He was a Colonel. Senior rank in the ISB; mid-level rank in the Empire as a whole(just below General.)
That said, Yularen's status within the ISB held enough sway with the political figureheads that he could accuse damn near anyone in the Empire of wrongdoing(even if they outranked him), and subsequently arrest them, no questions asked. Governors, Senators, Admirals, etc. all fell under Yularen's umbrella in that regard -- he was basically the Empire's chief Internal Affairs officer(among much more.)
...But in your standard tactical/military engagement, he was subordinate to a great many.
__________________
"I am tired of Earth. These people.
I am tired of being caught in the tangle of their lives."
He was an Admiral in the Republic. When the Clone Wars ended and Palpatine reorganized the Republic into the Empire, Tarkin was promoted to the rank of Moff.
ie. when Tarkin made a cameo at the end of RotS, he was already a Moff: (please log in to view the image)
*He would become a Grand Moff a few years later.
__________________
"I am tired of Earth. These people.
I am tired of being caught in the tangle of their lives."
The Tarkin novelization is set 5 years after RotS. Darth Vader #13 is set 3 years after RotS. IOW, Tarkin was promoted to a Grand Moff at least 2 years earlier than the novel stated.
There are no longer 'levels of canon' in Star Wars. When Disney acquired the franchise a few years ago, they deemed that all forms of SW media released after 04/25/14 are of equal canonicity. That said, the comics now hold just as much canonical weight as the films themselves.
So yes, the comic(ie. the more recent canonical information) essentially retconned Tarkin's promotional time-table by having it occur earlier than had previously been established.
__________________
"I am tired of Earth. These people.
I am tired of being caught in the tangle of their lives."
Last edited by Galan007 on Mar 23rd, 2018 at 12:09 AM
Tbf, the film-based novelizations are a special case. Obviously the novels were never published with the intent of completely supplementing the film itself, thus are only canon where they align with what is seen on-screen. They can also expand upon the films, so long as no flagrant contradiction occurs.
For example, the information provided in TLJ novelization pertaining to Snoke is why we now know so much about he and the First Order's canon background/history. The novel tells us how Kylo canonically survived Chewie's blaster bolt to the abdomen in TFA. The novel tells us another canon adventure Rey had with Luke on Ahch-To, which was never shown/mentioned in the film. etc. etc.
But yes, in cases where the film and the film-based novel overtly contradict one another, we defer to the film's depiction... So let me amend my previous post by stating [what I thought was] the obvious: barring a select few cases, all forms of SW media are equalized under Disney's "one universe" policy.
__________________
"I am tired of Earth. These people.
I am tired of being caught in the tangle of their lives."
Last edited by Galan007 on Mar 23rd, 2018 at 01:26 AM
It essentially functions how it used to. The comics/games/novels/TV shows don't have the authority to retcon the movies, nor do the comics/games/novels have the authority to retcon the TV shows. The only place of retcon is between the standard C-Canon sources, which is how it's always been.
__________________ "There is only Revan. Only he can shape this galaxy as it is meant to be shaped."
galan your more familiar with the imperial hierarchy than most so i have another question-
Is there a particular reason why some characters refer to Tarkin as "Grand moff" and others call him "governor"?
is it just the writers ways of reminding us that he holds both titles? i mean, I noticed that people like Pryce call him grand moff, while Thrawn calls him governor. the title switching happens all the time.lol
Technically Tarkin's particular rank/title is somewhat situational, and is supposed to change in accordance with whatever issue(s) he is addressing at any given time. In all dealings with Palpatine, for example, he should be referred to as a Grand Moff. In military matters, however, he should be referred to as a Governor:
...But aside from Thrawn(and sometimes Vader), who typically did refer to Tarkin as "Governor" when they discussed military affairs, and "Moff" or "Grand Moff" when they discussed all other Imperial matters, no real distinction is usually made -- the titles/ranks are often used interchangeably. Simply put, Tarkin is Tarkin, and his position/status as the Empire's proverbial #2 was well-known to pretty much everyone in the galaxy either way.
Heck, even in this recent example Tarkin is referred to as "Governor" and "Grand Moff" in the very same sequence by his underlings: https://i.imgur.com/GMWg4R2.jpg
As mentioned above: most writers tend to use the titles synonymously.
__________________
"I am tired of Earth. These people.
I am tired of being caught in the tangle of their lives."