Though last week's episode of The Mandalorian further shocked and amazed fans by namedropping Grand Admiral Thrawn in live-action for the first time, Thrawn's creator Timothy Zahn has no idea where this reveal will go.
On Facebook, Zahn assured Star Wars fans that "I was (and am) completely out of the loop on all things Mandalorian. The first I heard about Ahsoka's name-dropping question was when people began peppering this page with comments, questions, and verbal high-fives."
As for how Ahsoka Tano's quest to find Thrawn will tie into The Mandalorian's future, Zahn isn't certain but assumes Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni and company have something in mind. "One thing I do know: Good writers/producers/directors don't drop a bombshell like that without some kind of follow-up somewhere down the line," he continued. "I'll be sitting right there with all the rest of you, eagerly waiting to see how the saga unfolds. Hopefully, it will be artistically done."
Grand Admiral Thrawn (real name Mitth'raw'nuruodo) debuted in Zahn's 1991 novel Heir to the Empire and quickly became a fan-favorite villain for his strategic cunning and ruthlessness against the New Republic post-Return of the Jedi. Initially written out of canon when Disney removed most of the Star Wars Expanded Universe storylines, Thrawn would later be re-introduced as a central villain of Star Wars Rebels' third and fourth seasons, voiced by Lars Mikkelson. In conjunction with this revival, Zahn would write a series of new books that explored Thrawn's rise amongst the Imperial ranks in the Clone Wars/Rebels timeline.
Ahsoka's quest to find Thrawn ties into the events of Rebels' series finale, which saw the Imperial Star Destroyer carrying him and Padawan Ezra Bridger dragged into hyperspace by purrgil (i.e. space whales) to an unknown destination. The series ended with Ahsoka and Mandalorian Sabine Wren reuniting after the fall of the Empire in Return of the Jedi to locate Ezra, which now implies that Thrawn also survived. This connection to the animated series coincides with the live-action appearance of Bo-Katan Kryze, who is currently searching for the Darksaber -- an object of significant value to Mandalore's culture -- given to her by Sabine in Rebels.
Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers and Giancarlo Esposito. New episodes arrive Fridays on Disney+.