Just How Long Was Thrawn in Exile? We Did the Math

Grand Admiral Thrawn, the only alien commander of the Imperial Navy, has returned after going missing in the finale of Star Wars Rebels. But his return raises a question: how long was he really gone? Years? Decades? Many are also wondering about Thrawn’s specific motivation regarding the Imperial Remnants. Is he the Imperial Loyalist he presents himself as, or is he working toward a greater goal?

The timeline

In the finale of Star Wars Rebels, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Ezra Bridger, and the crew of the Chimera were kidnapped by the purrgil (i.e., space whales) and taken to an unknown location. We don’t know the exact date, but we know that it occurs before the events of Rogue One and Episode IV: A New Hope. Star Wars fans refer to this nebulous timeframe as 1BBY, or a year before the Battle of Yavin.

Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ezra Bridger remain missing for the entirety of the Original Trilogy, which takes place over the course of four years. The next time we hear the name Thrawn is in season 2 of The Mandalorian, which takes place five years after the Original Trilogy, and nine years after Thrawn’s disappearance.

However, Jon Favreau’s recent interview with Variety indicates that Grogu spent around two years training with Luke Skywalker, indicating that The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian season 3, and Ahsoka all take place 11-12 years after the end of Star Wars Rebels.

Therefore, Grand Admiral Thrawn was missing in action for 11 years.

Thrawn’s motivation

Fans of Thrawn may find it a little surprising that he would remain loyal to the Empire for all this time, as the last book in his new trilogy, Thrawn: Treason, indicated that he was seriously considering leaving the Empire altogether.

However, it’s also important to note that everything Thrawn does is for the benefit of his people, the Chiss Ascendancy. He may be using the Imperial Remnant’s resources to protect his people or may simply be using them to reunite himself with his friends and family.

In any case, Thrawn plays 3D Djarik and chances are, neither his enemies nor his allies will understand what he’s planning until it’s already too late.

(featured image: Disney+)