The expanded Star Wars universe can be a bit of a roller-coaster to follow at times. From the vast library of books comprising three different continuities, to the trifecta of canons that sometimes, but not always, intersect, it's hard to get a grip on certain characters or the stories they live through.
The enigmatic and mysterious Mitth'raw'nuruodo, better known as Thrawn, is unique among the characters found in the Star Wars universe, as one who has appeared in fiction both before and after the prequel reboot, as well as within the new modern continuity as well. Astoundingly enough, each time written by the same author. This gives a character cohesion unseen anywhere else in the wide-spread Star Wars universe, with Timothy Zahn taking up his flagship character again with a clearly comfortable hand.
The villainous genius of Grand Admiral Thrawn originally menaced the heroes of the Star Wars story over 20 years ago. With his unrivaled military tactics and analytical mind, he eliminates any and all threats against him systematically, and seemingly effortlessly. He's a cold and calculating character, with a focused mind of conquest and fear, destroying any who would stand against him.
These elements made Thrawn one of the stand out villains of any Star Wars story, and probably one of the overall best characters to ever come from the entire setting. They make him a looming, ever-present threat, far beyond the match of our heroes in the rebel alliance, and a mind greater than that of the Emperor or Darth Vader combined.
A great villain is made by these strengths, his unstoppable nature becoming something the heroes must overcome, the 'one in a million' chance to defeat the superior foe. This is the making of a great antagonist. These same elements do not make a quality protagonist, however.
Thrawn gives us the backstory of the titular Chiss mastermind from the first days of his interaction with the Empire, and chronicles his rise to Grand Admiral rank through his many extraordinary military conquests. We follow Thrawn and his unfortunate and mostly unwilling aide, the young Ensign Eli Vanto, as they venture through Imperial military academy, facing the quiet discrimination directed at the alien among the ranks of human officers, and proving himself step by step as the tactical genius he truly is.
The story takes on an awfully familiar feel a short while in. Each new situation the duo face is swiftly overcome by Thrawn's brilliance, marveled at by the long-suffering Vanto as he observes his friend and ally with a jealous but admiring eye. Vanto acts as Thrawn's personal aide and translator, his friendly and personable character a much-needed buffer between the socially aloof alien and the rest of the imperial command. It's Holmes and Watson in space. It's enjoyable, and some of Thrawn's schemes and crafty escapes are great fun, but much like the classical detective, it begins to grow tiresome when we realize no one will best him. A hero is built by flaws, and apart from the seemingly irrelevant aspect of his social awkwardness, Thrawn is virtually flawless throughout the story.
Furthermore, for a story claiming to detail the rise of the greatest military mind in the empire, I felt the events somewhat harm Thrawn's legacy rather than exalt them. Thrawn constantly beats the odds by his genius tactics, and inevitably gets in trouble with the high command. This should be the time to show his skill at manipulation, or give Vanto more time to shine as a character in his own right, but instead each time Thrawn is exempt from punishment due to simple cronyism, Emperor Palpatine having seen something in the Chiss that he admires, and so continually gets him out of of trouble with no repercussions again and again.
There are new characters aplenty, ranks upon ranks of the imperial navy that will taunt and belittle Thrawn, only to find themselves outranked by him a chapter or two later. What I was personally hoping for was a chance for Thrawn to interact with great classic characters that, due to old timelines, he was never able to cross over with. Grand Moff Tarkin, Vader, and the Emperor himself all make brief (a matter of paragraphs in some cases) appearances, but unfortunately the interactions I hoped for never take place. This seems a wasted opportunity. Not only would it be great to see how the seemingly unflappable Thrawn would face with such notable great minds as Tarkin, or react to the intimidating presence of Darth Vader, but it was a chance to use the newly created canon where these characters are all alive at the same period for the first time to its fullest.
The exploits of Thrawn and Vanto are fun to follow, and their friendship is one of the more interesting ones that has developed in the setting. I wished there could have been a little more downtime between the two, like what they get up to off the clock. We follow the pair for many years of their careers over the course of the story, and there's definitely a missing element of personal time to the story. What do these two do with their time off? Following Thrawn outside his military command environment, maybe exploring his obsessive love of art, could have been a hell of a lot of fun, but there's precious little moments in the whole story when he isn't outsmarting someone or another, or solving a tactical problem. Oddly enough, with his every-man viewpoint and exasperated character, it's Vanto who shines as the most enjoyable personality in the book.
While Thrawn is a well written book in its own right, it really isn't the great backstory the character probably deserves. If anything, for a military character, the path of his career is a little run of the mill. Throughout the entire book there is a thread of mystery, a clandestine effort hidden within the Empire that only Thrawn seems to notice, yet instead of this building finally to something significant, it fizzles inexplicably to nothing. It seems a lot was built towards with very little final resolution.
In the end, it boils down to one major element of fiction. Only in rare situations does a great antagonist also make a great protagonist. What works with Darth Vader does not work with Grand Admiral Thrawn. He is a character far better kept to the opposing side of the narrative, with his schemes and genius veiled from the reader. Walking beside him every step of the way removes some of the charm, and the threat, of one of the greatest characters to be found in the Star Wars universe.
