Star Wars is filled with iconic villains, but this crucial A New Hope villain got to have their backstory explored in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. When thinking of villains in a galaxy far, far away, many will think of Darth Vader or even Emperor Palpatine, but there are so many other characters who helped keep those two in power.

The Empire was filled with individuals looking to advance themselves and their careers, and oftentimes it was that need for better standing within the regime that became their ultimate downfall. We’ve seen this countless times with characters like Director Orson Krennic, and even more recently with ISB Supervisor Dedra Meero in Andor.

However, Grand Moff Tarkin’s backstory informs so much about his character. This story was explored in further depth by Lucasfilm Animation many years ago.

The Clone Wars Showed The Beginning Of Tarkin’s Career

As Part of the Republic

In one arc of The Clone Wars season 3, Jedi Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano help break the then-Captain Tarkin out of a Separatist prison known as the Citadel. The three-episode arc shows the loss of many clones, as well as Jedi Even Piell. However, this younger version of Tarkin was still as cold as you’d think.

Tarkin was clearly still a career military man who believed in nothing more than the Republic. However, his lack of allegiance to the Jedi and the clones shows. Throughout the arc, we see how unimpressed Tarkin is by the Republic’s forces, and he constantly comments about it.

It’s clear that although audiences already know what Tarkin will turn into, he truly believes he is doing the right thing, and that he only wants what’s best for the Republic. While Tarkin isn’t Force-sensitive, it’s clear that with the rise of the Empire, Tarkin embraced the dark side in his military role.

Tarkin Showed Blatant Disregard For The Lives of Clones And Jedi

Showing How He Could Be So Horrible

In between commenting on the Jedi’s inability to save him efficiently from the Citadel, Tarkin constantly seems not to care about the people saving him. With the Separatist prison being nearly impenetrable, the fact that the Jedi managed to even get in is impressive, and the stakes were incredibly high.

Tarkin seems unaffected when clones and even Jedi die to help him escape from the Citadel. It’s this blatant disregard for life that really connects The Clone Wars version of this character with the character we see in other Star Wars projects, starting with A New Hope.

While many people in the Star Wars universe didn’t particularly care for the clones, Tarkin takes things to the next level, because he also seems unaffected by the death of Jedi Even Piell.

It’s moments like this that hint at Tarkin’s general disregard for any kind of life that’s not his own – as long as he’s okay and his career advances, he’s fine with whatever else happens.

The Bad Batch & Andor Double Down On Tarkin’s Villainy

And Shows How The Empire Changed Him

When Tarkin appeared in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, it was clear that the Grand Moff was unimpressed with Dr. Royce Hemlock’s secrecy and need for funds. While it wasn’t an outright rivalry between the two high-ranking Imperials, it’s clear that the two didn’t respect each other enough to work together.

When Hemlock eventually loses control of Mount Tantiss and dies in The Bad Batch series finale, it’s Tarkin who comes in to take advantage of someone’s failure to further pursue and enrich his career and standing within the Empire.

Not only does Tarkin not care about the failure of Project Necromancer, but he’s also more motivated for the Death Star and Project Stardust to be a success, because it’d look good on him.

Though Tarkin never appears in Andor, his presence is still felt. One of the reasons why the Ghorman front was so active in Andor season 2 was because of the fallout after the Tarkin Mᴀssacre on Ghorman.

It’s revealed that in the early days of the Empire, Tarkin landed his ship in the Ghorman city of Palmo, and when the residents refused to let his ship, Tarkin instead landed on the residents, killing five hundred of them. This event, though it’s not shown, highlights how much Tarkin doesn’t care about others; it’s his way or no way.

Star Wars Animation Has Perfectly Set Up Tarkin’s Story

And Further Enriches The Character

Though Grand Moff Tarkin may be best known as one of the main villains in A New Hope, his villainy far precedes his destroying Alderaan with the Death Star. In fact, it’s largely been through Star Wars animation that we’ve been able to further characterize Tarkin.

Not only do we get to know him a little better, but we’re also shown some of the atrocities and morally questionable things he’s done up close. It’s clear that Tarkin isn’t a good person and has little care for other people outside himself.

Though A New Hope sees Tarkin with the most screen time, it’s his screen time in the Star Wars animated projects, as well as Andor, that shows how villainous he really is. However, The Clone Wars shows Tarkin’s origins and his distrust of any kind of Force user, including Anakin Skywalker, who’d work closely with Tarkin as Darth Vader.