Mitth’raw’nuruodo, born as Kivu’raw’nuru with the core name Vurawn, recognized in his early military career as Mitth’raw’nuru, and better known by his core name Thrawn, was a Chiss male officer of the Chiss Ascendancy and Grand Admiral in the Imperial Navy during the age of the Galactic Empire. An alien Imperial officer with striking blue skin, red eyes, and an angular face, Thrawn was well known as a brilliant and ruthless strategist. He believed that in order to achieve victory in war, one must know their enemy. As such, he dedicated himself to understanding the philosophy, art, and culture of his opponents, which included the Twi’leks of Ryloth and the warriors of Mandalore. When Governor Arihnda Pryce requested a strong commander capable of defeating the rebels on Lothal, Grand Admiral Thrawn accepted the challenge, intending to dismantle the rebellion one piece at a time.
Before joining the Imperial Military, Thrawn served with the Defense Fleet of the Chiss Ascendancy. A native of the planet Rentor, located in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy, Thrawn left his homeworld and traveled to known space where he encountered the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars. Following the Galactic Republic‘s reorganization into the Galactic Empire, Thrawn offered his allegiance to Emperor Palpatine, having deemed an alliance with the new regime beneficial to his people. With the help of Cadet Eli Vanto, Thrawn assimilated into galactic society, becoming fluent in Galactic Basic and ultimately graduating from the Royal Imperial Academy on Coruscant. His career in the Navy was notably successful; after a series of promotions, he received the rank of Grand Admiral from the Emperor himself.
At the height of his career, Grand Admiral Thrawn served as commanding officer of the 7th Fleet, the flagship of which was the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Chimaera. Deployed to the Lothal sector a few years after the start of the Galactic Civil War, Thrawn sought to defeat the rebels led by Captain Hera Syndulla. Following the Battle of Atollon, Thrawn’s fleet worked with the First Legion led by the Sith Lord Darth Vader, whom Thrawn once knew as the Jedi Skywalker, during a mission that resulted in the rescue of Force-sensitive Chiss girls. Resuming his task to eliminate Syndulla’s cell, Thrawn and his forces were confronted by the rebels who intended to liberate Lothal once and for all. During the battle, the purrgil came to the aid of Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger and inflicted much damage to the Seventh Fleet. Thrawn himself was on the bridge of his command ship when the creatures surrounded the Chimaera and pulled it into hyperspace, taking both Thrawn and Bridger into the great unknown. In the years following Thrawn’s disappearance, the Emperor and Vader were killed at the Battle of Endor, the Empire was decisively beaten at the Battle of Jakku, and the Alliance to Restore the Republic was reorganized into the New Republic. Thrawn’s knowledge of the Unknown Regions proved useful to the Imperials that retreated from the known galaxy, however, as they were able to survive in unexplored space and eventually form the First Order.