Wilhuff tarkin

Wilhuff Tarkin is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, introduced in the original 1977 Star Wars film (played by Peter Cushing) as one of his two central villains, along with Darth Vader. In the film, Tarkin is depicted as a high-ranking officer of the Galactic Empire, placed in charge of operations on the Death Star, the Empire's dwarf planet-sized battle station. He orders the destruction of the planet Alderaan by the station's superlaser and is killed at the end of the film by Luke Skywalker, who destroys the Death Star with Tarkin still on board.

Outside of the original film, Tarkin has appeared in various canon and non-canon Star Wars media, including the animated series The Clone Wars, Rebels and The Bad Batch, and the films Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One. He is also the protagonist of the 2014 novel Tarkin, which details the character's backstory and his rise to power within the ranks of the Empire. In the novel, Tarkin advocates the Tarkin Doctrine, a military system based on "the threat of force, rather than force itself". His philosophy becomes the center of Imperial politics and grants him the position of first Grand Moff in the Empire.

After his first appearance in A New Hope, the character became one of the most remembered and ruthless villains of the saga for fans, appearing in a multitude of audiovisual and multimedia products.

Concept and creation

The character of Governor Tarkin was originally envisioned as a holy man from the planet Aquila, but later in the creative process he was transformed into an antagonist. Since the Emperor would not appear until later in the original trilogy, Lucas used the final version of Tarkin as the "main villain" for the Emperor. from the first film, a personification of the Empire. According to a book created to help promote the original film to potential theaters, he aspires to become Emperor.

Representations

During production of Star Wars, Peter Cushing discovered that Tarkin's boots, provided by the costume department, were very uncomfortable. Director George Lucas agreed to limit the shots in which Cushing's feet would be visible, allowing him to wear slippers. Cushing admitted many years later that he didn't know what a "Grand Moff" really was, joking that it sounded like "something that infests a clothes closet." and he decided to play it as a "deeply angry and unpleasant gentleman";.

In the 2005 prequel Revenge of the Sith, Wayne Pygram was able to achieve the likeness of a younger version of Tarkin through the use of prosthetic makeup. For his performance as Tarkin in the animated series The Clone Wars, voice actor Stephen Stanton researched Cushing's performances and then tried to imitate what Cushing might have sounded like in the mid-thirties and soften his voice. to represent a level of humanity.

In the 2016 anthology film Rogue One, archival footage and a digital scan of Peter Cushing's life mask were made for the 1984 film Top Secret , were used to create a 3D CGI mask that was augmented and mapped to the face of actor Guy Henry. Henry had studied Cushing's mannerisms many years earlier for the lead role in the British television show Young Sherlock, but insisted on a screen test because he was not sure his vocal imitation was accurate, stating which sounded more 'Peter O' Toole than Peter Cushing';. The ILM team searched hours of footage to find suitable Cushing footage to build on. The footage for A New Hope was lit very differently than the lighting used in Rogue One and had to be changed digitally. The more they manipulated the lighting to match the other actors in the scenes, the less the character model resembled Cushing, which meant creating a balancing act between "a digital figure" and "one who looked just like Cushing". The owners of the Cushing estate were heavily involved with the creation and had input down to "minor subtle adjustments". The result, which has been called "one of the most complex and expensive CGI recreations ever," received a mixed response, with questions about the morality of using a dead actor's likeness.

Appearances

Movie

A New Hope (1977)

Introduced in the first film of the original Star Wars trilogy, Governor Tarkin is the Grand Moff of the Galactic Empire and commander of the Death Star. After Emperor Palpatine dissolves the Imperial Senate, Tarkin and Darth Vader (played by David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones) are tasked with hunting down and destroying the Rebel Alliance. He threatens Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) with the destruction of her home planet of Alderaan if Leia does not reveal the location of the main Rebel base of operations. When Leia names the planet Dantooine as the location of the Rebel base, Tarkin orders the destruction of the planet Alderaan, under the guise of hoping to make an example of the planet's support for the Rebellion. Learning that the information obtained by Leia was false, Tarkin orders the execution of the princess for misleading them.

Allows the Rebels to escape the Death Star with Leia after placing a tracking beacon on the Millennium Falcon to find the Rebel base. He orders the Death Star to destroy the Rebel base on Yavin IV. In the climax of the film, Tarkin refuses to leave the Death Star in the face of imminent danger from the attack of the rebel starfighters, since according to him; " At the moment of his triumph, he insists that the rebels underestimate the chances; as a result, he refuses to evacuate. Later the young Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who manages to destroy the Death Star by firing torpedoes at the exhaust port, where Tarkin is last seen deep in thought seconds before the Death Star explodes and as a result he dies in the explosion because of his own obstinacy.

Revenge of the Sith (2005)

At the end of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, the final film in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, a younger version of Tarkin, played by Wayne Pygram, makes a cameo overseeing the construction of the original Death Star, standing alongside Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) and Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid).

Rogue One (2016)

In the film Rogue One (which takes place just before the events of A New Hope), Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), Director of Advanced Weapons Research for the Imperial Military, he meets with Tarkin, who expresses his skepticism about Krennic's management of the Death Star project. Tarkin oversees the first Death Star strike against the Rebellion when it is used to destroy the Holy City on the planet Jedha. Impressed, he congratulates Krennic before announcing that he will take command of the Death Star from then on, pointing out the security breaches that 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 Death Star plans are kept. He orders the hyperspace jump to the planet, where an ongoing battle between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance is taking place. Tarkin targets the Death Star and destroys Scarif's base, killing Krennic, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), and any other survivors of the ground battle.

TV series

The Clone Wars (2010-2013)

In the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, set during the events of the prequel trilogy, a younger Tarkin (voiced by Stephen Stanton) is depicted as Captain and then as an Admiral in the Galactic Republic Navy.

In the third season, Captain Tarkin and Jedi Master Even Piell (Blair Bess) are ambushed and attacked by Separatist forces. Prisoners of the Citadel, Tarkin and Piell are freed from captivity by a rescue team. Initially pessimistic about being in enemy territory, Tarkin falls at odds with Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter), but their respective opinions improve when they each realize they both know Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian Abercrombie). During a skirmish, Tarkin fights and attempts to execute the citadel guardian Osi Sobeck (James Arnold Taylor), but fails when Sobeck quickly retaliates, nearly killing him. However, Tarkin is rescued just in time by Anakin's Padawan, Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein).

In season five, Tarkin, now an admiral, suspects that Ahsoka masterminded a terrorist attack on the Jedi Temple and attempts to arrest the Padawan. After Ahsoka is recaptured, Tarkin requests that the Jedi Order expel her and turn her over to the Republic so she can receive a more "fair" trial. The Jedi concede and Ahsoka is tried before a jury of senators, with Tarkin leading the prosecution while Padmé Amidala (Catherine Taber) leads the defense. Despite Padmé's impressive defense, Tarkin questions her by mentioning that Ahsoka had been seen with the Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress (Nika Futterman). After Tarkin and Padmé's arguments conclude and the jury reaches a verdict that Palpatine is about to read, Anakin arrives with Barriss Offee (Meredith Salenger), the real mastermind of the attack.

Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018)

In the television series Star Wars Rebels, Tarkin (voiced once again by Stanton) begins as Governor of the Outer Rim territories, including Lothal, but eventually receives his title of Grand Moff. He visits the planet Lothal to deal with its increasing Rebel activity, and berates Minister Maketh Tua (Kath Soucie), Agent Kallus (David Oyelowo), and the Arbiter for their repeated failures to stop the planet's Rebel cell. Tarkin has the Arbiter execute Commander Aresko and Foreman Grint (both David Shaughnessy) for their failure to deal with the cell's leader, Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.). Later, Tarkin sets a trap for the rebels and manages to capture Kanan during his mission to send a message through one of the planet's communication towers. The rebels' message is sent, but Tarkin then orders the tower to be destroyed. Kanan is tortured by the Arbiter and transported to the Mustafar system aboard Tarkin's Star Destroyer. During Kanan's rescue by rebel forces, Tarkin's Star Destroyer is destroyed and the Arbiter is killed. On Lothal, Tarkin introduces Agent Kallus to Darth Vader (James Earl Jones).

Taking the loss of his Star Destroyer personally, Tarkin orders Maketh Tua brought before him for failing to find the Lothal rebels. Learning the true meaning behind the summoning after Aresko and Grint's death, Tua attempts to desert her, but is killed 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. Later, he agrees to her request for the use of the Seventh Fleet, commanded by Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen). Tarkin appears via hologram in the season three finale, and is informed of Thrawn's impending attack on Atollon to block a coordinated rebel attack on Lothal. Towards the end of the fourth season, he warns Thrawn that he must prove the value of his TIE Defender program, Thrawn's prototype design of a new Imperial Star Fighter, or it will be shut down in favor of diverting resources to the "Stardust project". 3. 4; of Krennic, which would eventually become the Death Star.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021)

Tarkin (voiced again by Stanton) appears in the Disney+ series Star Wars: The Bad Batch, set between the events of The Clone Wars and Rebels. In the premiere episode, 'Aftermath', Admiral Tarkin arrives on Kamino to discuss with Prime Minister Lama Su whether the Empire should continue producing clone troopers, noting that conscripted troopers would be less expensive. He later tests Clone Force 99, a group of genetically enhanced clone troopers also known as the Bad Batch, through a battle simulation. Although impressed by his extraordinary abilities, he also notices disobedience in them. He then sends them to the planet of Onderon to eliminate a group of refugees led by Saw Gerrera, as a test of his loyalty. When the Bad Batch disobey orders, Tarkin arrests them, but separates Bad Batch member Crosshair from the others after noting that he is more loyal to the Empire. Tarkin has Kaminoan scientist Nala intensify the programming of Crosshair's inhibitor chip, turning him against her teammates, who escape Kamino.

Tarkin is later promoted to governor, and in the episode 'Replacements', he puts Crosshair in charge of an 'elite squad' of his own. of recruited soldiers, who are then sent to finish the mission that the Bad Batch had abandoned. After the mission is successful, Tarkin sees potential for recruits. In the episode "Return to Kamino", after Kamino is evacuated, Tarkin orders Vice Admiral Rampart to destroy the cloning facility.

Novels

Tarkin appears in Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel, the prequel novel to Rogue One, where Tarkin forms a rivalry with the director of Advanced Weapons, Orson Krennic.

Tarkin (2014)

Star Wars: Tarkin explores the main character's origins and chronicles how he meets and aligns with Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader before the events of A New Hope. The novel was one of the first four canon novels to be published in 2014 and 2015. Tarkin's Star Destroyer, the Executrix, is introduced; it then appears in Rogue One.

From a Certain Point of View (2017)

In Glen Weldon's short story "Of MSE-6 and Men", included in the anthology From a Certain Point of View, it is revealed that Tarkin was sleeping with the soldier Assault TK-421 during the events of A New Hope, after capturing Leia Organa, but before her armor was stolen by Luke Skywalker to rescue her (Leia).

Legends

With The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, most licensed Star Wars novels and comics produced since the original 1977 Star Wars were renamed Star Wars Legends and declared non-canonical to the franchise in April 2014.

In the Star Wars Expanded Universe, Tarkin appears in several novels, including Death Star, Cloak of Deception, Rogue Planet and Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader. Marvel's original comic book series Star Wars features a powerful superweapon called "The Tarkin" in honor of the late Grand Moff. His protégé and lover, Natasi Daala, later appears as a frequent antagonist in novels set after his death.

West End Games RPG material describes the "Tarkin Doctrine", which emphasizes "ruling through fear of force, rather than force itself", and has been mentioned several other times in the Star Wars canon. He is also mentioned during the New Jedi Order novel series as having been present at Zonama Sekot with Anakin Skywalker. In the comic series Darth Vader and the Lost Command, Tarkin is seen telling Vader about a lost convoy of Imperial ships and adds that his own son was in command of the convoy and is also missing..