Originally posted by MendaxHe was a Colonel. Senior rank in the ISB; mid-level rank in the Empire as a whole(just below General.)
Random question-
where did Yularen fall in the Imperial pecking order?
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.
Originally posted by MendaxHe 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.
Okay, so I'm guessing Tarkin was a Moff before grand Moff right? What rank was he before that?
ie. when Tarkin made a cameo at the end of RotS, he was already a Moff:
*He would become a Grand Moff a few years later.
The recent issue of Darth Vader helps narrow down Tarkin's promotion a bit.
The issue is set 3 years after RotS:
https://i.imgur.com/iUVbag7.jpg
By that time Tarkin was already a Governor and Grand Moff:
Originally posted by MendaxYes.
So doesn't that mean he became Grand Moff earlier than people originally said?
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.
Originally posted by MendaxThere 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.
Is that comic more canon then the book?
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.
Originally posted by DarthAnt66Tbf, 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.
The movie novelizations being secondary to the films, for example.
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. 👆
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:
"To complement his new station, Tarkin designed and had made a gray-green uniform whose thick-belted, round-collared tunic featured four code cylinders and a rank plaque of twelve multicolored squares, six blue over trios of red and gold. In all dealings with the Emperor he was referred to as Grand Moff, but for ordinary interactions with military personnel he retained the honorific Governor."-Tarkin
...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.
