Why Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Ysalamiri Won’t Be Canon: The Shocking Truth Behind the Decision!

From a passionate Star Wars fan perspective, I must admit that Grand Admiral Thrawn‘s expansive tale from the Star Wars Legends saga may not transition into canon for various reasons. Despite his captivating presence within the Star Wars chronology, it’s the wealth of stories spun around Thrawn in the extended universe, particularly by Timothy Zahn, that truly sets him apart. In the established canon, Thrawn has made appearances during two distinct periods: the Galactic Civil War and the New Republic era. Yet, it’s the rich tapestry of tales woven for this character in the Star Wars Legends universe that makes him so intriguing to me.

Prior to Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm, the Star Wars franchise encompassed an expansive Extended Universe (EU). This EU has since been labeled as ‘Legends’, indicating that the tales within it are not part of the main narrative of the Star Wars movies and series. The whole EU was initiated with a trilogy of stories penned by Zahn in the 1990s, which were titled ‘Heir to the Empire’ and took place following ‘Return of the Jedi’, focusing on Grand Admiral Thrawn. While parts of this storyline are being reintroduced into Star Wars canon, there are several aspects that will remain in the Legends timeline, with one particular element having multiple reasons for its retention.

What Are Ysalamiri? Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Force-Impeding Lizards Explained

Legends Introduced A Way For Thrawn To Combat The Jedi

To begin with, it’s intriguing to delve into the essence of the Legends concept – the ysalamiri. In the “Heir to the Empire” trilogy by Zahn, we encounter Thrawn who discovers a species of lizards known as the ysalamiri. These creatures have an exceptional ability that counters the influence of the Force. They create a natural barrier around themselves which significantly diminishes one’s capacity to wield the Force. Although they don’t eliminate the Force entirely, they essentially disable its use. For the antagonists in “Star Wars”, this discovery was a significant turning point.

In the Star Wars universe’s New Republic timeline, Grand Admiral Thrawn was working towards restoring the Empire. However, in the Legends continuity, he was locked in a battle against Force-users like Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Mara Jade. To gain an edge in this conflict, the ysalamiri became crucial tools for Thrawn. He devised ways to wear these creatures as harnesses, allowing him and his companions to nullify the abilities of their Force-wielding adversaries – even going so far as to neutralize the powers of his own ally, the mad clone Jedi Joruus C’boath, when necessary.

Why George Lucas Likely Didn’t Like Ysalamiri

The Creator Of Star Wars Was Not A Fan Of The Creatures

To clarify something mentioned before, you won’t find the ysalamiri appearing in the Star Wars canon version of “Heir to the Empire”. The main reason is that George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, was not fond of the concept of the ysalamiri. As Dave Filoni, a protege of Lucas, shared in an interview for Star Wars Rebels (where Thrawn was reintroduced into canon), both filmmakers had expressed disapproval towards the ysalamiri at one point.

According to a post by user flamryn, it’s been confirmed that Timothy Zahn was familiar with this detail. At a recent convention, Zahn mentioned that one of George Lucas’ notes on the original book series was that he disagreed with the ysalamiri. This contradiction is further explained by Filoni during the Rebels panel, where it appears Lucas stated that since the ysalamiri are living beings and the Force permeates all life, they shouldn’t have the power to disrupt the Force in any way. Consequently, Filoni chose to classify them as part of non-canon Legends.

Why The New Canon Thrawn Doesn’t Need Ysalamiri (He’s Got Something Better)

Thrawn Has More Tricks Up His Sleeve

Apart from Lucas’ character Lucas not liking ysalamiri and Filoni’s commitment to portraying this in Star Wars, there is an additional explanation for why Thrawn won’t have these Force-repelling creatures in the canon storyline. This rationale became clear in the finale of Ahsoka’s first season, where it was disclosed that Thrawn had formed an alliance with three exceptionally powerful Nightsister witches while stranded in a different galaxy. These Nightsisters joined him when he returned to the primary Star Wars galaxy, providing him with another tool to employ against the New Republic’s protectors.

In Star Wars lore, it’s clear that the magic of the Nightsisters can be used as a countermeasure against the Force and the weapons of the Jedi. For instance, in the series ‘Ahsoka’, a blade imbued with Nightsister power kept Ahsoka occupied while Thrawn managed to flee Peridea. If the Nightsisters align with Thrawn in future Star Wars productions, he may no longer require the ysalamiri and could instead rely on these supernatural means to deal with the Jedi.

2025-05-24 17:26