Continuing our series of articles on Grand Admiral Thrawn, we are going to go back to the roots of the character – the very sources that introduced the famed villain into George Lucas’ Star Wars universe. Timothy Zahn is an American science-fiction that introduced Grand Admiral Thrawn to the expanded Legends universe, which ultimately led to Thrawn’s inclusion in the current canon. Although Zahn contributed to the Legends universe with more than just his Thrawn stories, the four series of novels chronicling Thrawn’s endeavors in the Galaxy are certainly his best-known and most important works. In today’s article, we are going to present you the complete and proper reading order of the Grand Admiral Thrawn books, so enjoy!
When George Lucas launched the franchise in 1977, with the movie Star Wars (later titled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope for continuity reasons), no one expected that it would become one of the biggest stories of the modern area. Star Wars wasn’t initially that successful, but as the years passed, the sci-fi franchise became a cult classic, attracting generations of fans and now encompassing nine main continuity movies, video games, several TV shows, comic books, and a variety of merchandise that made George Lucas famous. The franchise is today owned by Disney, but wherever it might go after the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars will undoubtedly remain one of the pivotal parts of modern culture.
Now, let us see the answer to the main question.
The Thrawn books series – (by order of publication)
The so-called Thrawn series of novels was started by Timothy Zahn in 1991 when the first novel of The Thrawn Trilogy was published. The first three novels were published from 1991 to 1993 and were succeeded by a duology that came out in 1997 and 1998. A new trilogy was published from 2017 to 2019 and a prequel trilogy was published between 2020 and 2021. So, there is a total of nine Thrawn novels published so far, with two on the way. This is how it looks summarised:
Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy (1991-1993)
Heir to the Empire (1991); an edited and annotated edition was published in 2011.
Dark Force Rising (1992)
The Last Command (1993)
Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn Duology (1997-1998)
Specter of the Past (1997)
Vision of the Future (1998)
Star Wars: Thrawn (2017-2019)
Thrawn (2017)
Thrawn: Alliances (2018)
Thrawn: Treason (2019)
Star Wars: The Ascendancy Trilogy (2020-2021)
Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising (2020)
Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good (2021)
Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil (2021)
The novels Survivor’s Quest (2004) and Outbound Flight (2005) also included Thrawn, but since he is not the main character, we are not going to include them on our list. The above list is a summary of all the Thrawn novels in the order they have been published. This reading order is as good as any other, but if you want the narrative to fit chronologically, you can check out our detailed, chronological reading guide and order in the following section.
The Thrawn series – chronological reading order
As already noted, the Thrawn books were not published in chronological order. In fact, Zahn started off with books set after the fall of the Empire, only to revisit Thrawn’s history in the more recent books. This is why we have decided to give you the chronological reading order of these books, if you prefer to read your stories like that:
Discover Thrawn’s origins within the Chiss Ascendancy in the first book in an epic new Star Wars trilogy from bestselling author Timothy Zahn. Beyond the edge of the galaxy lie the Unknown Regions: chaotic, uncharted, and near impassable, possessing hidden secrets and dangers in equal measure. And nestled within their swirling chaos is the Ascendancy, home to the enigmatic Chiss and the Nine Ruling Families that lead them.
The peace of the Ascendancy, a beacon of calm and stability, is shattered after a daring attack on the Chiss capital that reveals no trace of the enemy. Baffled, the Ascendancy dispatches one of its brightest young military officers to root out the unseen assailants — a recruit born of no title but adopted into the powerful family of the Mitth and given the name Thrawn. With the might of the Expansionary Fleet at his back and aided by his comrade, Admiral Ar’alani, Thrawn begins to piece together the answers he’s looking for. But as Thrawn’s first command probes deeper into the vast stretch of space his people call the Chaos, he realizes that the mission he has been given is not what it seems. And the threat to the Ascendancy is only just beginning.
Thrawn and his allies race to save the Chiss Ascendancy from an unseen enemy in the second book in the epic Star Wars: The Ascendancy Trilogy from bestselling author Timothy Zahn. Thrawn’s latest triumph still rests newly on his shoulders. Despite leading the Chiss to victory and bringing glory to the House of Mitth, the true threat to the Ascendancy has not yet been extinguished. Their foes do not send threats or ultimatums, or mass ships on the edge of the Chaos.
Their weapons come cloaked in smiles and generosity — gifts offered freely, services granted unconditionally. Across the Ascendancy, seemingly inconsequential events could herald the doom of the Chiss. As Thrawn and the Expansionary Defense Fleet rally to uncover the enemy plot, they discover a chilling truth. Rather than invade Chiss capitals or pillage resources, this mysterious enemy strikes at the very foundation of the Ascendancy by widening the rifts between the Nine Ruling Families and Forty Great Houses below. As rivalry and suspicion sow discord among allies, each warrior must decide what matters most: the security of their family, or the survival of the Ascendancy itself.
In Timothy Zahn’s dramatic conclusion to the Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy, the future of the Chiss Ascendancy is in jeopardy. The Chiss Ascendancy has served as a hub of power, a haven of tranquility, and a lighthouse of morality for millennia. They are governed by the Nine Ruling Families, whose stability serves as a defense when faced with the Chaos of the Unknown Regions. But a crafty adversary who attacks both loyalty and trust equally has weakened that stability. Families are now divided by lines rather than by loyalties.
The Expansionary Defense Fleet tries its best, but the Ascendancy is getting closer and closer to civil conflict. The Chiss have experience fighting. Through conflict and awful acts, some of which were long-forgotten, they attained their legendary place in Chaos. Before now. Thrawn will dive into his past and reveal the sinister mysteries of the ascent of the First Ruling Family in order to secure the future of the Ascendancy. The strength of a family’s history, however, depends on the tale that surrounds it. even if it turns out that the myth is false. Is Thrawn prepared to give up everything to ensure the Ascendancy’s salvation? the only house he has ever known included?
One of the most cunning and ruthless warriors in the history of the Galactic Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn is also one of the most captivating characters in Star Wars. From his introduction in bestselling author Timothy Zahn’s classic Heir to the Empire, through his continuing adventures in Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, and beyond, Grand Admiral Thrawn has earned an iconic status among Star Wars’ greatest villains. But Thrawn’s origins and the story of his rise in the Imperial ranks have remained mysterious.
Now, in Star Wars: Thrawn, Timothy Zahn chronicles the fateful events that launched the blue-skinned, red-eyed master of military strategy and lethal warfare into the highest realms of power — and infamy. After Thrawn is rescued from exile by Imperial soldiers, his deadly ingenuity and keen tactical abilities swiftly capture the attention of Emperor Palpatine. And just as quickly, Thrawn proves to be as indispensable to the Empire as he is ambitious; as devoted as its most loyal servant, Darth Vader; and a brilliant warrior never to be underestimated.
On missions to rout smugglers, snare spies, and defeat pirates, he triumphs time and again — even as his renegade methods infuriate superiors while inspiring ever greater admiration from the Empire. As one promotion follows another in his rapid ascension to greater power, he schools his trusted aide, Ensign Eli Vanto, in the arts of combat and leadership, and the secrets of claiming victory. But even though Thrawn dominates the battlefield, he has much to learn in the arena of politics where ruthless administrator Arihnda Pryce holds the power to be a potent ally or a brutal enemy.
All these lessons will be put to the ultimate test when Thrawn rises to admiral — and must pit all the knowledge, instincts, and battle forces at his command against an insurgent uprising that threatens not only innocent lives but also the Empire’s grip on the galaxy— and his own carefully laid plans for future ascendancy.
Grand Admiral Thrawn and Darth Vader ally against a threat to the Empire in this new novel from bestselling author Timothy Zahn. ‘I have sensed a disturbance in the Force’ – ominous words under any circumstances, but all the more so when uttered by Emperor Palpatine. On Batuu, at the edges of the Unknown Regions, a threat to the Empire is taking root — its existence little more than a glimmer, its consequences as yet unknowable. But it is troubling enough to the Imperial leader to warrant investigation by his most powerful agents: ruthless enforcer Lord Darth Vader and brilliant strategist Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Fierce rivals for the emperor’s favor, and outspoken adversaries on Imperial affairs — including the Death Star project — the formidable pair seem unlikely partners for such a crucial mission. But the Emperor knows it’s not the first time Vader and Thrawn have joined forces. And there’s more behind his royal command than either man suspects. In what seems like a lifetime ago, General Anakin Skywalker of the Galactic Republic, and Commander Mitth’raw’nuruodo, an officer of the Chiss Ascendancy, crossed paths for the first time.
