At Star Wars Celebration this weekend, the first trailer for Ahsoka was released and it confirmed that Grand Admiral Thrawn is the "Heir to the Empire."
While we know the Empire eventually becomes the First Order (suggesting Thrawn's quest to rule the Galaxy is both a success and failure), the role he'll play in this Galaxy Far, Far Away in the years to come promises to be fascinating. Now, though, we have a very intriguing rumour to share from Making Star Wars (via SFFGazette.com).
They've learned that Ahsoka is akin to The Empire Strikes Back in the Mando-verse, with the good guys failing to overcome the show's big bad by the time all is said and done.
While the second half of the season is expected to focus on Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren as they set out to rescue Ezra Bridger, the duo must also stop Thrawn's return and planned ascension. Both he and Ezra were pulled into the far corners of the Galaxy in the closing moments of Star Wars Rebels by the Purrgil, meaning they're inextricably linked.
The site goes on to suggest that Lars Mikkelsen's villain doesn't return until the season finale, with him exiting his ship and looking over at the forces he will use to destroy the New Republic and restore the Empire to its former glory.
Among them will be the Nightsisters, fallen Jedi Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati, resurrected Stormtroopers, and "his gold-faced bodyguard named Enoch." It's at this point Thrawn supposedly revels in his return and promises to unleash a reckoning, setting the stage for the war to come.
Will that play out in Dave Filoni's recently announced Star Wars movie that brings all these TV shows together? That's one possibility, though the site appears to believe Ahsoka will run for multiple seasons.
What isn't clear is whether the finale marks the first time Thrawn appears or if this is just the moment he returns from those far reaches of space to finish what Emperor Palpatine started. We're intrigued either way but it's always best to take rumours like this with a pinch of salt.
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