Was Snoke Actually Thrawn the Whole Time? Theory Explained

Due to the three-decade gap between the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy of Star Wars, there are a lot of unfilled holes, especially when it comes to the different characters we met in the sequel trilogy. One such character that served an important role in the sequels was Snoke, the leader of the First Order, a group of Imperial remnants that reorganized themselves. However, in the upcoming ‘Ahsoka’ series, we know that Thrawn is set to be the one to unite the Imperial remnants. So, was Snoke actually Grand Admiral Thrawn the entire time?

Snoke and Thrawn could never be the same person. That’s because Snoke already existed around 12 BBY when he was created on a laboratory in the Sith Eternal planet of Exegol. On the other hand, Thrawn was already active as a military leader for the Empire right around the same time.

The simple reason why Snoke and Thrawn could never be the same person is the fact that their timelines just don’t match. While Snoke’s history can be somewhat of a mystery, we know that he was created when the Empire was still at the height of its powers. On the other hand, Thrawn was already one of the best military commanders of the Empire when Snoke was still in the early parts of his life. That means that they could never be the same person.

“Snoke is Thrawn” theory explained

The talks regarding the upcoming ‘Ahsoka’ series are now increasing because the series has already released a trailer allowing us to see the storyline. But one of the things that fans have been excited about is the much-awaited live-action debut of none other than Grand Admiral Thrawn, who was the biggest threat to the Rebels during the events of ‘Star Wars: Rebels.’

Of course, we know that the timeline of ‘Ahsoka’ likely takes place during the same timeline as ‘The Mandalorian.’ We also know that Lucasfilm has been using this timeline to fill in the gaps left behind by the sequel trilogy, which introduced many different characters and elements that people have wondered about for years.

And because 30 years went by between the end of ‘Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi’ and ‘Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens,’ there’s a need to address the things that happened in those 30 years.

In that regard, the story of ‘The Mandalorian’ has flirted with the possibility that the Imperial remnants are about to unite under one banner and finally reorganize themselves into the First Order.

And the leader they have been waiting for to lead them to the next chapter in the history of the Empire is Grand Admiral Thrawn, who was last seen taken to the Unknown Regions of space by Ezra Bridger and the Purrgil.

That being the case, ‘Ahsoka’ will likely tell the story of how Thrawn was able to help the Imperial remnants work together and reorganize themselves into the early stages of the First Order. And from what we’ve seen in the events of the sequel trilogy, the man that led the First Order was Supreme Leader Snoke.

This is where the theories regarding Snoke and Thrawn being the same person are rooted. As we saw in the trailer of ‘Ahsoka,’ Ahsoka Tano called Thrawn the “heir to the Empire.” That means that he is likely going to be the one who will lead the remaining forces of the Empire in a war against the New Republic.

And because we know that Snoke was the leader of the First Order in the events of the first two movies of the sequel trilogy, some fans believe that Thrawn may have eventually transitioned into Snoke in the decades between this timeline and the timeline of the sequel trilogy.

This makes sense because only someone as smart and cunning as Thrawn could lead the Imperial remnants and eventually become the Supreme Leader of the First Order. But there are things that we need to look at before believing that Thrawn and Snoke are one and the same.

Why Snoke isn’t Thrawn

Of course, while the theory that Snoke and Thrawn are the same person can make sense to some people, the truth is that many different pieces of evidence contradict this theory. We can’t mention all of them but the ones we will mention make the most sense.

First of all, Snoke’s background story has already been fleshed out well enough. He existed during the middle portion of the Empire’s reign when the Sith Eternal was experimenting on clones that could help them give Palpatine a vessel he could use if he ended up dying during this reign.

Snoke was one of the artificial strand-casts that the Sith Eternal created on 12 BBY, which means he has a clear origin story.

Meanwhile, Thrawn was born on a distant planet at 59 BBY and eventually joined the Empire at around 19 BBY. This means that he also has a clear origin story. His background as a military commander allowed him to rise through the military ranks rather quickly, as he was already a Grand Admiral sometime during 3 BBY when Emperor Palpatine promoted him.

Snoke was also a powerful Force wielder with innately strong talents and almost up to par with Palpatine himself. That was why he was powerful enough to become the Supreme Leader of the First Order and could teach Kylo Ren some things he knew about the dark side. On the other hand, nothing hinted at the possibility that Thrawn might be sensitive to the Force.

Another thing worth noting is that they are both very different in their approach to their crafts. Snoke was a scholar of the Force and was very knowledgeable when it came to the nature of the Force.

But he relied too much on it and failed to see things with his own two eyes, both figuratively and literally. That was how Kylo Ren killed him without seeing what his apprentice was doing.

On the other hand, Thrawn is regarded as the smartest Star Wars character of all time because he approaches his craft logically. He has always been known for seeing the connections between one dot and another, even though some people can’t see how the two dots connect. That’s why Thrawn could predict his enemies’ movements before they even decided what they were about to do next.

In short, there is no way that Thrawn could ever be Snoke because they are very different people. On top of that, in season 3 of ‘The Mandalorian,’ the Shadow Council talked about Project Necromancer as the next step in the plans of the Shadow Council to determine who would lead them in the future.

This project likely involved Snoke or even the rebirth of none other than Palpatine. That means there’s a good chance that Thrawn’s leadership position within the Empire upon his return will only be temporary, as he also knows about the importance of Project Necromancer.

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