Grand Moff Tarkin
Encyclopedia
Governor Wilhuff Tarkin or Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin is a fictional character
in the Star Wars
universe
, appearing as the main antagonist of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
, played by British
actor Peter Cushing
. A younger version of the character makes a brief cameo in the prequel film Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
, where he was portrayed by Wayne Pygram
. He was also portrayed by Keene Curtis
in the Star Wars radio drama
. Recently, the young Captain Tarkin was voiced by Stephen Stanton
in Star Wars: The Clone Wars
. Tarkin has been called "one of the most formidable villains in Star Wars history".
Outland Regions and commander of the first Death Star
. He is charged, along with Darth Vader
, with pursuing and destroying the Rebel Alliance
. He threatens Princess Leia Organa
with the destruction of her home planet of Alderaan if she does not reveal the location of the Rebels' main base of operations. When she names the planet Dantooine as the location of the base, he destroys Alderaan anyway. In the film's climax, Tarkin is killed by Luke Skywalker
, who destroys the Death Star with Tarkin still onboard.
Tarkin also appears at the end of Revenge of the Sith, set 19 years earlier, overseeing the construction of the Death Star alongside Vader and Emperor Palpatine
.
) is seen as a Captain in the Republic Navy. When introduced in the 2011 episode, “The Citadel,” Tarkin meets Anakin Skywalker
, the future Darth Vader, who rescues him and Jedi Master Even Piell from the titular Citadel. Skywalker and Tarkin begin to clash shortly after their first meeting, but quickly grow close, due to their shared desire to win the war at any cost.
, Tarkin also appears in Darth Maul: Saboteur
and Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
. West End Games
' roleplaying material describes the "Tarkin Doctrine", which emphasizes ruling "through the fear of force, rather than force itself". He is also mentioned during the Legacy of the Force
novel series as to have been present on Zonama Sekot with Anakin Skywalker. Apparently, Tarkin also left a wife and a mistress behind. In the comic series Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command, Tarkin is seen telling Vader of a missing convoy of Imperial craft and adds that his own son was in command of the convoy and is also missing.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
, appearing as the main antagonist of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
, played by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actor Peter Cushing
Peter Cushing
Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played the handsome but sinister scientist Baron Frankenstein and the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite Christopher Lee, and occasionally...
. A younger version of the character makes a brief cameo in the prequel film Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the sixth and final film released in the Star Wars saga and the third in terms of the series' internal chronology....
, where he was portrayed by Wayne Pygram
Wayne Pygram
Wayne Pigram , better known by his stage name Wayne Pygram, is an Australian actor, known for his role as Scorpius in the science fiction series Farscape and the miniseries that followed, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars .Pygram was born in Cootamundra, New South Wales and raised in Wagga Wagga,...
. He was also portrayed by Keene Curtis
Keene Curtis
Keene Holbrook Curtis was an American character actor.-Film career:Curtis made his film debut in the 1948 Orson Welles adaptation of Macbeth...
in the Star Wars radio drama
Star Wars (radio)
An expanded radio dramatization of the original Star Wars trilogy was produced in 1981, 1983, and 1996. The first two radio series, based on A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, were produced and broadcast by National Public Radio as part of NPR Playhouse...
. Recently, the young Captain Tarkin was voiced by Stephen Stanton
Stephen Stanton
Stephen Stanton is an American voice actor, impressionist and visual effects artist. He is well known as an "audio double" or "voicematch" for actors: Alec Guiness, John Cusack, Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Nicolas Cage, Robert Downey Jr., and Peter Cushing among many others...
in Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series)
-Production:At April 2005's Star Wars Celebration III, Lucas stated that "we are working on a 3-D continuation of the pilot series that was on the Cartoon Network; we probably won't start that project for another year." In July 2005, pre-production had begun on the series, according to Steve...
. Tarkin has been called "one of the most formidable villains in Star Wars history".
Films
In A New Hope, Tarkin is the Governor of the ImperialGalactic Empire (Star Wars)
The Galactic Empire is one of the main factions in the fictional universe of Star Wars. It is a galaxy-spanning regime established by the series' lead villain, Palpatine, to replace the Galactic Republic in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The Galactic Empire is introduced in Star Wars...
Outland Regions and commander of the first Death Star
Death Star
The Death Star is a fictional moon-sized space station and superweapon appearing in the Star Wars movies and expanded universe. It is capable of destroying a planet with a single destructive super charged energy beam.-Origin and design:...
. He is charged, along with Darth Vader
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
, with pursuing and destroying the Rebel Alliance
Rebel Alliance
The Alliance to Restore the Republic is an interstellar faction of the fictional universe of Star Wars....
. He threatens Princess Leia Organa
Princess Leia Organa
Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe...
with the destruction of her home planet of Alderaan if she does not reveal the location of the Rebels' main base of operations. When she names the planet Dantooine as the location of the base, he destroys Alderaan anyway. In the film's climax, Tarkin is killed by Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
, who destroys the Death Star with Tarkin still onboard.
Tarkin also appears at the end of Revenge of the Sith, set 19 years earlier, overseeing the construction of the Death Star alongside Vader and Emperor Palpatine
Palpatine
Palpatine is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Star Wars saga, portrayed by Ian McDiarmid in the feature films.Palpatine first appeared as the unnamed Emperor of the Galactic Empire in the 1980 film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back...
.
Television
In the television series The Clone Wars, set 20 years before A New Hope, Tarkin (voiced by Stephen StantonStephen Stanton
Stephen Stanton is an American voice actor, impressionist and visual effects artist. He is well known as an "audio double" or "voicematch" for actors: Alec Guiness, John Cusack, Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Nicolas Cage, Robert Downey Jr., and Peter Cushing among many others...
) is seen as a Captain in the Republic Navy. When introduced in the 2011 episode, “The Citadel,” Tarkin meets Anakin Skywalker
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
, the future Darth Vader, who rescues him and Jedi Master Even Piell from the titular Citadel. Skywalker and Tarkin begin to clash shortly after their first meeting, but quickly grow close, due to their shared desire to win the war at any cost.
Expanded Universe
In the Star Wars Expanded UniverseStar Wars Expanded Universe
The Star Wars Expanded Universe encompasses all of the officially licensed, fictional background of the Star Wars universe, outside of the six feature films produced by George Lucas. The expanded universe includes books, comic books, video games, spin-off films like Star Wars: The Clone Wars,...
, Tarkin also appears in Darth Maul: Saboteur
Darth Maul: Saboteur
Darth Maul: Saboteur is a short story by James Luceno, set in the Star Wars universe. It was released in ebook form, with a length equivalent to about 55 printed pages, on February 1, 2001....
and Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader is a novel set in the Star Wars universe, written by James Luceno, that was published by Del Rey on November 22, 2005...
. West End Games
West End Games
West End Games was a company that made board, role-playing, and war games. It was founded by Daniel Scott Palter in 1974 in New York, but later moved to Honesdale, Pennsylvania...
' roleplaying material describes the "Tarkin Doctrine", which emphasizes ruling "through the fear of force, rather than force itself". He is also mentioned during the Legacy of the Force
Legacy of the Force
The Legacy of the Force is a series of nine science fiction novels set in the Star Wars fictional universe, taking place approximately 40 years after the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope...
novel series as to have been present on Zonama Sekot with Anakin Skywalker. Apparently, Tarkin also left a wife and a mistress behind. In the comic series Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command, Tarkin is seen telling Vader of a missing convoy of Imperial craft and adds that his own son was in command of the convoy and is also missing.