It is likely safe to assume that the inimitable Grand Admiral Thrawn would be on, if not placed near the top of most lists of things that will be missed from the EU. Thrawn came along at a time when the galaxy was in dire need of a new villain to replace Vader and Palpatine and he filled their boots admirably. Simply put, Thrawn is one of the greatest characters to ever appear in the Star Wars universe, period. He is a tactical genius who made extensive study of military intelligence and art, and is willing to retreat instead of making a stand in a losing battle. His command style is considerably different from that of Darth Vader. Rather than punishing failure and errors, Thrawn promotes creativity among his crew and accepts ideas from subordinates. There are so many reasons having Thrawn in the sequels would be amazing, there simply isnt enough room to list them all. Seriously, imagine Benedict Cumberbatch taking on the role he seems destined to play. Sadly, it was not meant to be and Grand Admiral Thrawn is bid adieu.