Grand Moff Tarkin

## Villain Description

### Goals

To present "The Death Star I" to Emperor Palpatine, destroy the Rebels, and conquer the galaxy for the Galactic Empire. (all failed)

### Type of Villain

Genocidal, Complete Monster, Corrupt Official

**Wilhuff Tarkin**, also known as **Governor Tarkin**, or **Grand Moff Tarkin** is a principal antagonist in the *Star Wars* universe, serving as one of the two main antagonists (alongside Tobias Beckett) of *The Anthology*, and a major antagonist of *The Original Trilogy*. He is an Imperial governor and military leader, and is the commander of The Death Star. During the film series, he appears a minor antagonist of *Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of The Sith*, and later, as the ultimate antagonist of *Rogue One: A Star Wars Story*, and the main antagonist of *Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope*.

## History

### Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of The Sith

Tarkin oversees the Death Star I's construction, as Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader watching with him.

### *Rogue One: A Star Wars Story*

He appears as as the Bigger Bad/true main antagonist of the 2016 prequel (although having less screen-time than Orson, who is the secondary antagonist), commanding the Death Star I, which Galen Erso had built for him. He at first tests his Death Star, and lets Orson Krennic choose the locations. After watching the functions of the Death Star with Orson, he was impressed of his new weapon. He and Orson however get into a brief argument, as Tarkin says he will prove Orson wrong. As Orson wants the weapon for himself, without Tarkin guiding him, Tarkin informs him there is a traitor from Galen's facility, pointing out to Orson that he is failing, and ordering him to kill the traitor.

Orson goes to Galen Erso's research center. However, Galen revealed he had only built the Death Star so Tarkin or Orson wouldn't. Galen was killed during a battle in the research center. As Orson goes to his own research center on Scarif, Grand Moff Tarkin who is informed that Orson is on Scarif, sends Darth Vader and his fleet to deal with the rebels, and prepares to extract the research which Orson extracts, including Galen's hidden messages, just as expected. He manipulates Orson into finding the hidden message of Galen's, as Orson does his job. Later, Tarkin realized he has to do things by himself, as he assumes that Orson had failed, as he expected. Therefore, he destroyed Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor and even Orson Krennic by shooting his weapon on Scarif and destroying it. Tarkin had later sent Darth Vader to get the tape with the message recorded on it, however, it was too late, as one of the Rebel soldiers have escaped and delivered it to Leia first.

### Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

#### Discussion about The Empire's future

Grand Moff Tarkin eventually becomes the Governor of the Imperial Outland Regions and commander of the Death Star I. Grand Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader walk into the meeting with the Death Star I's leaders. He states that the Imperial Senate will no longer be a threat to the Empire because Palpatine dissolved the Old Republic permanently.

When one officer starts to argue that the Rebels could find a weakness, Vader says the plans will come back to them. However, he argues again, and Darth Vader force-chokes him. However, Tarkin, being manipulative, tells him to release the officer, and states that he will crush the rebellion once and for all.

#### Preperations for an attack

Vader tells Tarkin that her resistance to the Mind Probe is considerable. A moment after, one of the top officers tells Tarkin that all systems are operational. Tarkin then presumes that she could respond to an alternative form of persuasion.

He then orders Darth Vader to bring Princess Leia to him, so he can either destroy Alderaan with a copy of the Death Star or destroy the base of the Rebels.

#### Asking for the location of The Rebel Base

Darth Vader eventually brought Leia to Tarkin. As Leia encounters Tarkin, she tells him that she expected to find him holding Vader's leash, revealing that Darth Vader has been working for Tarkin the whole time. Tarkin then states that before her execution, he wants her to be his guest, as an aid that can help make the Death Star I operational. Leia then whispers to Tarkin that the more he tightens his grip targets, the more star systems will slip through his fingers. Tarkin however does not fear her aggression, stating that he will be sucessful after he demonstrates the power of the superweapon.

Tarkin then thinks out loud, which planet should be destroyed first. However, since she is reluctant to provide him with the Rebel Base's location, he decides to test the Death Star's power on Leia's home planet: Alderaan. Leia however tells him that Alderaan is peacefult. Tarkin is more pleased, as he demands Leia to reveal the location of the Rebel Base, threatening it will be the last time he asks. To save her people's lives, she lies that its on Dantooine. Tarkin believes her, and tells Vader that she can be reasonable. However, Tarkin does not really care at all, and tells his minions to continue the operation. Tarkin then reveals to Leia his final desicions, stating that Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration, but that he shouldn't worry, because he can deal with the Rebels soon enough to destroy them. He tells his operators to fire the weapon on Alderaan and destroy it, and as the weapon strikes Alderaan's atmosphere, the entire planet of Alderaan is destroyed.

### Governor Tarkin's Death

He later occupies the Death Star I itself. However, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker manage to invade the Death Star, trying to rescue Leia and find it's weakspot. Tarkin then commands Vader to destroy Obi-Wan and his teammates, then terminate Leia. As Luke, Han and Leia manage to find the weakspot of the Death Star, Tarkin gets ready to fire the death star, and destroy the real rebel base. Tarkin orders Vader and his TIE fighters to attack Luke Skywalker's spaceship.

In the film's climax, Tarkin refuses to evacuate, and orders everyone to continue the operation anyway. Thereafter, he is killed by Luke Skywalker, who destroys the Death Star with his spaceship, while Tarkin is still on board.

## Gallery

***The Great Villains Wiki*** presents a gallery for Grand Moff Tarkin.

## Trivia

* In Rogue One and A New Hope, Tarkin is the true main antagonist because he had much bigger plans than anyone else, even Orson Krennic and Darth Vader.
* Tarkin is one of the few Star Wars villains to be totally dark, along with Palpatine, General Pryde, Grievous and Phasma.
* Tarkin is one of the few Star Wars antagonists to have killed main characters (He is responsible for the death of Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor).