While it’s fun, easy to poke holes in Disney, I want to get past that and discuss one of its few entirely new ideas. Positives and art, a good opportunity for discussion. And one particular touch I like, part of art style -likely also marketing- happens to feed in fantastically to a character written 32 years ago. without reference or being highlighted, something that stuck me as so subtle I’m surprised it hasn’t been discussed before to my knowledge.
The artistic display of a warrior devoted to the pursuit of using art as a weapon. Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Chimera, a Star Destroyer embellished with its own bestial motif.
In a way, Thrawn is taunting, signalling. The decision makes sense from the irresistible pride of a villain or aesthetic antagonist within a series known for vastly more flair than the rebellious or heroic. Would Thrawn wish to have a flagship in the utilitarian grey of a star destroyer, after all beautifully designed things but now often depicted being destroyed? The decision shows to things, one positive ego, the other arguably a negative trait or weapon.
Thrawn is not merely a thief or parasite taking the trophies of other cultures and individuals, but consciously becoming part of the martial tradition and philosophy by creating his own signifier, in a scene like Dune’s Bene Tlielax setting an escape for a foe, if they can only find it. the other thing he does in showing individuality to invite enemies of worth to try his method. Perhaps thrawn is arrogant enough to believe other would not imitate him, but this seems rather unbelievable given the character’s respect and use of empathy to gain military accreditation and prestige.
Notably the design of the beast features two heads, perhaps representing dual loyalties. The Chiss and the Empire, and one being more prominent in power, in appearance, in personal relevance? And which head is more important to him in each context? As with all science fiction, the art of different space creatures blends the ideas of myth and fable with historical allusions. And the Chimaerae are classical monsters defined by their sense of threat and integrating multiple parts of other animals, a fitting thematic association for a character that assimilates the weaponry and intimidating aspects of ‘alien’ empires and factions for his own army.
Aside from the visual spectacle and marketing opportunities, it is incredibly fitting thematically for Thrawn to have his own art, and to ponder beyond the name what his art actually is, invite the reader to study and extrapolate the character’s nature much as we have with his opponents.
Another piece of metanarrative art accompanying the character and fitting the vessel’s arrival is Thrawn’s Theme, and in addition to that the Lucas King version I find to be superior. Fitting of a recent novel highlighting greater predictive accuracy with music, for the property that gave us The Imperial March, its greatest tactician deserves nothing less than a piece emphasising the momentum of his plans, the addition of pipe organ as a fitting instrument to Thrawn’s neoclassical posture and leanings, as well as the archetype of a naval officer.
A villain’s aesthetic makes up for a lot of the imagery, tension and drama of a setting. And this particular character’s tendency to exploit the philosophy of art as a weapon of war. So the use of the Chimera as a tool, a weapon for a character without a visually distinct lightsaber, and the unique visual display along the purposefully minimalistic Empire.
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