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Thrawn, the only Star Wars villain smart enough to retreat his forces when they're losing a fight

I was disappointed that the storm troopers weren't that much of a challenge. I was expecting troops with that much battle wear to be decent fighters.

Morgan talking back to thrawn is probably why he values her. He doesn't want a "yes girl", he wants someone with initiative who is going to provide another perspective.

What I love most about this Thrawn is that he's supposed to be the big bad but he seems like the best boss ever. As if that was the direction given to Skaarsgard, act like the leader you always wanted. If I were thrown into this world not knowing anything else about Star Wars, I'd be asking for a set of ribboned armour by now.

I could totally buy Thrawn has developed bad habits in his isolated command, and it would hardly be out of character. As much as he's been romanticized, many people forget Thrawn died at the end of his original book series in large part due to becoming overconfident and complacent. Of course in Legends it was not realizing that his Noghri bodyguards had found out the Empire was gaslighting them on the "restoration" of their planet's ravaged ecosystem.

I don’t think he would have much of an ego. He’s stranded on peridia because of his humiliating defeat by phoenix cell (and space whales of all things!), I think he’s probably spent those 10 years thinking of how to correct for the mistakes that lead him to that point, analyzing his failure under the microscope for a decade.

Was there a split second of fear and surprise on Thrawn's face when he found out Anakin Skywalker was Ahsoka's master .

Honestly, I think Baylan is gonna be the unpredictable variable to Thrawn. He ditched his apprentice to go search for whatever he’s looking for. While Thrawn is preparing for Ahsoka, Ezra and Sabine to come after him, he’s not aware of what Baylan might come back with. That could be something the heroes could take advantage of.

For the ribbons, I think it was just to repair their degrading armor like what we saw in the bad batch for the clones stationed on the icy world.

It's pretty wild that we are headed toward a sort of adaptation of Heir to the Empire.

"I want to finish loading and leave. If they want to waste time wandering the wilderness looking for someone, more power to them. They won't be here causing problems, if we finish and leave and they are stuck here? All the better." Its a solid plan.

I found it weird people were assuming they were zombies because of how the stormtroopers were acting like soldiers, obeying orders without question and silently standing in formation which is common to see when we see the empire. And because their armor was in shambles. They suffered a lot of punishment from being sent to this place and they have no where to get new armor or ways to properly repair their armor so It just made sense that keeping their gear in perfect condition is pretty low on the list when they have limited supplies and just barely surviving. The red ribbons could just signify that they made repairs and to differentiate themselves from many other storm troopers and make them visually distinct instead of just faceless minions unlike all the other imperial groups. Star Wars zombies typically act very erratic and the only control we really see over them is just pointing them in a direction and let them go ham but these stormtroopers showed no signs of being undead just that they had armor barely held together by red ribbons that made them unique. Plus why would thrawn and a few select people survive but all the thousands of stormtroopers/crew die and need to be resurrected or why would thrawn purposely sacrifice them to be undead, they were already extremely loyal soldiers.

If Ahsoka could think like Thrawn she'd want him to return to the main galaxy and pull the Imps together so the Republic could deal with them all in one big strike/campaign. Just put an end to the whole Imp remnants hope of reforming the Empire

Thrawn has been great so far. My favorite part was when he was bewildered that Sabine risked everything on a gamble that Ezra was still alive. That really shows how his mind works.

The night troopers don’t just do the bare minimum. They add lots of pieces of flair! Just like Chotchkie’s

*Grand Admiral Thrawn is just that guy. Enough said.* That said... I hope he doesn't get fumbled too badly by Disney in regards to his death. Granted, I also hope his older age hasn't increased much of his Ego, but at the same time, I couldn't blame him much. Also, him telling Baylen "you wouldn't be the first" may be a callback to him knowing about Anakin becoming Vader, leaving the Jedi Order behind.

Not gonna lie, I'm really hoping Thrawn escapes or at least survives in a way that let's us have a season 2.

He didn’t know about Ahsoka Tano until he obtained the info and realised that she was Anakins apprentice and unpredictable. I believe his jaw clenching was more of annoyance that another variable had entered his plans.

People were saying Thrawn was on copium for losing troopers and lettimg them get together but Thrawn made it very clear he justs wants to leave and his strategy was about making that easy rather then trying to pack while in a battle

The fact Thrawn didn't use the gunships or Morgan's hyperspace ring to rain laser down on them and the Nitto civilians really separates how he acted at the end of Rebels. And that makes me so happy.

Thrawn doesnt kill needlessly, the more pawns the better. he wanted to buy time, so chasing the rebels longer and not killing the locals quickly makes perfect sense. having them all surrounded and locals as potential hostages makes more sense than having rebels and dead bodies, too. I love dthe mental muscle this episode. I was disturbed at the chase scene at first but nope. it all makes sense. The Admiral isnt imho somebody who kills without a reason. different priorities. and not killing and doing as little as possible allows him to beserve the enemy more too. win win

I’m just glad that Thrawn’s live-action portrayal is as good as his animated one, even if he isn’t as explicitly as complex in motivation as he was in Legends and expanded Canon material with his genuine desire for peace and prosperity and the security of his people rather than simple “fleeting” power (that role apparently being given to Baylan and his superficially benevolent goal of ending the cycle of galactic warfare with whatever source of power he seeks).

I think the red ribbons are a way to identify themselves as being under the night sisters protection/as a warning. But it should also be noted that the colour red is common among clothing on the planet (the mothers, Enoch, the bandits all wear red)

Shin is going to flip because she realized in this episode that she was getting left behind by everyone....including her master. That they would strand her here for the rest of her life, that her life means nothing.

Always one step ahead.

Surprised nobody is picking up on the Edison quote when Elsbeth has her "lightbulb" moment, realising that Thrawn has his eyes on the prize and not on the distractions. Also loved the irony of Baylan's name when he leaves Shin. "You're not going to help?" "Nah kid I'm Baylan on ya"

I really appreciate the positive perspective of the episodes. Helps pull me back from the edge

I'm actually really impressed with you Alan, because of your knowledge of the historical cultures that all these parts of Star Wars are from. The amount you've learned about actual human history is considerable.

It is so satisfying to see my fourth favorite villain of all time finally makes his live-action debut! Grand Admiral Thrawn! Now this, puts a smile on my face 😌

I'm thinking that the "favor" Thrawn asked of the knight mothers was duplication of the few mines he had left onboard the Chimera using materials from the planet, in order to create the minefield.

Thrawn's probably gonna be the main reason I keep watching this.

The so called Star Wars fans/ snobs who belittled this episode need to watch this video. You did a great job of describing the depth of Thrawn’s character.

Great video, as always Alan. Was very surprised, yet pleased with Thrawns decisions and actions this episode. And it left me absolutely wanting more Baylan. I'm so saddened that we won't see more of his character after this season, granting he survives in the series.

Hope they give Thrawn the win here. Dude needs it.

7:23 - The look on Thrawn's face right here made reading all the Thrawn and Thrawn Ascendancy books worth it all over again. Perfect.

waited patiently for a new video to come out!

People that are watching a show this good and are giving mediocre reactions to it really annoy the crap out of me

Anakin and Ahsoka have come to terms, so that most likely will throw off Thrawn's understandings of where Ahsoka is now.

Morgan questioning Thrawn and him explaining to his actions to me seems more like a plot device to help the audience understand how big of threat he is through how calculating and forward thinking he is rather than a mentorship

Alan, I really appreciate the work you do to put out videos.

This episode was amazing in giving us the Thrawn we all know and love. I read the books. I'm so glad Rebels did him justice, and they're continuing to do him justice here. I only heard him raise his voice once when he was yelling at Bridger, whom he thought was Lyst. But a man like him getting loud and angry doesn't scare me. A man like him staying quiet and cold does. The best villains aren't the ones who get loud and aggressive. They're the ones who retain their outward cool, and control over themselves even when the fire inside them is lava hot. These are the ones the heroes should fear, because these are the ones who know what they're doing. This is a big part of what makes Thrawn so lovable. Writing a villain like this is hard, but really fun. :)

Thrawn is the only imperial I'd willing serve. Not only is he a genius, but he's also fair and kind of a good man. He has flaws, but these flaws are nothing compared to imperials like Tarkin or Palpatine.

Thank you for your awesome videos! Love every single one of them!

I’ve been watching KZfaq channel for years Love, your Content.

I think if it comes down to a full out war the new Republic will be wiped out because of the different factions whereas thrawn has a sound tactical mind and can outthink the new Republic. But with the nights inters on side I think they are escaping from something worse

nice to see y'all more active :)

What a really great analysis! Again! Thank you :-)

Hey Alan! I enjoyed your analysis, bud! It's probably the best I've heard regarding this episode. Cheers!

another great vid! thank you!!!! more please!!!!!

I really liked how you showed us scene as a source to your analysis.

"Never again underestimate the heroics of a single Jedi" So to make sure we'll send TWO TIE fighters, instead of ONE. And to defend a ground assault , surely we LOCKED the front door and any other door in the fortress, right? And finally, it might have been really good to know what's in those crates for us having to wait for every last one instead of just öleaving immediately.

Why is this seen as brilliant? He can't find Ezra after 10 years. He left Sabine to live and find Ezra. He sends gunships, which would give him air superiority to take them out, however they land and send out stormtroopers and losses many troops- troops which are apparently scarce. He could of used those troops to load the cargo (which would of made the loading so much faster) and used the gunships to take out the two characters that will defeat him in the next episode. Now you got 3 characters with plot-armor reunited and I would bet my bottom dollar- will defeat Thrawn rather easily. Hopefully, his defeat doesn't happen in episode 8.

And people have been complaining about Thrawn. I'm with you 100%

One of my favorite Thrawn strategies from the Zahn trilogy was cloaking (I think it was) around four asteroids and placing them in orbit of Coruscant and bluffing that he had in fact placed more in degrading orbits using hyperspace to place them there. For a good chunk of the last two books the capital of the New Republic was effectively under siege because they had to randomly fire into space with the fleet to try and find these "cloaked" asteroids and destroy them - wasting time and energy. Not to mention that the planet shield had to stay up keeping people from coming or leaving the planet.

I find it interesting that the night sisters, the stormtroopers, and the raiders all wear red. Even ezra wears red which may just be coincidence. The only characters not wearing red are thrawn and the little natives.

Minefield scene made me flashback of Tie Fighter, especially certain mission... And minefield move is 100% Thrawn, based on predicting where enemy will head, and being prepared for them.

I love watching The Great Mothers hands. They show you what aspect of the force they are accessing when they are performing their magick.

I believe Thrawn is desperate to get the hell out of dodge. He could care less about The Scooby Gang. He’s ready to take his men home and I act his plan for the future. The older you become, the more vision you gain. He’s been isolated with his calculated mind. Those of us with extremely analytical minds, went mad during lockdown! The rabbit wholes, the stillness, and isolation were both gifts and impediments. 😂 😂 But, the experience gave us all greater inner perspective. Thrawn has been traumatized, his men have been traumatized, his ship is barely functional and he’s relying on mystics for knowledge. Yep. He’s in his own personal hell. His plan is: GET THE F*CK OF THIS PLANET!!

Loved this video.

Another key thing I like about Thrawn is the fact that he doesn't treat his men as cannon fodder. Sure he puts them at risk by sending them after Jedi but he knows not to over-extend when its a part of the plan. Ironically he's doing his job as their commander properly via pulling his forces back whenever the risk outclasses the reward like he did this episode. It's no wonder I've heard of so many stories of people claiming that Thrawn's men tend to gravitate their loyalties to him more then the Emperor as he actually looks after the soldiers under his command instead of wasting their lives for reckless high risk glory kills like other Admirals would by comparison.

I think Thrawn understands Sabine's drive to find Ezra more than it might appear on the surface. In the Disney era Thrawn books, it was established that he had a long lost sister whose disappearance from his life when they were both small children informed his curiosity about and empathy for their people's Force-sensitive child navigators. He gets how the desire to find a lost love one can shape a person's focus.

The facial movements are also something they added because they needed to make some changes to fit a live action format. In Rebels the large shifts of his eyes were enough to convey emotions but that won't work in live-action because his eyes are not as prominent.

Duck Tape Troopers! You got the Dark Sabre the same way Boca Tan did. Just ask for one. "Hey I was at the same Walmart as you." "Well here's the Dark Sabre then." "Thank you woosie Mando!"

I’ve been thinking - what if the cargo being transferred are part of Hux’s “Project Necromancer”. It was mentioned in Mandalorian S3 that the return of Thrawn would aid Hux, or at least something to that affect.

But that jedi shuttle can get to the chimera in no time!

Lookout! Thrawn is right behind you!

You are 10 times better than Star Wars Theory at analyzing Star Wars no questions asked . He's just a fanboy of The Jedi Anakin and doesn't even get what Star Wars is about .

damn u guys are trippin if u really enjoy this version of thrawn

Note how the fact she is the apprentice of Skywalker and therefore experienced in combat changed his calculations regarding following her and letting her fight on her terms and backing off and looking for alternative approaches. master class indeed, you do not fight a veteran on his terms. he/she knows what he/she is doing ... they did it before.

im just excited for the next timothy zahn novel, sure it hasnt been writen yet (maybe) but come on, 5+ years glorious

Thanks Alan 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🍁🍂🍁

If they're living soldiers, the whole situation makes them really badass, i mean, the fact that thrawn managed to keep most of his man alive after 11 years is mindblowing and a proof of how efficent thrawn really is

I am thinking Thrawn is going to dispatch Shen Hottie to destroy Ahsoka along with some other fighters, and he will ditch them and warp off into hyperspace attached with the Chimera to the hyperspace ring, leaving them behind. This will lead up to Ahsoka offering her a way back to the main SW galaxy and end up bringing her into the group to eventually fight against Thrawn. She might even end up being the person who delivers the killing blow against him, which Thrawn will enjoy in the end, being a poetic end to his life. You heard it here first.

AMAZING!!!💪💪💪💪

I am just praying that he gets back home safely 🙏

The actor playing the admiral is like an old time 40's actor? like the original Darth Vader. Very proper. I looked him up in IMDB. seen him in Sherlock. He's like an old movie actor from a british 40's crime thriller. I think they watched Sherlock and said this guy is a moriarty. a cool customer.

I love the series but the one thing that bothers me is why did they not have the cargo ready to go so that when Elsbeth arrived they could leave immediately? They didn’t start loading until after they got there and now the cargo transfer is literally the only thing keeping them on the planet

You know what puts Sabine really far away from his base of operations? *_A blaster to the face._*

Nice thx

The truth is, Thrawn is just a really competent commander who read The Art of War. Other commanders are so stupid that a competent one is Napoleon reborn in comparison

I want to see at least a thrawn cameo in the next season of andor, let's see him at his imperial peak. Would love to see him visit that antiques shop. Though I don't know how the timeline fits.

In my imagination i thought disney would retcon Thrawn species to age really slowly and get him back to be the antagonist for a new cinema trilogy, but this is good enough

The question of command scene is so akwardly funny

Thrawn and the stormtroopers are only as good as the writer allows them to be.

Holy crap, we are actually witnessing the birth of the resistance right now and nobody sees it, it could happen many ways but if Sabine dies properly, Ezra and Ahsoka follow thrawn back to the star wars galaxy but split up to get more allies, Ahsoka goes to Syndulla who goes to Leia thus forming The Resistance and Ezra goes to New Mandalore to find Bo Katan and enlist the mando''s as back up bringing the whole tv universe together? boom. how it ends is anyones guess but this would be cool AF

Thrawn, the Sun Tzu of Stars Wars and the foot-fucking master of The Art of War.

That was a lot of mines.

It's the Red Ribbon Army. General Red is pulling the strings.

Thrawn is the Star Wars equivalent of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms' Sima Yi. Sima Yi was the only strategist that could match Zhuge Liang. Unfortunately the New Republic don't have a Zhuge Liang.

Was the "Once again..., I require the use of your dark magics" line just what turned out to be Find my Phone? The lack of green mist/energy used by the Grand Mothers makes me question everything on this world in terms of what we see

I wondering if the Chimera is going to be permanently attached at massive hyperdrive Ring. Maybe thrawn's chest of goodies contains cloaking devices, or maybe they're each an advance holographic system that gives both visual representation of a Star Destroyer while also making an enemy's ship sensors think that there's an actual ship there as well. It would do Thrawn very well to show up over a planet that he wants to conquer with what appears to be a massive fleet of Star Destroyers, to force their surrender, while the New Republic's military might continues to dwindle. It's quite possible that Thrawn could also use a orbital force field to prevent anyone from leaving a planet, such as Coruscant.

Basically, thrawn fears black swans.

Put all the shows in a timeline they should be known as the new Thrawnsaga

I don’t understand why Thrawn didn’t drop bombs on them. I saw some tie fighters in the hangar.

I've noticed your motorcycle helmet shifts around video to video, what bike do you ride?

"Thrawn doesn't get the jedi." Last 3 chapters of Outbound Flight would like to have a word with you. He killed an entire fleet of jedi by using their attachment to the force against them.

The bands on the troopers could be something where when they die they offer up there bodies to come back?

It seems the Troopers were still alive and well.

Did you see how he was shirting when Ahsoka showed and Thrawn found out who was his master. He was a bit scared too it seemed of Ahsoka. He always respected Anakin and fear Vader but had a plan to defeat him.