The greatest villain inStar WarsLegends has an intriguing legacy, with the first actor to portray him being revealed. Themovies ofStar Warscanonaside, Legends includes a lot of characters and storylines that audiences grew up with. Some of these storylines have even been translated into canon since, withupcomingStar Warsmoviescontinuing that trend.
Star Wars’New Republic timeline, for instance, uses a character like Grand Admiral Thrawn, who first debuted in Legends material. This isStar Wars' way of honoring some classic stories from the 1980s and 1990s, withupcomingStar Warsshowspotentially following suit. Interestingly, though, one of the biggest villains ofStar WarsLegends had a specific actor play them, who has finally been revealed after two decades.
Grand Admiral Thrawn Made His Live-Action Debut Over 20 Years Before Ahsoka
The Villainous Grand Admiral Has A Fascinating History
The villain in question is the aforementioned Grand Admiral Thrawn, who last appeared inAhsoka’s ending. However, over 20 years beforeAhsoka’s release, Thrawn made a surprise live-action debut that has been lost to time. On the cover of a book by Thrawn’s creator, Timothy Zahn, titledSurvivor’s Quest, this version of Thrawn can be spotted.
Also, this same image of Thrawn is used for theStar Wars: Customizable Card Game,specifically theReflections IIexpansion.Star Wars Centralized, as many curiousStar Warsfans would, looked into this, intending to uncover the mystery actor behind Thrawn’s first “live-action” appearance.
After some extensive digging,Star Wars Centralizeddiscovered that this version of Thrawn was played by Will Wimble. Wimble was an employee of Decipher, the company behind several games of this ilk related to pop culture IPs likeStar Wars, Star Trek, andThe Lord of the Rings.
Wimble found out that a likeness of Thrawn was needed and applied, with Decipher seeing it as a win-win that someone in-house wished to play the Grand Admiral. This explains how the villain had a live-action depiction over 20 years before Lars Mikkelsen’s performance inAhsoka.
This Surprising Actor’s Legacy Lives On
Wimble Is Part Of Star Wars Lore
As proven byStar Wars Centralized, Will Wimble’s legacy as Thrawn lives on. Wookieepedia, a site renowned for its ability to make even the most obscureStar Warslore accessible, has been updated to reflect Wimble’s impact. Of course, there was Thrawn art over 20 years ago, but Wimble could have shaped the entire live-action look of the villain.
Wimble also played a big role in theStar Wars: CCG, providing many with a way to involve themselves in the franchise outside of movies and novels. All of this just proves how Wimble’s legacy lives on, with the first live-action Thrawn actor inStar Warsseeing the light of day.
