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Grand Moff Tarkin
Governor  Wilhuff  Tarkin, is a
Grand Moff Tarkin
fictional character in the Star Wars
franchise, first portrayed by Peter Star Wars character
Cushing in the 1977 film Star Wars.
He is the commander of the Death
Star, the Galactic Empire's dwarf
planet-sized doomsday weapon.
The character has been called "one
of the most formidable villains in
Star Wars history."[1]

Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin

in Star Wars.
Contents First Star Wars (1977)
appearance
Concept and creation
Portrayals Created by George Lucas
Appearances Portrayed Peter Cushing
Film by (Episode IV)
A New Hope
Wayne Pygram
Revenge of the Sith
(Episode III)
Rogue One
Guy Henry (Rogue
Television series
The Clone Wars One)[Note 1]
Rebels Voiced by Stephen Stanton
Novels (Star Wars: The
Legends Clone Wars and Star
Notes Wars Rebels)
References Keene Curtis (Star
External links Wars radio drama)

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Concept and Nick Jameson (Star

Wars: X-Wing)
creation Tony Pope (read-
along storybook CDs)
Tarkin's character was originally
Paul Darrow (Star
conceived as a holy man from the
Wars: Empire at War)
planet Aquila, but was changed
Guy Henry (Rogue
later in the creative process into an
One)
antagonist.[2] As the Emperor
would not appear until later in the Information
original trilogy, Lucas used Tarkin's Gender Male
final version as the "main villain" of Occupation Death Star
the first film, a personification of Commander, Moff,
the Empire.[3] Grand Moff (Galactic
Empire) Captain,
Portrayals Admiral (Galactic
Republic)
During the production of Star
Affiliation Galactic Empire
Wars, Peter Cushing found
Galactic Republic
Tarkin's boots, furnished by the
(formerly)
wardrobe department, to be very
uncomfortable. Director George Homeworld Eriadu
Lucas agreed to limit shots where
Cushing's feet would be visible, allowing him to wear slippers.[4][5][6][7] Cushing
admitted many years later to not knowing what a "Grand Moff" actually was,
joking that it sounded like "something which infests a clothes closet" and
decided to play him as a "deeply cross and unpleasant gentleman".[8]

In the 2005 prequel film Revenge  of  the  Sith, Wayne Pygram was able to
achieve the likeness of a young version of Tarkin through the use of prosthetic
makeup.[9] For his performance as Tarkin in the animated series The  Clone
Wars, voice actor Stephen Stanton researched Cushing's performances and
then tried to imitate what Cushing might have sounded like in his mid-thirties
and soften his voice to portray a level of humanity.[10]

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In the 2016 anthology film Rogue One, archive footage[11] and a digital scan of
Peter Cushing's life mask made for the 1984 film Top Secret![12] were used to
create a 3D CGI mask which was augmented and mapped to actor Guy Henry's
face.[12][13] Henry had studied Cushing's mannerisms many years previously
for the lead role in British TV show Young Sherlock,[14] but insisted on a screen
test as he wasn't comfortable that his vocal imitation was accurate, stating he
sounded more "Peter O'Toole than Peter Cushing".[15] The ILM team searched
through hours of footage to find suitable material of Cushing to build from,
footage from A New Hope was lit very differently to the lighting used in Rogue
One and had to be digitally changed. The more they manipulated the lighting
to match the other actors in the scenes the less like Cushing the character
model looked, which meant creating a balancing act between "a digital figure"
and "one who looked precisely like Cushing".[16][17] The owners of Cushing's
estate were heavily involved with the creation and had input right down to
"small, subtle adjustments".[18] The result, which has been called "one of the
most complex and costly CGI re-creations ever", received a mixed response,
with questions being raised about the morality of using a dead actor's
likeness.[19][20]

Appearances

Film

A New Hope
Introduced in the 1977 film Star Wars, the first film in the original Star Wars
trilogy, Grand Moff Tarkin is the Governor of the Imperial Outland Regions,
and commander of the Death Star.[21] After the Emperor dissolves the Galactic
Senate, Tarkin and Darth Vader are charged with pursuing and destroying the
Rebel Alliance. He threatens Princess Leia Organa with the destruction of her
home planet, Alderaan, if Leia does not reveal the location of the Rebel main
base of operations. When Leia names the planet Dantooine as the base's

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location, he destroys Alderaan anyway, hoping to make an example out of the

planet's support of the Rebellion. Upon learning that Leia's coerced
information was false, Tarkin orders Leia's execution.

He allows the Rebels to escape the Death Star with the Princess after placing a
tracking beacon on the Millennium Falcon in order to find the Rebel base. He
orders the Death Star to destroy the rebel base on Yavin IV. In the film's
climax, Tarkin refuses to believe that the Death Star is in danger from the
Rebel starfighter attack. As such, he refuses to evacuate and is finally killed
when the Death Star is destroyed by Luke Skywalker.

Revenge of the Sith

At the end of Revenge  of  the  Sith, the final film in the Star  Wars prequel
trilogy, a younger version of Tarkin makes a cameo appearance overseeing the
original Death Star's construction, standing beside Darth Vader and Emperor
Palpatine.[22][23]

Rogue One
In the first anthology film Rogue One, Orson Krennic, Director of Advanced
Weapons Research for the Imperial Military, meets with Tarkin, who expresses
his skepticism about Krennic's management of the Death Star project.

Tarkin oversees the Death Star's first attack on the Rebellion when it is used to
destroy a holy city on the planet Jedha. Impressed, he congratulates Krennic
before announcing that he is going to take command of the Death Star from
that point on, pointing out security breaches that had occurred under
Krennic's command (much to Krennic's chagrin).

Later in the film, Tarkin is informed of a Rebel attack on Scarif, the planet
where the plans to the Death Star are kept, he orders the jump to hyperspace to
the planet, where an ongoing battle between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance
rages on. Tarkin has the Death Star target and destroy the Scarif base, killing
Krennic, Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, and any other survivors of the ground
battle, while Darth Vader handles the Rebel fleet.
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Television series

The Clone Wars

In the television series Star  Wars:  The  Clone  Wars, the young version of
Tarkin appears in the Republic Navy as a Captain and later an Admiral during
the Clone Wars.[24]

In the third season, Captain Tarkin and Jedi Master Even Piell are ambushed
and attacked by Separatist forces. Prisoners to the Citadel, Tarkin and Piell are
freed from captivity by a rescue team. Initially pessimistic about being in
enemy territory, Tarkin puts himself at odds with Jedi Knight Anakin
Skywalker, but their respective opinions of each other improve when each
realizes that they are mutual acquaintances of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.
During a skirmish, Tarkin fights and attempts to execute Osi Sobeck, but fails
when the Citadel's caretaker swiftly retaliates and nearly kills him. However,
Tarkin is rescued just in time by Padawan Ahsoka Tano.

In the fifth season, Tarkin, now an admiral, suspects Ahsoka of masterminding

a terrorist attack on the Jedi Temple, and attempts to have the Padawan
arrested. After Ahsoka is recaptured, Tarkin requests that the Jedi Order expel
her and turn her over to the Republic so she can receive more "impartial"
judgement. The Jedi concede and Ahsoka is tried before a jury of senators,
with Tarkin heading the prosecution while Padmé Amidala heads the defense.
Despite Padmé's impressive defense, Tarkin casts doubt by mentioning that
Ahsoka had been seen with Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress. After Tarkin and Padmé's
arguments conclude and the jury reaches a verdict that Supreme Chancellor
Palpatine is about to read, Skywalker arrives with Barriss Offee, the real
mastermind of the attack.

Rebels
In the television series Star Wars Rebels, Governor Tarkin now has the Grand
Moff title.[25] He visits the planet Lothal to deal with its growing insurgent
activity, and reprimands Minister Maketh Tua, Agent Kallus, and the

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Inquisitor for their repeated failures to stop the planet's Rebel cell. Tarkin has
the Inquisitor execute Commandant Aresko and Taskmaster Grint for the two's
inability to deal with the cell's leader, Jedi Kanan Jarrus. Later, Tarkin sets a
trap for the Rebels and manages to capture Kanan during their mission to send
a message through one of the planet's communication towers. The Rebels'
message gets sent out, but Tarkin then orders the tower to be destroyed. Kanan
is tortured by the Inquisitor and transported to the Mustafar system aboard
Tarkin's Star Destroyer. During Kanan's rescue by Rebel forces, Tarkin's Star
Destroyer is destroyed, and the Inquisitor is killed. On Lothal, Tarkin
introduces Agent Kallus to Darth Vader.

Taking the loss of his personal Star Destroyer personally, Tarkin orders that
Maketh Tua be brought before him for her failure to find the Lothal rebels.
Knowing the true meaning behind the summoning after the deaths of Aresko
and Grint, Tua attempts to defect, but she is killed before she can leave Lothal.
Tarkin later appears in the season three premiere where he meets with
Governor Pryce regarding the Lothal Rebels. He subsequently grants her
request for use of the Seventh Fleet, commanded by Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Tarkin appears via hologram in the season three finale, being briefed on
Thrawn's imminent attack on Atollon to stymie a coordinated rebel attack on
Lothal.

Novels
Star Wars: Tarkin explores the title character's origins, and chronicles how he
meets and aligns himself with Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader prior to the
events of A New Hope.[26] The novel was one of the first four canon novels to
be released in 2014 and 2015.[27]

Tarkin also appears in Catalyst:  A  Rogue  One  Novel, the prequel novel to
Rogue  One, where Tarkin forms a rivalry with Advanced Weapons Director
Orson Krennic.

Legends
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With the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Company, most of
the licensed Star Wars novels and comics produced since the originating 1977
film Star Wars were rebranded as Star Wars Legends and declared non-canon
to the franchise in April 2014.[27][28][29]

In the Star  Wars expanded universe, Tarkin appears in Death  Star, Darth
Maul: Saboteur, Rogue Planet 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", and has
been mentioned various other times in the Star  Wars canon. He is also
mentioned during the Legacy of the Force novel series as having been present
on Zonama Sekot with Anakin Skywalker. In the comics 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.

Notes
1. Cushing is also given a special credit acknowledgement for this movie, as
Peter Cushing OBE, for the use of his character likeness.

References
1. Gilchrist, Todd (August 8, 2006). "Star Wars Speeches: Grand Moff Tarkin"
(http://dvd.ign.com/articles/724/724655p1.html). IGN.
2. "Tarkin, Grand Moff" (https://web.archive.org/web/20080803054643/http://
www.starwars.com/databank/character/grandmofftarkin/). Databank.
Lucasfilm. Archived from the original (http://www.starwars.com/databank/c
haracter/grandmofftarkin/) on August 3, 2008. Retrieved September 6,
2010.
3. Lucas, George (2011). Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Blu-ray). Audio
commentary for Episode IV – A New Hope.
4. Joseph Farrell (2003). The Giza Death Star Deployed. Adventures
Unlimited Press. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-931882-19-4.

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5. Mark Clark (2004). "Peter Cushing". Smirk, Sneer and Scream.

McFarland. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-7864-1932-6.
6. Adam Charles Roberts (2000). "The History of Science Fiction". Science
Fiction. Routledge. p. 88. ISBN 978-0-415-19205-7.
7. Brad Duke (2005). Harrison Ford: The Films. McFarland. p. 39. ISBN 978-
0-7864-2016-2.
8. "Peter Cushing on playing Grand Moff Tarkin" (https://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=NdXLDvx_tHQ). Retrieved December 27, 2011.
9. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith commentary track
10. "Look Who's Tarkin: Stephen Stanton" (http://www.starwars.com/theclone
wars/stephen_stanton_as_tarkin/index.html) Archived (https://web.archive.
org/web/20110913063648/http://www.starwars.com/theclonewars/stephen
_stanton_as_tarkin/index.html) September 13, 2011, at the Wayback
Machine.. StarWars.com Retrieved March 4, 2011.
11. "The effect was achieved by drawing on preexisting footage of the actor,
particularly his work in A New Hope.." (http://www.vulture.com/2016/12/rog
ue-one-peter-cushing-digital-likeness.html) December 24, 2016. Retrieved
December 24, 2016.
12. "See How 'Rogue One' Brought Peter Cushing Back As Grand Moff
Tarkin" (http://www.slashfilm.com/rogue-one-grand-moff-tarkin-visual-effec
ts/). January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
13. "the CGI used to repurpose the footage may not age well.." (https://www.in
dependent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/rogue-one-cgi-grand-moff-t
arkin-actor-peter-cushing-princess-leia-carrie-fisher-animated-a7483991.h
tml) December 24, 2016. Retrieved December 24, 2016.
14. "Perfect Actor to Bring Tarkin to Life" (http://comicbook.com/starwars/201
7/01/03/how-lucasfilm-found-the-perfect-actor-to-bring-tarkin-to-life-in).
January 13, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
15. "The actor behind the CGI Tarkin" (http://uk.businessinsider.com/cgi-moff-t
arkin-rogue-one-guy-henry-2017-1). January 11, 2017. Retrieved
January 11, 2017.
16. "How 'Rogue One' Brought Back Familiar Faces" (https://www.nytimes.co
m/2016/12/27/movies/how-rogue-one-brought-back-grand-moff-tarkin.htm
l). December 27, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2016.

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17. "They are going through hours and hours of old footage from the horror
movies to recreate his legs and feet.." (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi
z/article-3207415/Dracula-legend-grave-Star-Wars-prequel-Peter-Cushing
-digitally-recreated-new-spin-Rogue-One.html) December 18, 2016.
Retrieved December 18, 2016.
18. Telegraph Film. " 'Morbid and off-putting' or 'convincing'? Rogue One's
CGI Peter Cushing gets a mixed response from Star Wars fans" (http://ww
w.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/12/16/morbid-off-putting-convincing-rogue-on
es-cgi-peter-cushing-gets/). The Telegraph. The Telegraph. Retrieved
December 18, 2016.
19. "CGI resurrection of Peter Cushing is thrilling – but is it right?" (https://ww
w.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2016/dec/16/rogue-one-star-wars-cgi-resu
rrection-peter-cushing). The Guardian. Retrieved December 24, 2016.
20. Fullerton, Huw (December 15, 2016). "How a Holby City actor brought one
of Star Wars' most iconic characters back to life" (http://www.radiotimes.co
m/news/2016-12-15/how-a-holby-city-actor-brought-one-of-star-wars-most
-iconic-characters-back-to-life). Retrieved December 15, 2016.
21. "Peter Cushing in "Star Wars" ". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. August 13,
1976. p. 29.
22. Breznican, Anthony (August 24, 2015). "Should Star Wars: Rogue One
resurrect Peter Cushing as Tarkin?" (http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/2
4/star-wars-rogue-one-peter-cushing-tarkin). Entertainment Weekly.
Retrieved August 24, 2015.
23. Child, Ben (August 24, 2015). "Star Wars: Rogue One 'to resurrect Peter
Cushing via CGI', despite slipper issues" (https://www.theguardian.com/fil
m/2015/aug/24/star-wars-rogue-one-to-resurrect-peter-cushing-via-cgi-des
pite-slipper-issues). The Guardian. London. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
24. Blauvelt, Christian (February 17, 2011). "Star Wars - The Clone Wars:
Grand Moff Tarkin makes his debut!" (http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/02/17/st
ar-wars-clone-wars-grand-moff-tarkin-exclusive-video/). EW.com.
25. "Get your exclusive first look at Grand Moff Tarkin on 'Star Wars Rebels' "
(http://community.ew.com/2015/02/03/tarkin-on-rebels-exclusive/).
Entertainment Weekly. February 3, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
26. Keane, Sean (November 3, 2014). "REVIEW: Star Wars: Tarkin brings us
into the Empire's dark heart" (http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/pageview
s/review-star-wars-tarkin-brings-empire-dark-heart-blog-entry-1.1997843).
New York Daily News. Retrieved May 27, 2016.

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27. "Disney and Random House announce relaunch of Star Wars Adult Fiction
line" (http://starwars.com/news/disney-publishing-worldwide-and-random-
house-announce-relaunch-of-star-wars-adult-fiction-line.html).
StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
28. McMilian, Graeme (April 25, 2014). "Lucasfilm Unveils New Plans for Star
Wars Expanded Universe" (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/l
ucasfilm-unveils-new-plans-star-698973). The Hollywood Reporter.
Retrieved May 26, 2016.
29. "The Legendary Star Wars Expanded Universe Turns a New Page" (http://
starwars.com/news/the-legendary-star-wars-expanded-universe-turns-a-n
ew-page.html). StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2016.

External links
Grand Moff Tarkin (http://www.starwars.com/databank/tarkin/) in the
StarWars.com Databank
Grand Moff Tarkin (http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0000030/) on IMDb
Wilhuff Tarkin (http://www.wikia.com/wiki/c:starwars:Wilhuff_Tarkin/Canon)
on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki

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