Star Wars Just Officially Revealed Exactly How Beaten the Empire Really Is

The Empire technically fell in Return of the Jedi, but Star Wars has increasingly revealed that this was far from the true end. It was always clear that the Rebellion’s defeat of the Empire wouldn’t immediately mean every single Imperial standing down; that just wasn’t realistic. However, Star Wars movies and TV shows have been shedding more and more light upon just how pervasive the Imperial Remnant was.

This has been true of multiple projects set in the New Republic Era, from The Mandalorian to Ahsoka. Star Wars’ newest movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu, likewise showed just how committed some former Imperials remained to restoring the Empire, even including staples of the Empire, such as stormtroopers and AT-ATs. However, the movie also revealed that the Empire suffered some major losses and is now much weaker than some might expect.

The Mandalorian And Grogu’s Imperial Warlord Wasn’t High Ranking

The Mandalorian and Grogu begins with a meeting of Imperial sympathizers, hosted by an Imperial warlord. Ultimately, Din Djarin and Grogu burst in, breakup the meeting, and eventually kill this warlord as well. That isn’t the most interesting aspect of this scene, though. Rather, one eagle-eyed fan has realized that this warlord had never reached a senior rank, which has much larger implications for the Imperial Remnant overall at this time.

With this warlord having only ever reached the rank of Lieutenant in the Empire, but now evidently heading up major operations, it suggests that every Imperial official above him has already been killed off or taken in by the New Republic; otherwise, there would surely be much higher-ranking Imperials leading these efforts. This suggests that, by the time The Mandalorian and Grogu is set, the Imperials are really just a shell of what they once were. Theoretically, this means they are a much lower threat than they may seem, but Star Wars isn’t done with this story yet.

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Star Wars Isn’t Done With The Imperial Remnant Yet

Although this detail about the Imperial warlord in The Mandalorian and Grogu suggests that the Empire’s ranks are all but destroyed at this point, one major character has yet to make his return: Thrawn. Last seen in Ahsoka season 1, Thrawn is confirmed to be back in the main Star Wars galaxy following his stint being trapped on Peridea alongside Ezra Bridger. Far from a Lieutenant, Thrawn is a military mastermind and a genuinely threatening character.

Some were speculating that Thrawn would secretly appear in The Mandalorian and Grogu, and while that didn’t happen, he is almost guaranteed to appear in Ahsoka season 2. With that release just around the corner (it is expected sometime in early 2027), Star Wars audiences may soon see that there is quite a bit of danger that still exists within the Imperial Remnant.

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