| “ | Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station. | „ |
| ~ One of Grand Moff Tarkin's most famous quotes. |
Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, also known as Governor Tarkin, is a major antagonist in the Star Wars franchise.
His Qualities[]
What Makes Him Entertaining?[]
- He is a rather iconic and memorable villain of the Star Wars franchise, being known for his calculated, ruthless, intelligent, and ruthlessly confident demeanor, as well as his prominent role in the Empire's military strategy, particularly his advocacy for the Tarkin Doctrine, which uses the threat of overwhelming force and fear to maintain control and suppress rebellion.
- His role as the commander of the Death Star further makes him a recognizable and significant villain.
- He has several iconic lines such as "Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station", "You may fire when ready", and "The Jedi are extinct. Their fire has gone out of the universe", which fans regard as favorites due to their cold, calculating, and powerful delivery, which perfectly characterize him as a ruthless Imperial officer.
- He has unwavering belief in the power of the Death Star as well as a dismissive attitude towards potential rebel threats which create a sense of dramatic irony, which often lead to darkly humorous moments where he underestimates threats or displays a callous disregard for the lives of others with a nonchalant attitude.
- He is able to emotionlessly order the destruction of entire planets, which makes him fascinating as it is unsettling to see this kind of power used in such a casual manner.
- His sharp intellect and ability to manipulate situations and people to serve his agenda can be entertaining to watch, especially when he successfully outmaneuvers others.
- He is shown to have a clear vision for galactic domination, utilizing calculated tactics to maintain order and not solely relying on brute force to do so.
- Peter Cushing's portrayal of Tarkin is widely praised for his cold, calculating, and charismatic performance.
What Makes Him Detestable?[]
- He casually commits mass genocide with the Death Star by blowing up Alderaan in order to spite Leia Organa, who was raised there and shows no remorse for his actions.
- He has several "kick the dog" moments in which he makes others suffer for his own benefit. Examples in canon include ordering the destruction of Alderaan even after Leia tells him that the Rebels are on Dantooine (though she was lying), simply because he thought that the planet would serve as an effective demonstration of the Death Star's destructive power; having the clone trooper training facility rigged for the droids to use live ammunition which could have killed the Bad Batch who were training in it, and trying to have Ahsoka Tano convicted in court for his own agenda. In general, he is shown to be a sadistic and and remorseless official with no morally redeeming qualities who does many things for his own benefit no matter how much suffering it brings to others.
- During the Clone Wars, he is shown to be very disrespectful towards Jedi and clone troopers despite them rescuing them from the Separatists countless times, constantly belittling the Jedi and showing no gratitude towards them for rescuing him.
- He tries to convict Ahsoka Tano in court after she was falsely accused of killing Letta Turmond and bombing the Jedi Temple and had the Jedi Council expel her without a fair trial, even willing to have her killed. This shows that he completely disregarded the fact that Ahsoka had saved his life at the Ciatdel when Osi Sobeck tried to kill him, showing a clear glimpse at his ungrateful side.
- Even after Ahsoka was proven innocent, he showed some shock but never truly apologized for falsely accusing her of committing murder.
- He can be incredibly arrogant and overconfident to a degree that strongly contributed to his downfall, as shown during the Battle of Yavin when he refused to evacuate the Death Star upon General Moradmin Bast telling him that the station could be in danger after analyzing the Rebel attack and asking him whether he wanted to evacuate. This ultimately led to Tarkin's own death when the Rebels did indeed find a weakness in the Death Star in the form of its thermal exhaust port and blew up the station. This, coupled with his sadistic nature, prevents him from qualifying as a Magnificent Baddie.
- Asides from his major atrocities, he is shown to display little sense of politeness or camaraderie to those around him.
External Links[]
- Grand Moff Tarkin on the Villains Wiki
- Grand Moff Tarkin on the Pure Evil Wiki
- Tarkin's Legends counterpart on the Near Pure Evil Wiki
- Grand Moff Tarkin on the Disney Wiki
- Grand Moff Tarkin on the Star Wars Wiki
- Grand Moff Tarkin (Legends) on the Star Wars Wiki
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 Entertainingly Detestable
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