When it was announced that Lucasfilm and Disney intended to make a series based solely on Ahsoka Tano’s storyline, a few immediate questions came to mind: Would Ezra Bridger be in the show? Would Sabine join the cast? What about Grand Admiral Thrawn?
For two years, Star Wars fans were fed scant news about Ahsoka, other than the fact that Rosario Dawson would continue the character’s storyline. That all changed at the 2023 annual Star Wars Celebration when fans were finally offered their first glance at the series. Until then, the show’s storyline remained pure speculation, but the trailer cleared up more than a few plot points, including the confirmation that Ahsoka would, indeed, continue her quest to hunt down Thrawn.
Ahsoka first made mention of Thrawn in her one-episode appearance in “Chapter 13: The Jedi” of The Mandalorian. In the episode, she dueled with the magistrate of Calodan, Elsbeth, and inquired about Thrawn’s whereabouts. Fans became convinced that Ahsoka would pick up after the events of the animated series Star Wars Rebels and see Ahsoka and Sabine go on a quest to rescue their best friend Ezra Bridger from Thrawn, who’d fallen into the admiral’s clutches at the end of the series.
Despite the trailer not directly referencing Ezra Bridger, it gave fans their first glimpse at Thrawn. Or, should we say the back of Thrawn’s head? The only question now is whose head it was.
Who is playing Grand Admiral Thrawn in Ahsoka?
Fans of Star Wars Rebels will recall that Danish actor Lars Mikkelsen voiced the character of Grand Admiral Thrawn in the animated series. Rumors of Mikkelsen’s return in Ahsoka have been rampant since the first whispers of the show’s inception. However, in all the months and years that followed, no official announcement was made. That is, until the annual Star Wars Celebration in April 2023.
Mikkelsen’s casting was finally confirmed when he took the stage at the Star Wars Celebration, saying “It’s wonderful” to be back and in live-action form. The announcement left fans with their jaws on the floor, especially since the actor had been playing coy for so long, even downright lying earlier in the year when asked if Disney had approached him for the part. He said it hadn’t, “so it must be someone else, unfortunately.”
Mikkelson’s Thrawn was given quiet importance in season two of The Mandalorian, but season three has all but confirmed him to be the next big bad of the galaxy. With Ahsoka still months away, several more trailers are expected to drop between now and then. The first only offered a sneak peek at the back of Thrawn’s head, but now that The Mandalorian has hyped up the character’s live-action debut, it’s only a matter of time before we see Mikkelsen in all his blue-skinned glory.
Ahsoka is scheduled to premiere on Disney Plus in August 2023.