Orson Krennic's Timeline | Star Wars Guide

Orson Krennic died in 1 BBY.

Orson Krennic was the ambitious Imperial director who pushed the Death Star from a stalled Separatist blueprint to a working planet-killer, and died under its fire on Scarif. A gifted, charming architect, he met the scientist Galen Erso in the Republic Futures Program and later used that friendship for his own ends. During the Clone Wars he joined the secret Special Weapons Group, got the Erso family out of Separatist captivity on Vallt and brought the Geonosians in to build the station. Under the Empire he drew Galen into Project Celestial Power, claiming it was about clean energy while secretly turning his kyber research into a weapon. His career rose and fell with every setback and with his running feud with Wilhuff Tarkin. After the Ersos fled, Krennic tracked them to Lah'mu, where his death troopers killed Lyra and he took Galen back to finish the superlaser. In the Empire's last years before the Galactic Civil War, he set up the Ghorman project to seize kalkite, fought Grand Admiral Thrawn for funding and kept the project secret. In the end it got away from him. After he ordered the test that wiped out Jedha City, rebels stole the station's plans from Scarif. Tarkin took command of the Death Star and fired on the base, and Krennic died in the blast of the weapon he had spent his life building.

Homeworld: Lexrul

Species: Human

Force Sensitive: No

~51 BBY - Birth on Lexrul

Born in Sativran City on Lexrul in the final decades of the Galactic Republic.

36 BBY - Republic Futures Program

At fifteen, earns a place in the Futures Program on Brentaal, where he befriends fellow student Galen Erso. He graduates with high honors after becoming famous for his late nights out.

~30s BBY - Republic Corps of Engineers

Joins the design regiment of the Corps of Engineers and supervises large construction projects. He uses his influence to get Galen a visiting professorship at the Institute of Applied Science.

23 BBY - Kartoosh Facility

Helps engineer the huge construction and overhaul facility above Kartoosh.

~22 BBY - Strategic Advisory Cell

During the Clone Wars, secretly joins the Republic Special Weapons Group and argues that the Republic should build the captured battle station design itself, using Galen Erso's crystal research.

~22 BBY - Rescue on Vallt

Posing as a Zerpen Industries employee, trades captured Separatist scientists for the imprisoned Erso family. He then calls in a Republic cruiser, which destroys the Keep where they were held.

~22 BBY - The Geonosian Hive

Persuades the captive Archduke Poggle the Lesser to have his hive build the Death Star. Months later, Poggle orders his drones to tear down their work and escapes, badly damaging Krennic's reputation.

~19 BBY - Project Celestial Power

After the Empire replaces the Republic, recruits Galen for a supposed clean-energy program on Coruscant while secretly turning his kyber crystal research into a weapon.

~19 BBY - Malpaz Disaster

A weapons research facility on Malpaz explodes. Krennic covers it up as an attack to keep Galen working, and receives only a modest promotion to commander.

~18 BBY - Summit at Raven's Peak

Briefs Tarkin's summit on Eriadu about Project Stardust. Partisans and Clone Force 99 attack the compound during the meeting.

~18 BBY - Superlaser Prototype

While Tarkin is busy with an uprising in the Salient system, he test-fires a prototype weapon into the Hero Twins black holes.

~18 BBY - The Ersos Escape

With Saw Gerrera's help, the Erso family slips away from Coruscant. Krennic is demoted to lieutenant commander and vows to find them.

14 BBY - Tarkin Becomes Grand Moff

Tarkin gains authority over the Death Star but keeps his distance, blaming Stardust's setbacks on Krennic.

13 BBY - Lah'mu

Now Director of Advanced Weapons Research, he tracks the Ersos to Lah'mu. His death troopers kill Lyra after she wounds him, and he takes Galen back to finish the superlaser while Jyn escapes.

~9 BBY - Construction Moves to Scarif

After Saw Gerrera gets close to discovering the station, construction moves from Geonosis to Scarif. Brierly Ronan becomes Krennic's devoted assistant director.

~4 BBY - Maltheen Divide Conference

Reveals the Empire's need for Ghorman's kalkite and gives Dedra Meero control of the Ghorman project, which will stir up rebellion to justify a takeover.

3 BBY - Sculdun's Investiture Party

Trades barbs with Senator Mon Mothma at Davo Sculdun's party on Coruscant.

2 BBY - Ghorman Massacre

The Ghorman project ends in a massacre and full Imperial occupation, and strip-mining for kalkite begins on Krennic's timetable.

1 BBY - Imperial Ball

Attends the Empire Day ball, where a drunk subordinate leaks his interest in Jedha's kyber to a reporter.

1 BBY - Sev Tok Conference

Aboard the Firedrake, gets Thrawn to bet his TIE Defender funding on solving Stardust's gralloc supply problem, and sends Ronan to watch him.

1 BBY - Destruction of Jedha City

After a pilot defects with a message about the station, Tarkin takes over the project and fires the superlaser at Jedha City at Krennic's urging. Tarkin then credits himself with the success.

1 BBY - Mustafar and Eadu

Asks Darth Vader for an audience with the Emperor but is warned instead. On Eadu, he has Galen's engineers executed, and Galen is killed in the rebel air raid that follows.

1 BBY - Death on Scarif

Fails to stop Rogue One from sending the Death Star plans and is wounded by Cassian Andor. He dies on Scarif when Tarkin fires the station on the Citadel.

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