In 2016, Anthony Breznican of "Entertainment Weekly" called Thrawn a "fan favorite" and "one of the most significant characters to ever emerge from the Expanded Universe", and Brian Truitt of "USA Today" named the character "one of "Star Wars" fandom's favorite villains". Comicbook.com called Thrawn "arguably the most popular character in the "Star Wars Legends" universe" in 2017, and Linda Hansen-Raj wrote that the character "carries a lasting legacy as one of "Star Wars" greatest and most complex antagonists." In 2014, GamesRadar's Sam Ashurst called Thrawn "hugely popular amongst fans, partly because of his tactical genius, partly because of his progressive attitude to his employees but mainly due to the fact he's got a blue face" and "easily the coolest villain in the "Expanded Universe"", noting Thrawn's loss as one of the major consequences of Lucasfilm's abandonment of the old expanded universe for "". Emmet Asher-Perrin of "Tor.com" noted in 2016 that as "one of the most popular Expanded Universe villains" and "one of the most threatening antagonists that the "Star Wars" universe had on hand", the character's removal from canon continuity "had many fans crying foul".