Grand Admiral Thrawn, a formidable tactician in the Star Wars universe, is set to return in a new manga adaptation of Timothy Zahn's 2017 novel, "Thrawn." The first volume of this adaptation will be available to purchase in the United States and Canada on September 29.
This 192-page manga, illustrated by Man Tsang and published by Panini Publishing, chronicles the early stages of Thrawn's career. It details his origins as an exiled Chiss warrior who aligns himself with Emperor Palpatine and charts his ascent to becoming one of the galaxy's most ruthless strategists. The story is set after "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" and leads into the events of "Star Wars: Rebels" season 3.
This is not the first adaptation of Zahn's novel. Marvel Comics previously released a comic adaptation in 2018, written by Jody Houser and illustrated by Luke Ross. Artist Man Tsang noted the challenges of adapting Thrawn's character for manga, describing the process as more difficult than anticipated due to the character's complex, plotting nature, which differs from the more straightforward emotional expressions typically found in action comics.
The manga adaptation of "Thrawn" first released in the United Kingdom on June 9. It remains unclear if subsequent volumes will adapt the rest of Zahn's original Thrawn trilogy, which includes "Thrawn: Alliances" and "Thrawn: Treason."