Before the episode aired, I considered vaguely using that concept for a fan fiction, but it’s actually materialized in canon.
When Sabine said, “He fights with his art,” that cemented it.
Sabine’s father Alrich Wren is designed to be a foil to Thrawn (and illuminate Sabine as Thrawn’s foil as well). And the parallels become clear as Thrawn muses about how a weapon can turn Mandalorian culture against them, while Alrich Wren fights with his culture and participates in the strategy chamber.
Thrawn takes from culture. He takes Hera’s kaliori, a Twi’leki-exclusive heirloom. He vies to take Sabine’s weapons and use it on her culture. Thrawn appropriates and takes culture as if they’re his war trophies. He envies Hera for having an experience of war that he’ll never personally understand. He helps himself to the items of culture yet annihilates those who created the culture.
He poses as a preserver and curator of culture, but he’s a fraud, destroying the people of a different culture and benefiting from their cultural artifacts.
But in the end, the true owners and creators of the art are the ones fighting for their preservation.
-chuckles- You think that’s what I want to do to Sabine? You have no idea. @amaximinalist
