Star Wars Villain Thrawn Returns in New Manga Preview

When discussing the smartest villain in Star Wars, two names come to mind. The first is Sheev Palpatine, who orchestrated the downfall of the Galactic Republic and the fall of Anakin Skywalker. Palpatine remains a master planner throughout the franchise.

Fans also remember the genius of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Timothy Zahn first introduced Thrawn in the 1991 novel Heir to the Empire. Thrawn later appeared in other Star Wars media, including Star Wars: Rebels and Ahsoka, where he made his live-action debut.

Man Tsang created a manga adaptation of Zahn’s 2017 novel, Thrawn. While audiences see Thrawn at the height of his power in Rebels and Ahsoka, his origins started differently. As an exiled Chiss warrior, Thrawn pledged loyalty to Emperor Palpatine and began his rise to power.

Panini Publishing published the 192-page manga, which Man Tsang illustrated to summarize the formative steps of a mind destined to reshape the galaxy. Fans seeking a fresh experience can read the manga as an alternative to the novel and Marvel’s comic book adaptation.

Random House Worlds and Lucasfilm Publishing shared an exclusive look at several pages from the manga adaptation. The scenes show a younger Thrawn outwitting multiple Imperial officers before eventually taking charge of them.

Thrawn Vol. 1

Thrawn Vol. 1 launched in the United Kingdom on Jun 9, and the manga arrives in the US and Canada on Sept. 29.

Source: Polygon