Grand Admiral

Within the Imperial Military, the rank of Grand Admiral stood as one of the most prestigious, with the conferral of this title considered a significant honor. Typically, a Grand Admiral would oversee a fleet, exemplified by Thrawn's command of the Seventh Fleet and Savit's leadership of the Third Fleet. Furthermore, a Grand Admiral possessed the authority to designate a bounty with a most wanted status. Only a select few, twelve Imperial officers at any given time, held this rank, generally recognized for their exceptional tactical and strategic acumen.

Notable Imperial officers who achieved the rank of Grand Admiral include:

• Mitth'raw'nuruodo — Commander overseeing the Imperial Seventh Fleet. [10]
• Balanhai Savit — Commander in charge of the Imperial Third Fleet. [11]
• Rae Sloane — Commander leading loyalist Imperial forces under the control of the Shadow Council after the death of Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine. [4]

In contrast to the traditional Imperial uniform, typically a simple gray tunic, the grand admiral's uniform was distinguished by its white color and golden epaulets. Such adornments were generally uncommon within the Imperial Military, as they seemed to prioritize status over duty and humility.

The Mon Calamari monarchy also incorporated the rank of Grand Admiral into their organizational structure for the Mon Cala Mercantile Fleet. This rank could be held concurrently with other titles and positions, such as Regent of Mon Cala, Warden of the King of Mon Cala, and Dual Protector of the Two People.

Prominent Mon Calamari individuals who held the rank of Grand Admiral include:

• Dors Urtya — Regent of Mon Cala, who also commanded the Mon Calamari Merchant Fleet. [3]

Following the conclusion of the Clone Wars, the Imperial Military underwent a reorganization of its branches under the New Order. The rank of grand admiral was established at the pinnacle of this newly structured fleet. Shortly after achieving victory in the Batonn sector insurgency, Chiss Admiral Thrawn was elevated to the rank of Grand Admiral by Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine, thus becoming one of the Empire's twelve Grand Admirals.

Grand Admirals within the Empire occasionally collaborated on strategic matters, such as Thrawn and Balanhai Savit addressing delays in Project Stardust. However, their interactions were often influenced by internal power struggles—such as Thrawn's advocacy for the TIE Defender program and Savit's opposition to, and covert sabotage of, the Death Star—and some Imperials, like Brierly Ronan, viewed the Grand Admirals as mere political appointments. Thrawn, however, neither understood nor cared for Imperial politics. After uncovering Savit's sabotage, Thrawn extended an opportunity for redemption to his fellow Grand Admiral by inviting him to assist in battle against the Grysk Hegemony, an offer Savit declined.

Thrawn and his forces were forcibly removed from the Empire's domain by the young Jedi Ezra Bridger, who, sacrificing a peaceful life with his surrogate family, summoned a pod of purrgil. These creatures subsequently pulled him, Thrawn, and all aboard Thrawn's flagship Chimaera into another galaxy. There, Bridger, Thrawn, and Thrawn's forces found themselves marooned on the planet Peridea. During the Galactic Civil War, Mon Calamari monarchy Regent Dors Urtya held the position of Grand Admiral within the Mon Cala Mercantile Fleet, which was under the control of the Galactic Empire at the time.

Following the Battle of Endor, Rae Sloane assumed the role of Grand Admiral, commanding the remaining elements of the Imperial Navy. New Republic Fleet Admiral Gial Ackbar was regarded as a Grand Admiral by Imperial officers, although this was not an official rank recognized by the New Republic. Taking command of the Emperor's Contingency plan to rebuild the Empire, Sloane retained the rank of Grand Admiral during her tenure within the First Order. However, a mysterious entity known as Snoke, secretly a puppet of the resurrected Emperor, usurped control of the First Order, superseding Sloane and other potential leaders.

Meanwhile, Thrawn remained stranded on Peridea in the other galaxy, where he encountered the dormant Great Mothers. Agreeing to transport them and their cargo back to the primary galaxy, Thrawn forged an alliance with the Great Mothers, who contacted Morgan Elsbeth and orchestrated her arrival with the prototype hyperspace transport ring, the Eye of Sion, capable of returning Thrawn's forces and the Great Mothers to the galaxy. Thrawn, his forces, and the Great Mothers successfully executed an escape from Peridea. Thrawn's return held the promise of revitalizing the galaxy's Imperial Remnants. At that point, Thrawn was believed to be the last surviving Grand Admiral.

Timothy Zahn, the author of the 1991 Star Wars Legends novel Heir to the Empire, originated the rank of "Grand Admiral" for the novel's antagonist, Grand Admiral Thrawn. Zahn envisioned Thrawn as a military commander rather than a political figurehead or darksider, but felt that the rank of Admiral was insufficiently distinguished. Consequently, he chose the title "Grand Admiral," which he had encountered in William L. Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich in reference to its use within the German Navy. The rank was integrated into modern canon continuity through the novel Aftermath and was visually depicted with Thrawn's return to canon in Star Wars Rebels.