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 was a high-ranking Imperial official and one of the first Grand Moffs appointed to the position when the Empire rose to power.

A native of the planet Eriadu, where his family had a history of political involvement, he was most well-known for his command of the Empire's first Death Star.

Early life (64 BBY–29 BBY)


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. He was but a youth at the time.

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 at the Eriadu 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. This would be his first encounter with the Jedi Anakin Skywalker, who would become a future ally in the Galactic Empire.

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

The Dark Times (19 BBY–0 BBY)


"Rule through the fear of force rather than the force itself."

- Whilhuff Tarkin

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 led to Palpatine giving him the rank of admiral. 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 to the point of 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, who ironically would later become an Intelligence agent for the Rebellion. Fortunately for her, her uncle probably never suspected her Rebel sympathies.

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.

Also throughout the Imperial era, he started to have a secret affair with the beautiful Daala, whom he became protective of and promoted to the rank of Admiral. He had her quietly watch over the weapons-developing installation in the Maw, giving her orders to remain there with four sole Star Destroyers at her command. Lady Tarkin did not know of this.

Also, after Grand Moff Trachta and other Moffs attempted a coup with the death of Tarkin, this occurance resulted in Tarkin's near death, and the escapade of his Mon Calamari slave, Ackbar. Ackbar would later become one of the Empire's greatest enemies.

The Destruction of Alderaan and the Battle of Yavin (0 BBY)
"Evacuate? In our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances."

- Tarkin to an Imperial officer just before the Death Star I's destruction

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, as well as prompting Mara Jade to 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 there might be a threat to the battle station. However, Tarkin in his pride for the weapon, ignored the officer and this notion 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 perished when Luke Skywalker fired his proton torpedoes down the station's exhaust port.

Portrayal
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. For Revenge of the Sith, George Lucas originally planned to edit clips of Cushing from A New Hope, but the poor quality of film made this impossible. Pygram had to go through extensive prosthetic makeup that was designed to make him look like a young Cushing.

Name
There is some debate over where Grand Moff Tarkin's name originated. It is no secret that George Lucas borrowed many names and themes from previous books and visual media sources. Lucas, who loved the concept of a classic fairy tale may have used the fictional word "Tarkaan" as a basis for this villain. The word "Tarkaan" is a title bestowed upon high military captains of the villainous Calormenes, the antagonists in several volumes of The Chronicles of Narnia. That title was itself probably derived from Tarkhan, an ancient Turkic title for high military officers.

Tarkin's name also resembles that of Tarquin the Proud, the last King of Rome, who's reign was characterized by bloodshed and violence and immediately preceded the establishment of the Roman Republic.

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 in Star Wars Insider 84
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * A Death Star is Born
 * Empire at War
 * Star Wars Empire: Darklighter
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Infinities: A New Hope
 * Darksaber (flashbacks)
 * Force Heretic III: Reunion (flashbacks)