Wilhuff Tarkin/Legends

"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

Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin (64 BBY–0 BBY) was a high-ranking Imperial official and the first Grand Moff.

He was most well-known for his command of the Empire's first Death Star.

He was a native of the planet Eriadu, where his family had history of political involvement.

Biography
Sometime prior to 44 BBY, he married Lady Tarkin, a member of the Motti family on Phelarion, allowing him to begin reaping the benefits of their lucrative megonite moss mining business.

Tarkin began his career in the Eriadu military; by 33 BBY, he had become lieutenant-governor of the Seswenna Sector. That year, his mansion was, for a short time, the residence of Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, who was on Eriadu representing the Galactic Republic in a trade summit.



By that time he had become acquainted with Senator Palpatine; as early as 29 BBY, Tarkin began to work closely with Palpatine, sharing his views on the superiority of Humans and the need for strictly enforced order. Palpatine made him full governor of the Seswenna Sector, as well as appointing him commander of the Republic Outland Regions Security Force. In 29 BBY, he launched an unsuccessful attack on the living planet Zonama Sekot, and presented Palpatine with Raith Sienar's plans for a moon-sized battle station.

During this time Tarkin's brother, Gideon, served as Minister of Defense for the Seswenna Sector, presumably appointed by Wilhuff.

As the Republic transitioned into the Galactic Empire, Tarkin rose in prominence through his connections to Palpatine. A few years after the formation of the Empire, a group of citizens stood on a landing platform directly underneath his transport, protesting the Imperial taxation on Ghorman. Tarkin ordered his ship to land regardless, crushing hundreds to death. The event marked the first of many acts of cold blooded mass murder at the hands of Tarkin.

This incident was labeled the Ghorman Massacre by Rebels. This action helped lead to his rise through the early Imperial ranks, eventually becoming a close adviser to the Emperor. This marked the early formation of his "Tarkin Doctrine" of suppressing dissent through state terrorism. Tarkin himself often told Palpatine that he should "rule through the fear of force rather than the force itself." He also had a unique relationship with Darth Vader, who trusted Tarkin's judgment and performed special favors for him like sparing Admiral Motti’s life after Motti had openly defied Vader.

In 5 BBY, Gideon Tarkin was killed in the Erhynradd Massacre. Wilhuff then adopted Gideon's orphaned daughter, Rivoche. It was roughly around this time that Adviser Ars Dangor officially promoted him to the rank of Grand Moff, although his friend Palpatine was undoubtedly responsible behind the scenes.



It is alleged that while commanding the Death Star, Tarkin considered using the superlaser to destroy Coruscant while the Emperor was there to become ruler of the galaxy. Motti actually insisted that they strike before they were removed. Emperor Palpatine himself suspected him of having more ambition than he let on, so he sent Vader to oversee the Death Star's construction and even had Mara Jade train to infiltrate Tarkin's estate.

Alongside Admiral Motti and High General Tagge, Tarkin formed a triumvirate that commanded the first Death Star. He issued the order to destroy Princess Leia's home planet of Alderaan in a brutal and unabashed show of force typical of the Tarkin Doctrine. During the Battle of Yavin, Tarkin was notified of the Rebels strategy and that their might be a threat to the battle station, however, Tarkin in his pride for the weapon ignored the officer and his idea of escaping. Had Tarkin listened, and deployed the thousands of thousands of TIE fighters docked in the station, the Rebels would have quickly and brutally been finished off. Tarkin and everyone else on the station died when Luke Skywalker fired his proton torpedoes in the station's exhaust port.

Behind the scenes

 * Tarkin was played by Peter Cushing in A New Hope, by Keene Curtis in the radio dramatization of A New Hope and by Wayne Pygram in Revenge of the Sith.

Appearances

 * Darth Maul: Saboteur
 * Cloak of Deception
 * Rogue Planet
 * Boba Fett: Pursuit
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Republic HoloNet News Special Inaugural Edition 16:5:241 (Star Wars Insider 84)
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * Empire at War
 * Star Wars Empire: Betrayal
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Infinities: A New Hope (non-canon)
 * Darksaber (flashbacks)