Summary

• Thrawn's ability to accept defeat and turn losses into advantages makes him a more strategic and long-term focused villain than Palpatine.
• Thrawn's lack of Force abilities may allow him to earn more loyalty from Imperial leaders and avoid the challenges that come with being a Sith Lord.
• Thrawn's distaste for the Death Star and his focus on diversifying the Empire's forces demonstrate his superior leadership and understanding of military strategy compared to Palpatine.

Grand Admiral Thrawn is one of Star Wars' more unique villains, so much so that he's arguably a better villain than Emperor Palpatine. Hailing from the Unown Regions, Thrawn gained the Emperor's favor and quickly rose through the ranks of the Imperial Navy, becoming one of Palpatine's best military leaders. However, Thrawn is now capable of surpassing Palpatine as a truly formidable villain in the galaxy far, far away.
In the wake of Palpatine's death in Return of the Jedi and the Empire having been shattered, Grand Admiral Thrawn has finally returned from exile during the New Republic Era as seen in Ahsoka's finale where he made his live-action debut (played by Lars Mikkelsen). Now, Thrawn is positioned to become Heir to the Empire and will likely attempt to bring back Imperial rule across the galaxy. To that end, here are 10 of the biggest ways in which Thrawn is a better Star Wars villain than Palpatine himself.

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