 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Grand Moff Tarkin" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(July 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Grand Moff Tarkin | |
|---|---|
| Star Wars character | |
 Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin[a] | |
| First appearance |
|
| Created by | George Lucas |
| Portrayed by | |
| Voiced by | |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Wilhuff Tarkin[2] |
| Occupation |
|
| Affiliation | |
| Spouse | Thalassa Tarkin (Legends) |
| Children | Ellian Zahra (surrogate daughter) Garoche Tarkin (son,Legends) |
| Relatives | Gideon Tarkin (brother,Legends) |
| Homeworld | Eriadu |
Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin is a fictional character in theStar Wars franchise. He was introduced in theoriginal 1977Star Wars film[j] as the mainantagonist, and the commander of theDeath Star, a gigantic spherical space station built by theGalactic Empire, equipped with an immensely powerfulsuperlaser capable of obliterating entire planets. Tarkin is portrayed byPeter Cushing inStar Wars. Tarkin also appears in the filmsRevenge of the Sith andRogue One, and in the animated seriesThe Clone Wars,Rebels, andThe Bad Batch. He is featured in the 2014 novelTarkin, which details his backstory and his rise to power within the Empire. In 2006, the entertainment websiteIGN called Tarkin "one of the most formidable villains" inStar Wars history.[3]
Tarkin's character was originally conceived as a holy man from the planet Aquila, but was changed to an antagonist.[4] Asthe Emperor would not appear until later in the original trilogy, Lucas used Tarkin's final version as the "main villain" of the first film, a personification of the Empire.[5] According to a book created to help promote the original film to prospective theaters, he aspires to become the Emperor.[6]
Cushing later joked that he did not know what a "Grand Moff" actually was, and that it sounded like "something which infests a clothes closet". He characterized Tarkin as a "deeply cross and unpleasant gentleman".[7]
In the 2005 prequel filmRevenge of the Sith,Wayne Pygram was able to achieve the likeness of a young version of Tarkin through the use of prosthetic makeup.[8] For his performance as Tarkin in the animated seriesThe Clone Wars, the voice actorStephen Stanton researched Cushing's performances and then tried to imitate what Cushing might have sounded like in his mid-thirties and soften his voice to portray a level of humanity.[9]
In the 2016 filmRogue One, archival footage[10] and a digital scan of Peter Cushing'slife mask made for the 1984 filmTop Secret! were used to create a 3DCGI mask which was augmented and mapped to actorGuy Henry's face.[11][12] Henry had studied Cushing's mannerisms many years previously for the lead role in British TV showYoung Sherlock,[13] but insisted on a screen test as he was not comfortable that his vocal imitation was accurate, stating he sounded more "Peter O'Toole than Peter Cushing".[14] TheILM team searched through hours of footage to find suitable material of Cushing to build from. The footage fromA New Hope was lit very differently to the lighting used inRogue One and had to be digitally changed. The more they manipulated the lighting to match the other actors in the scenes the less like Cushing the character model looked, which meant creating a balancing act between "a digital figure" and "one who looked precisely like Cushing".[15] The owners of Cushing's estate were heavily involved with the creation and had input right down to small and subtle adjustments.[16] The result, which has been called "one of the most complex and costly CGI re-creations ever", received a mixed response, with questions being raised about the morality of using a dead actor's likeness.[17][18]
Introduced in the first film in theoriginalStar Wars trilogy, Governor Tarkin is a Grand Moff of the Galactic Empire and commander of theDeath Star.[19] AfterEmperor Palpatine dissolves the Imperial Senate, Tarkin andDarth Vader (portrayed byDavid Prowse, voiced byJames Earl Jones) are charged with pursuing and destroying theRebel Alliance. He threatensPrincess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) with the destruction of her home planet,Alderaan, if Leia does not reveal the location of the Rebel main base of operations. When Leia names the planetDantooine as the base's location, he destroys Alderaan regardless, hoping to make an example out of the planet's support of the Rebellion. Upon learning that Leia's coerced information was false, Tarkin orders Leia's execution.
He allows the Rebels to escape the Death Star with Leia after placing a tracking beacon on theMillennium Falcon in order to find the Rebel base. He orders the Death Star to destroy the Rebel base onYavin 4. In the film's climax, Tarkin refuses to believe that the Death Star is in danger from the Rebel starfighter attack; as a result, he refuses to evacuate. He is subsequently killed byLuke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who succeeds in destroying the Death Star by firing torpedoes into the exhaust port. Tarkin is last seen deep in thought seconds before the Death Star explodes.
At the end ofStar Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, the final film in theStar Wars prequel trilogy, a younger version of Tarkin, played byWayne Pygram, makes acameo appearance overseeing the original Death Star's construction, standing beside Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) and Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid).[20][21]
In the filmRogue One (which takes place immediately before the events inA New Hope),Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), Director of Advanced Weapons Research for the Imperial Military, meets with Tarkin, who expresses his skepticism about Krennic's management of the Death Star project. Tarkin oversees the Death Star's first attack on the Rebellion when it is used to destroy the Holy City of the planet Jedha. Impressed, he congratulates Krennic before announcing that he is going to take command of the Death Star from that point on, pointing out security breaches that had occurred under Krennic's command (much to Krennic's chagrin). Later in the film, Tarkin is informed of a Rebel attack on Scarif, the planet where the plans to the Death Star are kept. He orders the jump to hyperspace to the planet, where an ongoing battle between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance rages. Tarkin has the Death Star target and destroy the Scarif base, killing Krennic,Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones),Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), and any other survivor of the ground battle.
In the animated television seriesStar Wars: The Clone Wars, set during the events of the prequel trilogy, a younger Tarkin (voiced byStephen Stanton) is depicted as a Captain and later an Admiral in theGalactic Republic Navy.[22]
In the third season, Captain Tarkin and Jedi Master Even Piell (Blair Bess) are ambushed and attacked bySeparatist forces. Prisoners to the Citadel, Tarkin and Piell are freed from captivity by a rescue team. Initially pessimistic about being in enemy territory, Tarkin puts himself at odds with Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter), but their respective opinions of each other improve when each realizes that both know Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian Abercrombie). During a skirmish, Tarkin fights and attempts to execute Citadel Warden Osi Sobeck (James Arnold Taylor), but fails when Sobeck swiftly retaliates and nearly kills him. However, Tarkin is rescued just in time by Anakin's PadawanAhsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein).
In the fifth season, Tarkin, now an admiral, suspects Ahsoka of masterminding aterrorist attack on the Jedi Temple, and attempts to have the Padawan arrested. After Ahsoka is recaptured, Tarkin requests that the Jedi Order expel her and turn her over to the Republic so she can receive more "impartial" judgement. The Jedi concede and Ahsoka is tried before a jury of senators, with Tarkin heading the prosecution whilePadmé Amidala (Catherine Taber) heads the defense. Despite Padmé's impressive defense, Tarkin casts doubt by mentioning that Ahsoka had been seen withDark JediAsajj Ventress (Nika Futterman). After Tarkin and Padmé's arguments conclude and the jury reaches a verdict that Palpatine is about to read, Anakin arrives withBarriss Offee (Meredith Salenger), the real mastermind of the attack.
In the television seriesStar Wars Rebels, Tarkin (voiced once again by Stanton) starts off as Governor of the Outer Rim territories, includingLothal, but eventually receives his Grand Moff title.[23] He visits the planet Lothal to deal with its growing Rebel activity, and reprimands Minister Maketh Tua (Kath Soucie),Agent Kallus (David Oyelowo), and the Inquisitor for their repeated failures to stop the planet'sRebel cell. Tarkin has the Inquisitor execute Commandant Aresko and Taskmaster Grint (bothDavid Shaughnessy) for their inability to deal with the cell's leader, Jedi KnightKanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.). Later, Tarkin sets a trap for the Rebels and manages to capture Kanan during their mission to send a message through one of the planet's communication towers. The Rebels' message gets sent out, but Tarkin then orders the tower to be destroyed. Kanan is tortured by the Inquisitor and transported to theMustafar system aboard Tarkin'sStar Destroyer. During Kanan's rescue by Rebel forces, Tarkin's Star Destroyer is destroyed, and the Inquisitor is killed. On Lothal, Tarkin introduces Agent Kallus to Darth Vader (James Earl Jones).
Taking the loss of his Star Destroyer personally, Tarkin orders that Maketh Tua be brought before him for her failure to find the Lothal rebels. Knowing the true meaning behind the summoning after the deaths of Aresko and Grint, Tua attempts to defect to the rebellion, but she is killed by Vader and Kallus before she can leave Lothal. Tarkin later appears in the season three premiere where he meets with Governor Pryce (Mary Elizabeth Glynn) regarding the Lothal Rebels. He subsequently grants her request for use of the Seventh Fleet, commanded byGrand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen). Tarkin appears via hologram in the season three finale, being briefed on Thrawn's imminent attack on Atollon to stymie a coordinated Rebel attack on Lothal. Towards the end of season four, he warns Thrawn that he must prove the worth of hisTIE Defender program, Thrawn's prototype design of a new Imperial Star Fighter, or it will be shut down in favor of diverting resources to Krennic's "Stardust project" - which would eventually become the Death Star.
Tarkin (voiced again by Stanton) appears in theDisney+ seriesStar Wars: The Bad Batch, set between the events ofThe Clone Wars andRebels. In the premiere episode, "Aftermath", Admiral Tarkin arrives onKamino to discuss with Prime MinisterLama Su if the Empire should continue to produceclone troopers, noting that conscripted soldiers would be less expensive.[24] He later evaluates Clone Force 99, a group of genetically enhanced clone troopers also known as the Bad Batch, through a battle simulation. While impressed by their extraordinary skills, he also notices disobedience in them.[25] He then dispatches them to the planet ofOnderon to eliminate a group of refugees led bySaw Gerrera, as a test of their loyalty. When the Bad Batch disobeys orders, Tarkin has them arrested, but separates Bad Batch member Crosshair from the others after noticing that he is more loyal to the Empire. Tarkin has Kaminoan scientist Nala Se intensify the programming of Crosshair's inhibitor chip, turning him against his teammates, who escape Kamino.[26]
Tarkin is later promoted to Governor, and in the episode "Replacements", he puts Crosshair in charge of an "elite squad" of recruited soldiers, who are then sent to finish the mission the Bad Batch had abandoned. After the mission is successful, Tarkin sees potential for conscripts.[27] In the episode "Return to Kamino", after most Imperial personnel are evacuated from Kamino, Tarkin orders Vice Admiral Rampart to destroy all settlements on the planet, wiping out most of the Kaminoan race.
In the series finale episode "The Cavalry Has Arrived", he went with Captain Bragg and the stormtroopers to find Dr. Royce Hemlock's base destroyed.
Tarkin appears inCatalyst: A Rogue One Novel, the prequel novel toRogue One, where Tarkin forms a rivalry with Advanced Weapons Director Orson Krennic.
Star Wars: Tarkin explores the title character's origins, and chronicles how he meets and aligns himself withEmperor Palpatine andDarth Vader prior to the events ofA New Hope.[28] The novel was one of the first four canon novels to be released in 2014 and 2015.[29] Tarkin's Star Destroyer, theExecutrix, is introduced; it later appears inRogue One.[30] In the novel, he advocates for theTarkin Doctrine, a military system based on "the threat of force, rather than force itself". His philosophy becomes central to Imperial policy and earns him the position as the first Grand Moff in the Empire. (In the Galactic Empire, a "Moff" is the governor of a Sector, or subdivision of the Empire; a "Grand Moff" is the governor of an Oversector, a grouping of several Sectors.)
InGlen Weldon'sshort story "Of MSE-6 and Men", featured in the anthologyFrom a Certain Point of View, Tarkin is revealed to have been sleeping with the stormtrooper TK-421 during the events ofA New Hope, after capturingLeia Organa, but before his armour was stolen byLuke Skywalker in order to rescue Organa.[31]
With the 2012 acquisition ofLucasfilm byThe Walt Disney Company, most of the licensedStar Wars Expanded Universe material produced since the originating 1977 filmStar Wars was rebranded asStar Wars Legends and declarednon-canon to the franchise in April 2014.[29][32][33]
InLegends, Tarkin appears in several novels, includingDeath Star,Cloak of Deception,Rogue Planet andDark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader. The original MarvelStar Wars comic series features a powerful superweapon called "The Tarkin" after the late Grand Moff. His protegee and lover, Natasi Daala, is later featured as a frequent antagonist in novels set after his death.
West End Games' roleplaying material describes the "Tarkin Doctrine", which emphasizes ruling "through the fear of force, rather than force itself", and has been mentioned various other times in theStar Wars canon. He is also mentioned during theNew Jedi Order novel series as having been present onZonama Sekot with Anakin Skywalker. In the comics seriesDarth Vader and the Lost Command, Tarkin is seen telling Vader of a missing convoy of Imperial craft and adds that his own son was in command of the convoy and is also missing.
His insatiable political ambitions to become Emperor have driven him to use ruthless means to quell the rapidly growing rebellion.
| Films |
| ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Television series |
| ||||||||||||||
| Characters | |||||||||||||||
| Music and audio |
| ||||||||||||||
| Other media |
| ||||||||||||||
| Production | |||||||||||||||
| Cultural impact |
| ||||||||||||||
| Media |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episodes | |||||
| Characters |
| ||||
| Related |
| ||||
| Characters | |
|---|---|
| Concepts | |
| Related | |
| Episodes | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novels |
| ||||||||||
| Characters |
| ||||||||||
| Related | |||||||||||
Media from Commons
