Star Wars Rebels and will hopefully make his live-action debut in this week's episode of Ahsoka. Both similar and different to his literary predecessor, Thrawn remains as deadly as ever and has had his new backstory fleshed out in another series of novels by Zahn. That makes it hard to predict what exactly we'll see from him both on Disney+ and in Dave Filoni's planned Star Wars movie.

However, as the latter project is rumoured to be titled Heir to the Empire, there are some characters from this original sequel trilogy who we think need to be included. Their stories and background will inevitably change, but each of them can bring something exciting and unexpected to the table...including a certain clone!

Find out where we think they could fit into Filoni's vision by hitting the "Next" button below.

8. Joruus C'Baoth

A deranged clone of Jedi Master Joruus C'Baoth, this Dark Jedi was determined to bring Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa-Solo, and Mara Jade under his control.

Forced into being Grand Admiral Thrawn's pawn thanks to the Imperial's power-dampening Ysalamiri, he eventually set his sights on ruling the Empire. Unleashing Force Lightning with ease, he was on par with Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine and eventually found an...interesting...use for Thrawn's cloning facility.

We'll get to that later, but C'Baoth would make for an exciting antagonist here, particularly if he sets his sights on Ahsoka Tano and Ezra Bridger. He may even be someone the latter and Thrawn encountered after vanishing.

7. Talon Karrde

We can likely forget about seeing Han Solo in this or any other upcoming Star Wars project, though there's always a chance Alden Ehrenreich will reprise the role somewhere down the line. For now, though, we're assuming that's not the case, though the void could be filled somewhat by Talon Karrde.

A smuggler and information broker, he was pulled into the New Republic's battle with the Empire and his good heart saw him eventually make an enemy of Thrawn.

Karrde is also Mara Jade's employer and someone this movie could have a lot of fun with. With it initially unclear where his loyalties lie, the roguish anti-hero eventually helping save the day as Han did back in A New Hope has all the makings of a compelling subplot here.

6. Borsk Fey'lya

Mistakes made by Mon Mothma and the rest of the New Republic promise to be key in future stories, and the former Rebel has already made her presence felt in Ahsoka. If we are indeed going to explore how their in-fighting paved the way for the rise of the First Order, Borsk Fey'lya is a must.

The Bothan wasn't so much a villain as a power-hungry politician who hoped to take charge of the government and rule over it the way he believed was right.

Fey'lya's story could be intertwined with many of the characters listed here, and even if his role is a relatively minor one, we know fans of the Expanded Universe would appreciate seeing Admiral Ackbar's longtime rival thrown into the mix.

5. Niles Ferrier

If we are going to better explore the place of smugglers in the Galaxy at this point in time, then Niles Ferrier absolutely needs to make his presence felt.

This cigarra-smoking a**hole worked secretly (and somewhat unwillingly) for Thrawn, betraying his fellow smugglers and emerging as one of Karrde's biggest hurdles in his mission to unite the Galaxy's criminal factions against an Empire that was coming dangerously close to regaining its former power.

It would make sense for Ferrier to be introduced as a minor antagonist in The Mandalorian season 4 or Skeleton Crew, with him becoming a recurring presence on TV who we later learn reports to the Grand Admiral.

4. Captain Pellaeon

Captain Pellaeon was Thrawn's right-hand man and was by his side for the battle against the New Republic from the start. Awed and confounded by the Grand Admiral's clever military tactics in battle, he would make for a fitting dogsbody to the villain in this movie.

A live-action version of the Captain (played by Xander Berkeley) debuted in The Mandalorian season 3 and clearly wanted to wait for Thrawn's return.

There are, of course, those who would rather see Eli Vanto return from Zahn's recent in-canon novels, but squeezing him in here makes little sense as it would require too much explanation. That dynamic can instead continue to be explored on the page as the author continues revealing more about the Chiss Ascendancy.

3. Khabarakh

Rukh was a Noghri introduced as Thrawn's bodyguard and assassin in Star Wars Rebels, though he'd eventually meet his maker at the hands of Zeb Orrelios.

What the series didn't explain is that his people were enslaved first by Darth Vader and then Thrawn; their planet was poisoned and they were forced into a life of servitude before Leia revealed the truth and won their trust after crossing paths with Khabarakh, a young Noghri who had been sent to kidnap her.

At the end of this trilogy, Rukh stabs Thrawn in the chest and kills him, and that's a role we could see go to Khabarakh somewhere down the line. That would, however, require the Noghri and Honoghr to be a big part of upcoming stories so the moment makes sense and feels earned.

2. Luuke Skywalker

No, that isn't a typo! When Thrawn imprisons C'Baoth on Mount Tantiss (which is one of the Emperor's old storehouses) he makes use of the cloning facility that's responsible for the Empire's new army...by creating a second Luke Skywalker!

It turns out Vader retrieved Luke's hand and lightsaber on Cloud City, and it was that which eventually allowed C'Baoth to make "Luuke." While mostly a puppet for the deranged elder clone, he wielded Luke's blue blade in a thrilling duel which saw the duplicate very nearly overpower the real deal.

Luuke's inclusion in this movie depends on a number of factors, including whether Mark Hamill agrees to return. However, the concept could be revisited with perhaps Ezra or Ahsoka cloned in his place. Don't forget what we saw in The Mandalorian...

1. Mara Jade

star-wars-legacy-of-the-force-sacrifice-cover-featuring-mara-jade-copy

Over the course of this trilogy, we learn that Mara Jade was once the Emperor's Hand and was present in Jabba the Hutt's palace during Return of the Jedi. She didn't make it onto the sail barge so was unable to stop Luke and blames him both for her Master's defeat and the fact she lost everything.

Despite initially wanting to kill the Jedi, Mara ultimately realises that Palpatine planted the idea in her head at the moment of his death and embraces the idea of being a Jedi...after ridding herself of the Sith's voice by dealing the killing blow to Luuke!

Eventually, she and Luke marry and have children, something we don't anticipate seeing here. We could however get an awesome new female protagonist who is front and centre in the next era of storytelling, perhaps in a TV show or movie set closer to The Force Awakens.

SKELETON CREW Leaked Merchandise Reveals First Look At The Show's Leads And A Mysterious Droid

Recommended For You:

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Appears To Have Revealed A Major SPOILER About The Show's Villain

DISCLAIMER: SFFGazette.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

SFFGazette.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

1 Comments

Mankzin2 - 6/13/2023, 3:56 PM

I want Thrawn from the cannon books, not the legacy books. He is such a a shallow character in the legacy books and a full out hero of high moral character in the cannon books. I will watch this bad version of Thrawn , but I will always resent the leadership of the Star Wars Franchise for blowing such a great character, just so they can have their next bad who will tossed away like trash.

Please log in to post comments.

Don't have an account?
Please Register.

Related Headlines

Star Wars

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Appears To Have Revealed A Major SPOILER About The Show's Villain

JoshWilding

14 hours ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Reveals Our First Look At Vernestra Rwoh's "Lightwhip"

JoshWilding

1 day ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: The New Title For James Mangold's DAWN OF THE JEDI Movie May Have Been Revealed

JoshWilding

2 days ago

Related Headlines

Star Wars

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Appears To Have Revealed A Major SPOILER About The Show's Villain

JoshWilding

14 hours ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Reveals Our First Look At Vernestra Rwoh's "Lightwhip"

JoshWilding

1 day ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: The New Title For James Mangold's DAWN OF THE JEDI Movie May Have Been Revealed

JoshWilding

2 days ago

Star Wars

THE ACOLYTE Enlisted The Action Designer Behind ROGUE ONE's Darth Vader Scene; New Character Posters Revealed

JoshWilding

2 days ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: Boba Fett's New Armor Design May Have Just Been Revealed In The Most Unexpected Way

JoshWilding

4 days ago

THE ACOLYTE: New Teasers Feature More Of Mae Vs. Indara; Possibly Confirm Recent Rumor - SPOILERS

Star Wars

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Appears To Have Revealed A Major SPOILER About The Show's Villain

JoshWilding

14 hours ago

Television

TERMINATOR ZERO: Netflix Unveils First Official Look At New Anime Series

MarkCassidy

1 day ago

Latest Headlines

Star Wars

SKELETON CREW Leaked Merchandise Reveals First Look At The Show's Leads And A Mysterious Droid

JoshWilding

12 hours ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Appears To Have Revealed A Major SPOILER About The Show's Villain

JoshWilding

14 hours ago

Television

TERMINATOR ZERO: Netflix Unveils First Official Look At New Anime Series

MarkCassidy

1 day ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Reveals Our First Look At Vernestra Rwoh's "Lightwhip"

JoshWilding

1 day ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: The New Title For James Mangold's DAWN OF THE JEDI Movie May Have Been Revealed

JoshWilding

2 days ago

LORD OF THE RINGS Producer On Clashes With TV Show And Adapting Page And A Half Into WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM

The Lord of the Rings

More Comic Book Movies ►

Netflix Could Lose Multiple Seasons Of ONE PIECE Anime As Soon As This Week

More Cartoons & Animated ►

EA SPORTS COLLEGE FOOTBALL 25 Reveal Trailer Offers First Look At EA's Beloved Franchise In 11 Years

More Anime & Manga ►

Cillian Murphy Officially Set To Return For 28 YEARS LATER

More Horror ►

BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE Final Trailer Pits Will Smith & Martin Lawrence Against Crooked Cops & An Alligator?!

More Action Movies & TV ►

The Rock's Writer Confirms SMACKDOWN Segment With Cody Rhodes Before WRESTLEMANIA Didn't Go As Planned

More Pro Wrestling ►

LOGAN THE WOLF: Gruesome Fan-Film Reimagines WOLVERINE As A Viking Berserker

More Comic Book Movies ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Anime & Manga ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

HEIR TO THE EMPIRE: 8 "Thrawn Trilogy" EU Characters We NEED To See In Dave Filoni's STAR WARS Movie

With Dave Filoni's planned Star Wars movie likely titled Heir to the Empire, we're looking at Timothy Zahn's original trilogy of novels and picking the characters who should be brought to life from it!

8. Joruus C'Baoth

7. Talon Karrde

6. Borsk Fey'lya

5. Niles Ferrier

4. Captain Pellaeon

3. Khabarakh

2. Luuke Skywalker

1. Mara Jade

SKELETON CREW Leaked Merchandise Reveals First Look At The Show's Leads And A Mysterious Droid

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Appears To Have Revealed A Major SPOILER About The Show's Villain

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Appears To Have Revealed A Major SPOILER About The Show's Villain

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Reveals Our First Look At Vernestra Rwoh's "Lightwhip"

STAR WARS: The New Title For James Mangold's DAWN OF THE JEDI Movie May Have Been Revealed

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Appears To Have Revealed A Major SPOILER About The Show's Villain

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Reveals Our First Look At Vernestra Rwoh's "Lightwhip"

STAR WARS: The New Title For James Mangold's DAWN OF THE JEDI Movie May Have Been Revealed

THE ACOLYTE Enlisted The Action Designer Behind ROGUE ONE's Darth Vader Scene; New Character Posters Revealed

STAR WARS: Boba Fett's New Armor Design May Have Just Been Revealed In The Most Unexpected Way

THE ACOLYTE: New Teasers Feature More Of Mae Vs. Indara; Possibly Confirm Recent Rumor - SPOILERS

Popular Headlines

SKELETON CREW Leaked Merchandise Reveals First Look At The Show's Leads And A Mysterious Droid

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Appears To Have Revealed A Major SPOILER About The Show's Villain

THE WITCHER Leaked Set Photos Reveal Our Actual First Look At Liam Hemsworth As Geralt

STAR WARS: The New Title For James Mangold's DAWN OF THE JEDI Movie May Have Been Revealed

TERMINATOR ZERO: Netflix Unveils First Official Look At New Anime Series

SKELETON CREW Leaked Merchandise Reveals First Look At The Show's Leads And A Mysterious Droid

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Appears To Have Revealed A Major SPOILER About The Show's Villain

TERMINATOR ZERO: Netflix Unveils First Official Look At New Anime Series

SKELETON CREW Leaked Merchandise Reveals First Look At The Show's Leads And A Mysterious Droid

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Appears To Have Revealed A Major SPOILER About The Show's Villain

TERMINATOR ZERO: Netflix Unveils First Official Look At New Anime Series

STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE TV Spot Reveals Our First Look At Vernestra Rwoh's "Lightwhip"

STAR WARS: The New Title For James Mangold's DAWN OF THE JEDI Movie May Have Been Revealed

LORD OF THE RINGS Producer On Clashes With TV Show And Adapting "Page And A Half" Into WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM

Comic Book Movies & TV

LOGAN THE WOLF: Gruesome Fan-Film Reimagines WOLVERINE As A Viking Berserker

STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW Leaked Merchandise Features A Mysterious Droid And The Show's Four Young Leads

James Gunn Says "We're Still Working" On BOOSTER GOLD Series But Debunks Recent Rumor

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Gets A New Poster As Ryan Reynolds Confirms Tickets Go On Sale TOMORROW

EYES OF WAKANDA Will Be Set In The MCU And Revolve Around [SPOILER]; New Details On SPIDER-MAN's Next Series

Marvel Studios Exec Seemingly Confirms Plans For NOVA To Be A Disney+ TV Series

Cartoons & Animated Features

Netflix Could Lose Multiple Seasons Of ONE PIECE Anime As Soon As This Week

New EYES OF WAKANDA Story Details Revealed; YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN's Inspired By Steve Ditko

X-MEN '97 Team On How Finale's Post-Credits Scene Sets Up Season 2 - SPOILERS

Marvel Exec Suggests WHAT IF...? Season 3 Will Be Its Last; Shares Plans For New X-MEN '97 Showrunner

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Beau DeMayo Clarifies Season 2 Involvement Following Shock Firing

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Confirms Morph's Feelings For [SPOILER] And Addresses Finale's Unanswered Questions

Gaming

EA SPORTS COLLEGE FOOTBALL 25 Reveal Trailer Offers First Look At EA's Beloved Franchise In 11 Years

FORTNITE Channels MAD MAX In Chapter 5 Season 3 Teaser Trailer

CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS GULF WAR Rumored To Launch In Late Fall

STAR WARS TOTAL WAR Game Rumored To Be In Development At Creative Assembly

CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS GULF WAR Will Reportedly Launch For Free On Xbox Game Pass

FORTNITE Teases FALLOUT Collab Ahead Of Chapter 5 Season 3

Anime & Manga

Multiple Seasons Of ONE PIECE Anime Scheduled To Leave Netflix By July 2024

TOONAMI REWIND Is Taking Us Back In Time With DRAGON BALL Z KAI, NARUTO, And SAILOR MOON

BERSERK: THE BLACK SWORDSMAN Trailer Released By Studio Eclypse

MY HERO ACADEMIA THE MOVIE: YOU'RE NEXT Shares New Preview Stills

New SUICIDE SQUAD ISEKAI Trailer Introduces The Joker

MY HERO ACADEMIA Season 7 English Dub Hits Crunchyroll Tomorrow

Horror

Cillian Murphy Officially Set To Return For 28 YEARS LATER

THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 Hits Rotten Tomatoes With Worst Score Of The Franchise

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER Revival Sets 2025 Theatrical Release

SILENT HILL Reboot Unveils First Official Look At New Take On Pyramid Head

Halle Berry Fights An Unspeakable Evil In The Brand New Trailer For Alexandre Aja's NEVER LET GO

ABIGAIL Star Melissa Barrera Reveals An Alternate Ending For Vampire Horror Movie - SPOILERS

Action Movies & TV

BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE Final Trailer Pits Will Smith & Martin Lawrence Against Crooked Cops & An Alligator?!

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Production Designer Pawas Sawatchaiyamet On Working With Dev Patel

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Mask Designer Eddie Yang; Dev Patel Film Now Available On Digital HD

Tom Cruise's MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 8 Adds SEVERANCE Actor Tramell Tillman

A24's CIVIL WAR Was The #1 Movie In America For The Second Week In A Row

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; "Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not..."

Pro Wrestling & MMA News

The Rock's Writer Confirms SMACKDOWN Segment With Cody Rhodes Before WRESTLEMANIA Didn't Go As Planned