Governor Wilhuff Tarkin is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, first portrayed by English actor Peter Cushing in the 1977 film Star Wars. He is the commander of the Death Star, the Galactic Empire’s dwarf planet-sized doomsday weapon. His philosophies “ruling through fear of force”, dubbed the Tarkin Doctrine, became central to Imperial policy and promoted him to become the first Grand Moff in the Galactic Empire. The character has been called “one of the most formidable villains in Star Wars history.”