
Ahsoka’s trailer made waves not just by introducing several animated characters to live-action, but by referencing a 30-year-old novel. When Ahsoka mentioned her old Rebels foe, Grand Admiral Thrawn, she called him the “Heir to the Empire.” Heir to the Empire, the 1991 novel by Timothy Zahn, was the Star Wars fandom’s introduction to Thrawn, and it looks like Ahsoka is inspired by his story.