That he is a very different threat than Vader and the Emperor helps preserve the accomplishments of the heroes in the movies. He doesn’t feel like he is undoing events and resetting the setting back to a status quo. Thrawn is a character that exists in the natural evolution of the setting.
I really love how his plans come from being in the underdog position. The first book especially is him making a clever play for resources while having almost none of his own.
Thrawn is one of the few fiction villains who is also written as an effective leader. It makes him scarier.
And his ending is perfect.
Even though most of his troops are very loyal, his downfall comes from one of the many people he abused during his rise to power.
That he is a very different threat than Vader and the Emperor helps preserve the accomplishments of the heroes in the movies. He doesn’t feel like he is undoing events and resetting the setting back to a status quo. Thrawn is a character that exists in the natural evolution of the setting.
I really love how his plans come from being in the underdog position. The first book especially is him making a clever play for resources while having almost none of his own.
Plus, he has the scariest, most genius trait a Star Wars military leader can have:
A vague understanding of physics.
He was UNSTOPPABLE.