Wilhuff Tarkin
Wilhuff Tarkin is a male film character who features in Star Wars.
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Biography
Wilhuff Tarkin was a male human who was born a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Originally, he was a citizen of the Galactic Republic where he served as an Admiral by the time of the Clone Wars.
arkin served under Jedi Master Even Piell as the captain of his flagship. Tarkin and Piell undertook a mission to secure the Nexus Route, a strategically important hyperspace route that led into both the heart of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and the Galactic Republic. Before Tarkin and Piell were able to return to Republic space and secure the information for the Republic, they were attacked by the Confederacy navy. Before they were boarded Piell and Tarkin memorized half of the information regarding the Nexus Route, they then erased it from the ship's computer. Shortly after, they and several clone troopers were captured and taken to the Separatist controlled planet Lola Sayu, a volcanic world home to the Citadel, a prison built hundreds of years before that was designed to hold renegade Jedi if any had lost their way. Later, Piell was rescued by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, Skywalker's Padawan Ahsoka Tano, and several clone troopers that made up the rest of the rescue team. Piell informed Skywalker that Tarkin possessed the other half of the Nexus Route and that he and several clone troopers were being held in a separate cell. Skywalker and his team made their way to Tarkin's cell, destroying several battle droids along the way. They then freed the Republic officers and began their escape from the Citadel.
Arriving on Kamino, he looked to re-evaluate the Clone Trooper program as he found the initiative to be needlessly expensive and not efficient. This stemmed from Tarkin's own distrust of the clones where he looked to shutdown the project and have the Empire field its own soldiers.
Admiral Rampart later reported to Tarkin that all needed supplies were removed from Kamino which included its scientists thus securing the cloning technology for the Empire. With the objective secure, the order was given to fire on Tipoca City which was destroyed by the fleet in low orbit.
Governor of the Outer Rim Territories and a native of Eriadu, Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin was one of Emperor Palpatine's most loyal administrators, a true adherent to the philosophy behind the Imperial doctrine. Shortly after the fall of the Old Republic and the rise of the Empire, a young Captain Tarkin oversaw the construction of the first Death Star with Palpatine and Darth Vader.
At some point, the Death Star project was placed under the oversight of Director Orson Krennic. He was tasked with bringing the weapon operational and came to enlist the services of scientist Galen Erso. Governor Tarkin later performed an inspection of the completed mobile battle station were he expressed displeasure from the emperor at the slow progress of the work. This was further confounded by the defection of an Imperial pilot carrying classified information which he intended to give to Saw Gerrara on Jedha. Director Krennic looked to salvage his position by showcasing a low powered test firing of the weapon on Jedha City that destroyed the site with any insurgent threat eliminated. Impressed at the weapon, Tarkin decided to formally take command of the Death Star where this was opposed by Director Krennic but it was highlighted that the leaked intelligence on the battle station came from Galen Erso. Afterwards, Grand Moff Tarkin was informed of an incident on Scarif at the Imperial archives which contained blueprints on the Death Star. This saw the Death Star being re-deployed to the planet that had come under attack from Rebel forces that were looking to acquire the Death Star plans. Lord Vader came to arrive in the system on-board a Star Destroyer to handle the Rebel fleet whilst Tarkin had a reactor shot from the Death Star be used on Scarif that destroyed the Citadel and the Imperial base thus eliminating everyone fightng on the surface.
Being a man with an almost unquenchable thirst for power, Tarkin was promoted to the rank of Grand Moff and placed in charge of the Death Star by the Emperor himself when the battle station was finally completed years later, and carried such political clout and favor with Palpatine that he was above even Darth Vader himself. Tarkin is the man responsible for the destruction of Princess Leia Organa's homeworld of Alderaan when he used it to test the battle station's destructive capabilities. He ultimately perished aboard the Death Star when it was destroyed by Luke Skywalker at the Battle of Yavin, after he foolishly ignored warnings that the Rebel Alliance had detected a weakness in the battle station.
Overview
Personality and attributes
He was shown as being an ambitious and ruthless proponent of military power.
He had little faith in the Jedi of old as he found their tactics in wartime to be ineffective. Tarkin saw the Jedi Code preventing them from going far enough to achieve victory, to do whatever it takes to win and thus the very reason why peacekeepers should not be leading a war.
Such was his confidence at victory that he refused to even consider the possibility of retreat. It was this trait that ultimately led to his death on the Death Star as he did not evacuate the station as Rebel fighters fired at the exhaust port on the superweapon which destroyed it.
Powers and abilities
As Grand Moff, he held considerable power in the Imperial military structure and came to personally head the Death Star.
Notes
- Wilhuff Tarkin was created by George Lucas and portrayed by actor Peter Cushing where he featured in the setting of the Star Wars universe.
Alternate Versions
In other media
Video games
Appearances
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope:
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith:
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars:
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story:
- Star Wars: The Bad Batch:
External Links
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