Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy is a Legends adult-fiction novel series from author Timothy Zahn. It consists of Heir to the Empire (1991), Dark Force Rising (1992), and The Last Command (1993), which were published by Bantam Spectra.
The trilogy is set in 9 ABY, five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, and it chronicles the campaign of the eponymous Grand Admiral Thrawn.
The trilogy follows the campaign of Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn, from the Destruction of the Elomin task force to the Battle of Bilbringi. It also recounts the efforts of the Dark Jedi Joruus C’baoth and his efforts to claim Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa Solo, and her children as his apprentices.
The series introduced many notable Expanded Universe characters such as Garm Bel Iblis, Talon Karrde, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Gilad Pellaeon, and Mara Jade—characters who would subsequently appear in a variety of Expanded Universe works. Grand Admiral Thrawn became a popular villain in the Expanded Universe, with appearances in several later works. In addition, the Imperial capital world, Coruscant, was given its name by the trilogy and would later feature in the prequel films.
A soundtrack for the trilogy had been in discussion by Robert Townson, the vice president of Varèse Sarabande, but did not go any further.