Editing Grand Moff Tarkin (section)

====''Star Wars'' (1977)====
Introduced in the first film in the [[Original trilogy (Star Wars)|original ''Star Wars'' trilogy]], Governor Tarkin is a Grand Moff of the Galactic Empire and commander of the [[Death Star]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Peter Cushing in "Star Wars"|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|publisher=[[Block Communications]]|location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|date=August 13, 1976|pages=29}}</ref> After [[Emperor Palpatine]] dissolves the Imperial Senate, Tarkin and [[Darth Vader]] (portrayed by [[David Prowse]], voiced by [[James Earl Jones]]) are charged with pursuing and destroying the [[Rebel Alliance]]. He threatens [[Princess Leia|Princess Leia Organa]] ([[Carrie Fisher]]) with the destruction of her home planet, [[Alderaan]], if Leia does not reveal the location of the Rebel main base of operations. When Leia names the planet [[Dantooine]] as the base's location, he destroys Alderaan regardless, hoping to make an example out of the planet's support of the Rebellion. Upon learning that Leia's coerced information was false, Tarkin orders Leia's execution.

He allows the Rebels to escape the Death Star with Leia after placing a tracking beacon on the ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' in order to find the Rebel base. He orders the Death Star to destroy the Rebel base on [[Yavin 4]]. In the film's climax, Tarkin refuses to believe that the Death Star is in danger from the Rebel starfighter attack; as a result, he refuses to evacuate. He is subsequently killed by [[Luke Skywalker]] ([[Mark Hamill]]), who succeeds in destroying the Death Star by firing torpedoes into the exhaust port. Tarkin is last seen deep in thought seconds before the Death Star explodes.