Ahsoka Tano actress Rosario Dawson dropped a massive hint aboutGrand Admiral Thrawn’sstory inAhsokaseason 2, and it means a major retcon toStar Warscanon. WithAndorseason 2 currently underway,Ahsokaseason 2 is arguably the most exciting project ofStar Wars’upcoming TV shows. Thereveals from Star Wars Celebration 2025only made this anticipation all the greater.
Among those was the news thatHayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker is returning inAhsokaseason 2, and he will be joined by a host of returning characters, from Zeb Orrelios to Admiral Ackbar. Little else is known about the story, with Hayden Christensen, Rosario Dawson, and Dave Filoni confirming that the script is still undergoing regular changes. Yet,Rosario Dawson provided one significant detail about Thrawn’s story inAhsokaseason 2, and it means a major retcon is coming.
Rosario Dawson Confirmed Thrawn Will Be A Major Threat
Evidently, Thrawn “Goes Big” In Ahsoka Season 2
TheAhsokaseason 1 finaleleft some burning questions on the table, including what Thrawn’s next steps would be. In the final episode of season 1, Thrawn made his way off Peridea and returned to the mainStar Warsgalaxy. It’s clear that his intention is to bring together the Imperial remnants and attempt to re-establish the Empire (or, a new version with him at the helm), although that admittedly seemed a bit farfetched. Yes, there were Imperial sympathizers shown in season 1, but could Thrawn really do that much damage?
Where Was Ahsoka During Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith?
According to Rosario Dawson,Thrawn absolutely can become a significant threat—and he will. Speaking at Star Wars Celebration 2025,Dawson teased a war inAhsokaseason 2:
“It’s called Star Wars. And we’re going to have a pretty significant war… It’s so cinematic. Thrawn goes big.”
This is truly a shock, as it unexpectedly confirms thatAhsokaseason 2 will see Thrawn waging"a pretty significant war"on the mainStar Warsgalaxy, escalating things massively fromAhsokaseason 1.
This War Doesn’t Make Sense In Light Of The Sequel Trilogy
How Could Thrawn Go Big If The Sequels Don’t Even Mention Him?
This is surprising not only because it is an unusually critical event to be depicted in aStar WarsTV show, but also becausethis information seems entirely incongruent with the sequel trilogy. That is, no such war was ever discussed in the sequeltrilogy, and, presumably, were it truly significant, it would bear mentioning (more than once). In fact, one would think a significant war betweenReturn of the JediandStar Wars: The Force Awakenswould have framed the sequel trilogy era considerably.
No such war was ever discussed in the sequeltrilogy, and, presumably, were it truly significant, it would bear mentioning.
Given there had been no mention of a major event of this kind, many had assumed that the impact Thrawn could have inAhsokaseason 2 was minimal. At most, it seemed Thrawn would pose a serious threat to the show’s main characters—especially Hera Syndulla and Ezra Bridger, who now seem primed to oppose him—but this is worlds apart from what Dawson described. A war of this magnitude would surely have affected many, especially the New Republic, begging the question:How can this story fit with the sequel trilogy?
Thrawn Beginning The First Order Would Fix This Confusion
This Would Be A Perfect Legacy For Thrawn
To be clear,I do not thinkStar Warswould ever retcon the sequel trilogy, try as some corners of the fanbase might to make that happen. While many continue to see the sequels as some ofStar Wars’worst movies, Lucasfilm has suggested they are pushing forward with those stories as canon, including with Rey’s upcomingStar Warsmovie, rumored to be titledStar Wars: New Jedi Order. It is therefore essential thatStar Warsfinds some way to fit this story arc for Thrawn inAhsokaseason 2 with all that transpires in the sequels.
The perfect way forStar Warsto bridge a war waged by Thrawn inAhsokaseason 2 and the sequel trilogy is by revealing that Thrawn laid the groundwork for the First Order to be born. It’s unclear how successful Thrawn will be in the short-term regarding his efforts to unitethe Imperial remnant, but, by the sequel trilogy, Thrawn was evidently no longer in play. However, revealing that Thrawn’s efforts led to the First Order would raise the stakes, allowing Thrawn to still be a significant adversary without making the sequel trilogy entirely nonsensical.
This would also give Thrawn a brilliant legacy inStar Wars, which this character has more than earned. Thrawn was first a fan-favorite Legends character, and there was plenty of fanfare about his re-canonization. While it’s clear Thrawn isn’t at the helm throughout the sequel trilogy, which may even suggest he dies before the sequels begin, making him the founder of the First Order would prove that his efforts weren’t in vain, and it would give him a lasting impact worthy of his character.
Making him the founder of the First Order would prove that his efforts weren’t in vain, and it would give him a lasting impact worthy of his character.
I Still Have Some Questions About This Era
Why Was This Era Referred To As A Period Of Peace?
While I think this would be a wise solution to this problem, I still have some major questions about how Thrawn’sAhsokaseason 2 war could fit with what has been revealed inStar Warsmovies and TV showsthus far. Specifically,the New Republic’s narrative was that, prior to the years leading up toThe Force Awakens, this had been a period of peace. If there was peace throughout this era, though, how could Thrawn’s"pretty significant war"possibly make sense?
On the one hand, it’s possible that this was simply what the New Republic, especially the New Republic’s leadership, wanted the larger galaxy to believe. After all,Ahsokaseason 1 already showed that the New Republic continued to struggle with Imperial sympathizers, and it even depicted in-fighting within the New Republic itself. It would make sense for them to want to sweep things under the rug or conceal them from the public, especially as the fall of the Empire would have left the state of the galaxy in a precarious place, to say the least.
Yet, some squabbles within the New Republic and lingering Imperials are very different from an outright war. It would be much more difficult to hide this truth from the galaxy, meaning that even this potential storyline would require a retcon. It will be interesting to see how that could possibly play out, but I am genuinely hopingAhsokaseason 2 confirms thatGrand Admiral Thrawnwas the one to create the First Order, as that would make this current plot hole make considerably more sense and would mean a brilliant legacy for this belovedStar Warscharacter.
