| Wilhuff Tarkin | |
|---|---|
| Star Wars character | |
Tarkin as seen in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. |
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| Portrayed by | Peter Cushing (Episode IV) Wayne Pygram (Episode III) Keene Curtis (Star Wars: The Original Radio Drama) Stephen Stanton (Star Wars: The Clone Wars (TV series)) |
| Fictional profile | |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Position | Death Star commander |
| Homeworld | Eriadu |
| Affiliation | Galactic Empire |
Governor Wilhuff Tarkin or Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, appearing as the main antagonist of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, played by British actor Peter Cushing. A younger version of the character makes a brief cameo in the prequel film Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, where he was portrayed by Wayne Pygram. He was also portrayed by Keene Curtis in the Star Wars radio drama. Recently, the young Captain Tarkin was voiced by Stephen Stanton in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Tarkin has been called "one of the most formidable villains in Star Wars history".[1]
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In A New Hope, Tarkin is the Governor of the Imperial Outland Regions and commander of the first Death Star.[2] He is charged, along with Darth Vader, with pursuing and destroying the Rebel Alliance. He threatens Princess Leia Organa with the destruction of her home planet of Alderaan if she does not reveal the location of the Rebels' main base of operations. When she names the planet Dantooine as the location of the base, he destroys Alderaan anyway. In the film's climax, Tarkin dies when Luke Skywalker destroys the Death Star with Tarkin still on-board.
Tarkin also appears at the end of Revenge of the Sith, set 19 years earlier, overseeing the construction of the Death Star alongside Vader and Emperor Palpatine.
In the television series The Clone Wars,[3] set 20 years before A New Hope, Tarkin (voiced by Stephen Stanton) is seen as a Captain in the Republic Navy. When introduced in the 2011 episode, “The Citadel,” Tarkin meets Anakin Skywalker, the future Darth Vader, who rescues him and Jedi Master Even Piell from the titular Citadel. Skywalker and Tarkin begin to clash shortly after their first meeting, but quickly grow close, due to their shared desire to win the war at any cost.
In the Star Wars Expanded Universe, Tarkin also appears in Darth Maul: Saboteur 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". He is also mentioned during the Legacy of the Force novel series as to have been present on Zonama Sekot with Anakin Skywalker. Apparently, Tarkin also left a wife and a mistress behind. In the comic 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.
The character of Tarkin was originally conceived as a holy man from Aquilae.[4] Cushing asked George Lucas for permission to wear his own slippers during filming, since the costume boots were too uncomfortable for him. Lucas agreed.[5][6][7][8]
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