Ahsoka just officially brought back Grand Admiral Thrawn, but his return came with a fairly major plot twist in the Disney+ show.
Many fans tried to predict what episode the terrifying Grand Admiral would actually make his live-action debut, but with only a few episodes of the show remaining, it had to be soon.
In an interview from May 2023, Baylan Skoll actor Ray Stevenson even teased that fans would question "what's going on" and "what's the dynamic" between his character and Thrawn when they finally cross paths for the first time.
However, no one could have predicted what would actually happen when the Heir to the Empire would come into the fold.
Thrawn's Return in Ahsoka
Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for Episode 6 of Ahsoka.
Episode 6 of Ahsoka featured some groundbreaking moments such as showing another galaxy on-screen for the first time, a character actually mentioning the words, "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...," and even the return of Lars Mikkelsen's Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Many fans expected to see Thrawn sometime soon, but series creator and writer Dave Filoni included a massive twist when he was first shown on-screen.
As Baylan Skoll, Morgan Elsbeth, and Shin Hati awaited the arrival of Thrawn, they were met with an entrance that was nothing short of grand and illustrious.
Instead of just meeting the characters in a traditional way, the Grand Admiral descended toward the platform they were standing on in a repaired version of his ship, the Chimaera.
The fact that his ship is even operational came as a massive twist since the Purrgil shot it into hyperspace at the end of Star Wars Rebels.
However, the surprises didn't stop there.
Once the docking bay came into view, rows of stormtroopers in battered armor appeared on-screen. Some of them even sported broken armor that was repaired with what appeared to be gold.
As they lined up in attention, Thrawn's army chanted his name over and over again as the Grand Admiral walked among their ranks.
Just seeing Thrawn was a bit of a surprise in and of itself, but the fact that was on this desolate planet with an army of his own as well as a functional Star Destroyer was a plot twist that hardly anyone saw coming.
What Is Thrawn's Plan in Ahsoka?
Grand Admiral Thrawn is in a much better situation in Ahsoka than anyone thought he would be.
As someone who should never be underestimated, Thrawn proved just how menacing and resourceful he is by coming into the show on the fully operational Chimaera loaded with an army of stormtroopers.
It is interesting to also note that the design choice of having some stormtroopers feature gold and red lines comes from Japanese culture where when a vase breaks, the cracks are traditionally sealed back together with gold. This comes as no surprise, however, since Star Wars historically takes so much influence from Japanese Samurai films.
Ezra Bridger was also introduced in Episode 6 of Ahsoka, but instead of living comfortably inside of a facility like a Star Destroyer with his own troops, it was revealed that Ezra had been moving from place to place with a native species.
The twist that Thrawn has the Chimaera up and running with a legion of stormtroopers proves that he means business.
He is willing to do whatever it takes to regain control over the Star Wars galaxy once he leaves Peridea, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he actually bests Ahsoka and her companions in the final episode of the show.
Thrawn's main objective as of right now is to just get off the planet and get back to the main galaxy that fans know and love.
However, when he was informed that Ahsoka was on her way to Peridea, he realized that he needed to deal with her first.
In the coming episodes, Thrawn and his forces will likely face off against Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra before leaving the planet that they're on.
However, due to just how much Thrawn has accomplished since arriving on Peridea, it's not looking good for the heroes.
Episode 6 of Ahsoka is available to stream on Disney+.
