The kalikori conundrum

"Admiral Ar’alani says you like art.”

“I study it."

~

No worries.

I will try not to force here the —rather controversial— point that Thrawn does not, in fact, love art but simply analyzes it.

However, I will rant a bit about the huge mischaracterization of him imperialistically exploiting it, as seen in “Rebels.”

I start by stating that I am not, by any stretch, at war with Dave Filoni.

Ok. Maybe I am a little concerned at the moment. Terrorized, more properly, about the incoming TV series. But not my focus here.

Speaking about what we *do* know, among all the possible big and small details that weren’t fully tuned in Rebels’ Thrawn, his whole relationship with art was, for me, the most striking one.

In Zahn’s work, I do not recall that Thrawn ever expressed an interest in long term collecting art for his personal enjoyment or in robbing it from the legitimate owners. He, very respectfully, gathers cultural information from paintings and sculptures, sure. He reads people souls, if you want, from their artistic expressions. But the object itself carries no specific value after the analysis. In Outbound Flight, for example, he has a total of zero intention to retain the Vagaari stolen collection he is studying, and he is fully committed to gifting it ultimately to Qennto.

So, yeah.

The kalikori conundrum.

For me, the symbol of everything Thrawn actually isn't and "Rebels" claims him to be.

Even not discussing here the absurd and complete out-of-character note he makes about Hera’s *dead brother* (I can hear the heart of Zahn’s Thrawn cracking at that moment, bleeding over cute bistros and cheese triangles), his attitude towards the kalikori is illogical.

The totem gave him the information he sought, eventually an insight into the complex mind of Hera Syndulla. But why strutting about keeping an item that doesn't belong to him with that gratuitous acid superiority?

Like... a trophy?

*Thrawn* wants a trophy?

*Thrawn*?

"I never did something for myself like ever in my life" *Thrawn*?

"I care so less about showing off that I propose to my nemesis of 15 years to join the Ascendancy because he can be actually useful" *Thrawn*?

Clearly nonsense.