With three trilogies, a duology, and several other books and stories featuring the legendary Chiss character, there are always questions about how to read Thrawn books — where to start, in what order, etc.
The good thing is that there is no definitive reading order for Thrawn. Depending on how you were introduced to the character or what part of the Star Wars timeline you want to start in, you can start with almost any of the Timothy Zahn-penned Thrawn books.
I do not, however, recommend starting with the Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy. These books are some of the most heavy political sci-fi in all of Star Wars and are best read after the new Thrawn trilogy (Thrawn, Alliances, Treason).
Here are my recommendations for reading Thrawn.
Legends/EU: Set 5 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, the New Republic begins hearing whispers about Imperial remnants in the far reaches of the galaxy. These remnants are being led by one of the last Imperial warlords, who has discovered vital secrets that could be used to destroy the fragile New Republic.
Heir to the Empire
Dark Force Rising
The Last Command
New canon: Set during the height of the Empire’s power, the Thrawn trilogy reintroduced the character into the new canon and explained his rise from exiled Chiss to grand admiral status. The second book follows Thrawn in the present day and in flashbacks alongside Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker, respectively, on similar missions to Batuu. The final book sees Thrawn at odds with various Imperial leaders, including Death Star director Orson Krennic. There’s also a major threat to Thrawn’s homeworld of the Chiss Ascendancy, and he’s forced to choose between his people and the Empire.
Thrawn
Thrawn: Alliances
Thrawn: Treason
Before Thrawn became an Imperial grand admiral, he was a Mitth'raw'nuruodo, a merit adoptive of the high-ranking Mitth family in the Chiss Ascendancy. The blue-skinned, red-eyed Chiss operate in an oligarchic autocracy and for the most part are isolationists in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy. Thrawn’s origin story and strategical prowess are explored through the three sci-fi political novels, which take place roughly around the same time as the prequels and the Clone Wars. The final novel charts how Thrawn’s actions led him to be exiled from his people.
Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising
Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good
Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil
Hand of Thrawn duology: Spectre of the Past and Vision of the Future: While Thrawn isn’t the main focus of these books, they are excellent sequels to the original Legends trilogy. These two novels explore some of the Imperial remnants after Thrawn’s death as well as show Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade’s discovery of a mysterious fortress and the truth about Thrawn.
Outbound Flight and Survivor’s Quest: In the first novel, we see Master C’baoth during the prequel era, when his dream Outbound Flight project comes to fruition. The massive long-term space travel vessel eventually comes in contact with the Chiss and their mastermind Thrawn. Decades in the future in Survivor’s Quest, Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade investigate the remains of the Outbound Flight project, which was destroyed by Thrawn and saw thousands of people killed.
How do you recommend reading Thrawn? Do you have favorites among these new canon and Legends/EU stories? Let me know in the comments!
Can you believe Star Wars Rebels turns 10 next year? Neither can I!
To celebrate, Marvel will release eight variant comic covers showcasing the biggest stars of the series — from Ezra and Chopper to Thrawn and Agent Kallus.
The variant covers begin releasing in January and run through April on issues of Star Wars and Star Wars: Darth Vader.
“It was such an honor to be involved in the 10th anniversary for Rebels. Having recently revisited the adventures of the Spectres in preparation for Ahsoka, this opportunity was perfect timing,” cover artist Caspar Wijngaard told StarWars.com. “We’ve been absolutely spoiled with Rebels content these last few weeks and I’m glad I could be a part of it in some way.”
Check out all the covers below, and let me know which one is your favorite!
The High Republic: Shadows of Starlight #1 (Oct. 4): While the upcoming Phase 3 books time jump to a year after the fall of Starlight Beacon, the miniseries Shadows of Starlight showcases what all happened in that year. The series, whose first issue drops on Oct. 4, focuses on the Jedi Council and the institution of emergency measures in response to the devastating Nihil attack.
Crimson Climb (Oct. 10): E.K. Johnston’s next Star Wars book stars Qi’ra from Solo: A Star Wars Story. At the beginning of the movie, Han and Qi’ra escape the White Worms and try to leave Corellia, but Qi’ra is ultimately left behind and returned to the ruthless underworld sewers. The young adult novel follows Qi’ra’s next journey from orphan scrumrat to top brass in the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate.
Jedi Brave in Every Way (Oct. 10): A sweet new children’s book from author Charles Soule and his daughter Rosemary Soule tells a timeless tale about overcoming fears.
Star Wars: The Ultimate Cookbook (Oct. 10): The Official Guide to Cooking Your Way Through the Galaxy includes more than 80 recipes inspired by characters, locales, and stories from the films, TV shows, novels, comics, video games, and theme park attractions — from Bantha burgers and carbonite n’ cream pies to Chiss-themed Csaplar shakes.
The High Republic Adventures 2022 Vol. 1 trade paperback
Tales from the Death Star trade paperback
Star Wars Vol. 6: Quests of the Force trade paperback
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