In "Zero Hour: Part 1" (Rebels 3.21), Grand Admiral Thrawn uses the Imperial fleet to besiege the Rebel base on Atollon. Thrawn's strategy is brilliant, as usual, but he loses the battle because he does not corral Admiral Konstantine's desire for personal glory. On the Rebel side, Commander Jun Sato proves a better leader than Thrawn because he inspires his men to follow his lead and gain glory with him, even in death.
As Thrawn readies his attack, he orders the impatient Konstantine to hold his cruiser back instead of attacking the Rebels immediately. "Fighting over glory?" Agent Kallus goads, voicing the thought that is presumably going through Konstantine's head: Thrawn is keeping Konstantine back so he can take credit for the victory himself. However, Thrawn retorts, "I do not require glory, only results for my Emperor."
To attain glory is to have one's achievements recognized and lauded by others. It is an intangible good that is entirely couched in relationships. Thrawn's disinterest in glory, then, goes hand in hand with the cold rationality that makes him such a master strategist. Thrawn does not care about glory because he does not care about his relationships with others. He is focused solely on tangible "results," which enables him to seek victory without having his judgment clouded by passion or ego, but also limits his ability to motivate his men.
Instead of acknowledging and harnessing Konstantine's passion for glory, Thrawn disregards it – and this desire for glory is what drives Konstantine to defy his orders, moving his ship out of position to intercept Commander Sato: "I will not be denied the glory of this kill!" Thrawn disdains personal glory and keeps his eyes on the bigger picture, but he loses sight of Konstantine, who jeopardizes the larger battle in his pursuit of glory for himself.
Commander Sato lures Konstantine out of position and rams his Star Destroyer, a self-sacrificial act that opens a way for Ezra Bridger to escape the battle and bring Rebel reinforcements. Like Thrawn, Sato keeps his eyes on the bigger picture and subordinates the desire for personal benefit to the pursuit of victory – but unlike Thrawn, Sato effectively motivates his men to carry out his strategy. While the aloof Thrawn directs his underlings from above, Sato leads by courageous example, telling his men to abandon ship as he sacrifices his life to save theirs. Like Konstantine defying Thrawn, Sato's men defy his orders and refuse to stay back: they willingly follow their leader to share in his glorious death.
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Characters: Admiral Konstantine / Grand Admiral Thrawn / Jun Sato
Shows: Rebels
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Concepts: glory / leadership / passion / sacrifice
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