Grand Moff Tarkin?

[Goodsport]

It seemed that throughout the entire original Star Wars trilogy (now effectively called Episodes IV, V and VI) that with the exception of Emperor Palpatine (to whom he obeyed until the very end of Episode VI), Darth Vader deferred to no one... except to Grand Moff Tarkin during Episode IV.

Did Tarkin hold that much of Vader's respect (a respect shown to absolutely no other Grand Moff or Moff during Episodes V and VI)? What was it about Tarkin? Or was it that Vader feared him for some reason?


-G

 

[Darrin Drader]

A better question still is where the heck is he in the prequels. He was a pretty old man when they blew him up in the Death Star, so he should have been right there with Palpatine in the Old Republic. Yet, strangely he is absent. Did Lucas just forget about him?

 

[satori01]

Rumour has it that a young *captain* Tarkin will be seen comanding a Republic battleship in Episode 3.

 

[Dark Jezter]

I've been hearing whispers for a while now that Tarkin will be making an appearance in Episode 3.

 

[s/LaSH]

I'd guess Vader and Tarkin are working together, Vader as the Emperor's watchdog, Tarkin as the guy who has the administrative skillz to keep that monstrosity operational and the tactical smarts to use it. Remember, for all that Vader's bad, he's not needlessly cruel - you could make a case for each one of his actions if you take it from the perspective of someone who's been working for a stable galaxy, no matter the cost, against stupid and evil people. I imagine that Vader shrinks a little on the inside when Tarkin orders the destruction of entire civilised worlds, although he 'knows' it's for the best. It's just something he wouldn't have come up with on his own.

OK, half of that is wild speculation. But I think it's good wild speculation. Have I got something here?

 

[Olive]

I always assumed that Vader got promoted after the riginal movie. Remember, the Emp. has just moved to disolve the senate at the start of that, and so some vestiges of the old power remain.

 

[barsoomcore]

What I want to know is, once you're a Moff, how do you go about becoming a Grand Moff? And could I be a Pretty Impressive Moff someday?

 

[TiQuinn]

I think it has more to do with Lucas not knowing that there would ever actually be a second or third part, and decided that Peter Cushing made a very convincing chief bad guy. Later, when Lucas found out that Star Wars was a huge success and he'd be able to complete the trilogy, he decided to make Vader second only to the emperor.

Needless to say, I'm not one of those folks who believes that George Lucas actually planned out Star Wars from start to finish, or that he'd intended to tell the second trilogy first, and the first trilogy later.

 

[tetsujin28]

I agree -- there is no sign of forethought whatsoever. The whole 'great plot' thing is a con.

 

[WizarDru]

I think Lucas had a meta-plot in mind...but on the order of a two-paragraph treatment in 1977. Certainly nothing that was meant to survive the rigors of nearly thirty years of cross-examination.

He had the big picture laid out, vis a vis Luke and Vader, and everything else was just rough ideas. Had the second trilogy been made ten years earlier, I think it would have been very different than what he's made, now....but I think a lot of the statements Lucas has made are just idle 'thinking-out-loud' kind of comments.