The Imperial Shadow Council, which featured a member from Star Wars Legends that viewers had hoped would be added, was first introduced in The Mandalorian’s last episode of Season 3. Grand Admiral Thrawn’s right-hand man, Captain Gilad Pellaeon, is a prominent Imperial figure. It makes sense that Pellaeon would also show there since the Chiss adversary was returning to Ahsoka.
Gilad Pellaeon; image credit – CBR
Who Is Gilad Pellaeon?
Gilad Pellaeon, a character developed by Timothy Zahn for his Heir to the Empire books, was always by Thrawn’s side. However, Pellaeon makes only a brief appearance in both Star Wars Rebels as well as the official Zahn novels starring Thrawn. Years following the events of Arrival of the Jedi, aboard The Mandalorian, Pellaeon is certain that Grand Admiral Thrawn is the only person capable of reviving the Empire and making it powerful enough to confront the New Republic. Outranking Pellaeon, Moff Gideon is not persuaded and is rather working on his schemes to gain power and, ostensibly, to improve the Empire’s cloning effort. It’s still obvious that Pellaeon has a lot of influence because he serves as Thrawn’s envoy on the Shadow Council.
Pellaeon was a Republic captain in the ancient Legends stories, serving aboard the Chimaera until he fled at the Battle of Endor. Pellaeon was elevated to the rank of his First Officer when Grand Admiral Thrawn assumed the position of Supreme Commander of the Imperial Remnant. Pellaeon was essential in preventing Thrawn’s irresponsibility from preemptively losing their campaign for them by enlisting the assistance of a perilous and unstable Dark Jedi. Naturally, Pellaeon had to flee once more when Thrawn was unable to serve as the leader. He pledged his commitment to other Imperial figures, including as a replica Palpatine, but the Imperial Remnant eventually descended into internal strife.
Gilad Pellaeon As Supreme Commander Of The Empire
In the galaxy, Pellaeon assisted in establishing an Imperial state governed by a council of the remaining Moffs. He was appointed to Supreme Commander of the Empire from Admiral due to his Thrawn-like strategies and triumphs. Major policy decisions were still determined by the Council of Moffs, but Admiral Pellaeon had a lot of freedom to carry on his war against the New Republic and other Imperial groups. Pellaeon persuaded the Council of Moffs to ratify a pact with the New Republic following years of conflict.
When the Yuuzahn Vong, an extraterrestrial alien race that utilized living technology and was impervious to the Force, attacked, Star Wars Legends took an odd turn. Pellaeon eventually perished despite being a very old man. But rather than a raider from the New Republic or a Jedi, he was assassinated by a fellow Imperial. Gilad Pellaeon in Star Wars Legends was the most effective and merciful Imperial leader. Although he was a powerful opponent, he wasn’t a zealot. Seeing how much of this tale becomes canon will be intriguing.
Relation Between Gilad Pellaeon And Thrawn
Captain Gilad Pellaeon from Star Wars. Eli Vanto, who was most likely portrayed by Wes Chatham of The Expanse on Ahsoka, was Thrawn’s closest Imperial friend throughout most of Timothy Zahn’s most recent stories about him. Vanto assisted Thrawn during his time at the Imperial Academy and was later appointed as Thrawn’s ambassador to the Chiss Ascendancy. Unlike Pellaeon in Legends, Grand Admiral Thrawn was in charge of the Chimaera when they first met. Balahani Savit, a fellow Grand Admiral who was found stealing materials intended for “Project Stardust,” the Death Star, was the subject of Thrawn’s investigation.
One of the ships in Savit’s Third Fleet, the Harbinger, was commanded by Pellaeon. When Savit’s deceit was revealed, Pellaeon sided with Grand Admiral Thrawn and gave Savit the order to submit. The Harbinger was thereafter transferred to Thrawn’s Seventh Fleet. Star Wars Rebels never featured him on film, however, Thrawn did mention him during the Battle of Lothal. When Ezra Bridger and the hyperspace whales known as purrgil took the Chimaera to the Unknown Regions of the galaxy, the Harbinger was already orbiting the planet. Pellaeon probably made it through that conflict and the collapse of the Empire.
Gilad Pellaeon was first seen in The Mandalorian, and fans are keen to learn more about his part in Thrawn’s narrative. His chat with Moff Gideon made it evident that he is still fiercely devoted to Thrawn and has an almost fanatical belief in the art-loving Chiss. It would be interesting to see if Thrawn’s fate is as Ahsoka, Ezra, and the other New Republic warriors have planned for him, or if he finds himself grudgingly in charge of the Empire.
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