Asked if he would be incorporating any material from previous Thrawn novels, Zahn said, "I've thrown in a few bits and pieces. Nothing too blatant, just little Easter eggs for those who are familiar with my other books." [10] Though in Legends works Thrawn was mostly used in post- Return of the Jedi storylines, both Rebels and Thrawn take place prior to the events of the original 1977 film and show his rise to power. [1] [11] Zahn said, "I get to show how he's treated by his fellow officers and shipmates on his way up the military ladder, particularly when he's not in a command position over them." [11] A full synopsis of the novel was released in January 2017, [12] [13] followed by an excerpt in March 2017. [11] Publication [ edit ] Timothy Zahn is rightly considered one of the best Star Wars authors, and his Grand Admiral Thrawn retcon is the perfect demonstration of his skill. The genius of this retcon is that it fits perfectly with both Legends and the Disney era; in fact, in terms of legends it rather helps explain how the Grand Admiral accumulated a mysterious powerbase known as the Hand of Thrawn, dedicated to protecting the Unknown Regions from the marauding threat of the Yuuzhan Vong. According to this retcon, the Grand Admiral's attention was always on the Unknown Regions, and he would have been ferrying war materiel there for decades.

a b "Grand Admiral Thrawn (Commander Of The Imperial Fleet) – Militaries of Star Wars – 1:6 Scale Figures". JediTempleArchives.com. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015 . Retrieved July 22, 2016. This book is the dramatic conclusion to the ‘Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendency’ trilogy, which is the origin story of Thrawn and how he was able to save his people from an unseen threat. In the final book, the Chiss Ascendency’s stability is in jeopardy because a crafty enemy from the Chaos of the Unknown Regions has been working hard to divide the Nine Ruling Families. In that regard, trust has now become an issue for the entire stability of the Ascendency as the rulers are now divided in terms of their views. Britt, Ryan (February 28, 2013). "How Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire Turned Star Wars into Science Fiction". Tor.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2015 . Retrieved August 26, 2015. a b Ross, Dalton (September 19, 2023). "Live-action Grand Admiral Thrawn has finally arrived on Ahsoka". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved September 20, 2023.Marvel editor hopes upcoming Thrawn comic book series is just the beginning by Andrew Liptak on The Verge ( July 26, 2017) (archived from the original on July 1, 2019) It was a way to confirm for the readers in Heir to the Empire that Joruus C'baoth was indeed a clone and not the original Jorus, as well as to provide another reference to Grand Admiral Thrawn's military skills. It also seemed like something Palpatine might reasonably have done: create something else to distract the Jedi and perhaps prune away some of the troublemakers in advance of his full extermination scheme. [16] Goldman, Eric (March 4, 2017). " Star Wars Rebels: 'Secret Cargo' Review". IGN . Retrieved March 6, 2017.

The Fight Against the Empire Will Continue in Star Wars Rebels Season Three". StarWars.com. November 30, 2015 . Retrieved July 18, 2016.The number-one New York Times bestselling Heir to the Empire was the publishing event of the year, the first novel to continue the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo, beyond the events of the most popular trilogy in movie history. Now comes Dark Force Rising, the second volume of a three-book cycle authorized by Lucasfilm Ltd. and written by Hugo Award-winning author Timothy Zahn. a b Kaminski, Michael (2008). The Secret History of Star Wars. New York City: Legacy Books Press. pp.289–291. ISBN 978-0978465230.