Iconic Quote
“You may fire when ready.”
— Grand Moff Tarkin, Star Wars: A New Hope
What Makes Them Great
Tarkin is the man who commands Darth Vader — and that fact alone makes him one of the most quietly powerful villains in cinema. Cushing's aristocratic menace gave the Empire its administrative face: the man who destroys planets over paperwork.
The Villain
Peter Cushing's Grand Moff Tarkin is the bureaucratic evil of the Galactic Empire personified — a gaunt, sharp-featured military commander who orders the destruction of Alderaan with the same clinical detachment he might use to sign a budget report. Cushing's elegance makes Tarkin more chilling than any Force-wielding Sith. He commands Vader. That single detail tells you everything about where real power in the Empire resides.
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