GRAND MOFF TARKIN

'Grand Moff Governor Wilhuff Tarkin' is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' universe. He is a major character in '' where he was portrayed by British actor Peter Cushing. A younger Tarkin had a brief cameo in the prequel film '', where he was portrayed by Wayne Pygram.
Note: Biographical information in this article is taken both from the ''Star Wars'' films and from the Expanded Universe.

Contents

Career

Tarkin and Vader

Tarkin Doctrine

Tarkin and Daala

Name

Casting

References

External links

Career

Tarkin appears very briefly at the end of ''Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith''. However, he neither speaks nor is addressed in this role, and is only seen walking away from Emperor Palpatine to make way for Darth Vader on the bridge of a command ship. It is known that at this point Tarkin, aided by his marriage to Lady Tarkin of the Motti family and his close connections with Palpatine, was already a regional governor, a position that, according to a deleted scene from the movie, had not existed for very long.
Wilhuff Tarkin first meets then-Senator Palpatine as an obscure sector chief on the planet Naboo. The two find that they share a basic philosophy on government: namely, that might makes right. In 33 BBY, Tarkin helps Palpatine engineer the murder of the Trade Federation Directorate, which are on Tarkin's homeworld, Eriadu, for a trade summit. The pirate raids on the Trade Federation that lead to the summit are also been orchestrated by the Sith Lords, as is Nute Gunray's rise to power as Trade Federation viceroy. From then on, they are close allies, using each other to advance their own careers. When Palpatine takes over the galaxy and forms the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY, he rewards Tarkin for his years of service by appointing him a regional governor, a position of considerable power.
Tarkin earned a reputation as a brutal, cold, and ruthless officer during the earliest days of the Empire. In an incident that became known as the "Ghorman Massacre," Tarkin ordered his ship to land on a platform where a large group of protesters were protesting the Imperial taxation on the distant planet Ghorman. Hundreds of Imperial subjects were crushed by Tarkin's transport in the landing. Rather than punish Tarkin, Palpatine made him the sector moff for Seswanna, where Eriadu is located. This event is the first manifestation of what became known as the Tarkin Doctrine, also known as the "doctrine of fear." Tarkin explains it simply: "Rule through the ''fear'' of force, rather than force itself." Ironically, Tarkin's niece Rivoche would eventually become a spy for the Rebel Alliance. Her access to the upper echelons of Imperial society gave her access to valuable intelligence that would help topple the Empire and end her own uncle's policies.
One of Tarkin's chief flaws is an overweening arrogance: even after his Mon Calamari slave Ackbar arranges for an attempt on his life during the Rebel Alliance's theft of the Death Star plans, and explains exactly how he had done it before his escape, Tarkin refuses to believe the testimony, convinced only a human could have arranged such a nearly-successful attempt. This flaw appears later during the Battle of Yavin: while the Death Star carries thousands of TIE fighters, Tarkin orders only a few scrambled against the Rebel X-wing squadrons. This fatal underestimation of his enemy allows Luke Skywalker to navigate the trench and fire proton torpedos against the reactor powering the Death Star, destabilizing them and causing a catastrophic detonation of the Death Star. Everybody aboard, including Tarkin, is killed.

Tarkin and Vader

:''Governor Tarkin. I should have expected to find you holding Vader's leash. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board.''
:::- ''Leia Organa''^[1]
Upon the birth of the Empire, the Emperor introduces Tarkin to his new apprentice, Darth Vader. Though Vader's position of importance beneath the Emperor is sudden and mysterious among the Imperial Elite, it seems that only Tarkin is privy to exactly who Vader truly is and what his unique responsibilities are. Tarkin's friendship with the Emperor gives him access to the truth about Vader: that he is a former Jedi Knight named Anakin Skywalker with an incredible mastery of The Force. Whereas only the boldest (and most foolish) of Imperial officers talk down to Vader, Tarkin supports the Emperor's second-in-command wholeheartedly, seeing in the Sith Lord an important ally in controlling the galaxy and advancing his own career. Tarkin finds Vader to be a virtual equal in the eyes of the Emperor.
Over the next 19 years, Tarkin and Vader become more and more public icons of the Empire, whereas the Emperor himself becomes a recluse. Vader's execution of Jedi renegades clears much room for Tarkin to focus on establishing the Imperial Naval infrastructure.
Whereas Tarkin is Grand Moff and in command of the Death Star who answers only to the Emperor, there is uncertainty as to who is the superior. At least publicly Tarkin appears to be higher than Vader (see Leia Organa comments above). However, Vader and Tarkin have mutual respect for each other, and the pair respect each other's authority. This is shown where Vader acquiesces to Tarkin's demand that he release Admiral Motti from the Force choke Vader held Motti in (punishment for disrespecting Vader and the Force).

Tarkin Doctrine

The "Tarkin Doctrine" is an unofficial policy of state terrorism that its namesake engineered; he is originally responsible for suppressing treasonous activity against the Empire. Rather than spend large amounts of money and resources to bend all the worlds of the Empire to Palpatine's will, the Tarkin Doctrine instead centers around the use of massive displays of force used to discourage and prevent any opposition. It also calls for the creation of a superweapon to enforce Imperial order, the result of which was the Death Star.

Tarkin and Daala

Tarkin was once on a trip to the Imperial Training Center of Carida, where he wanted to find a brilliant young tactician who was responsible for new training methods and other sorts of things for the Empire. It took Tarkin some time, but he eventually found the young slicer, who turned out to be a woman named Daala. He whisked her away from Carida and made her part of his staff. After a while, the two began to fall in love. Soon after, Tarkin made her an Admiral in secret, and prepared to give her a mission.
Before that could happen, an officer said that Daala only achieved her position because she was sleeping with Tarkin. Tarkin heard this and flushed him out of the air lock, in a spacesuit, with the comm channel locked open so the rest of the crew could listen to the man's screams and cries for mercy. He then gave Daala four ''Imperial'' class Star Destroyers, the ''Gorgon'', the ''Basilisk'', the ''Manticore'' and the ''Hydra''. He then sent her to the secret weapons facility in the Maw cluster of black holes near Kessel, where he told her to wait for more orders. Eleven years after Tarkin's death, Daala returned to destroy the New Republic.

Name

There is some debate over where Grand Moff Tarkin's name originated. One theory is that he was named after Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (also called 'Tarquin the Proud' or 'Tarquin II'), the last of the legendary kings of Rome whose brutal rule lead to his overthrow and the formation of the Roman Republic.

Casting

Prior to his casting in ''A New Hope'', Peter Cushing was known primarily for his roles in Hammer Horror movies. He was also a close friend (and Hammer costar) of Christopher Lee, who would become a part of the ''Star Wars'' universe decades later as the villainous Count Dooku.

References

★ ''

★ ''

★ ''Darth Maul: Saboteur''

★ ''Cloak of Deception''

★ ''Rogue Planet''

★ ''Boba Fett: Pursuit''

★ ''

★ ''Empire: Betrayal''
1. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

External links

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★ More information on Tarkin

★ Tarkin Facts