The team behind Star Wars Rebels have never been shy about weaving in elements from all over the wider Star Wars universe. And now a big, fan-favourite element from the Extended Universe is headed to cause trouble for our heroes: Grand Admiral Thrawn. Check him out in the Season 3 trailer below.
Yes, the blue-skinned Imperial legend was announced at Star Wars Celebration Europe as part of a panel on Rebels that included executive producer Dave Filoni. “He was one of the most challenging characters we ever had to cast," he admitted. "We knew you wanted it and we wanted it too. Thrawn is back!” Talking of casting, the voice behind the man features a member of a family that already has one recent addition to the Star Wars universe: Lars Mikkelsen, whose brother Mads is playing Galen Erso in Rogue One.
This means that Thrawn is now considered canon And it's a good time to be the man, as he'll also be back in a new book, simply called Thrawn, and written by his creator, Timothy Zahn. It'll be out early next year.
For lots more from Star Wars Celebration Europe, check out Empire's complete coverage and keep your scanners locked on the Twitter and Facebook feed for all the upcoming events from our mobile office at the event. It's a wretched hive of scum and villainy, but we're friendly, so if you're attending, drop by and say hello!