Credit: LucasfilmNow that The Mandalorian Season 3 has finally arrived on Disney+, there’s no better time to look at all the main characters from the show and the wider “Mando-Verse” (The Book of Boba Fett, and soon, Ahsoka). After all, there are so many memorable ones, including those whose tenure is tragically short-lived (we have spoken). So here are all 12 main characters from the flagship live-action Star Wars show and beyond, ranked from worst to best.
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12. IG-11
The fact that bounty hunter droid IG-11 (Taika Waititi) is at the bottom of our list doesn’t necessarily mean we don’t like the character. After all, after being reprogrammed into a nurse droid by Kuiil (Nick Nolte) in The Mandalorian Season 1, IG-11 dedicates his existence into protecting Grogu from Imperial forces, which results in some awesome sequences, such as as IG-11 annihilating two scout troopers to the awesome speeder attack on Nevarro.
And let’s not forget IG-11’s sacrifice in the Season 1 finale “Chapter 8: Redemption”, in which he self-terminates (one of many references to the Terminator franchise throughout The Mandalorian) to save Grogu. With all that said, despite how lovable some of them may be, droids are only so interesting, although The Mandalorian Season 3 is set to bring IG-11 back from the “dead”, so perhaps we’ll end up bumping him up a few places as the season unfolds.
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11. The Armorer
In many ways, the Armorer (Emily Swallow) is a lot like a droid, in that she’s always covered from head to toe in Beskar armor — we’re yet to see her face, which is very unlikely considering how displeases she is with Din Djarin/the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) for having removed his on three occasions. However, it’s fair to say that she’s a lot more animated than any droid — both physically and vocally.
The Armorer’s best moment to date is in the Season 1 finale, in which she unleashes hell upon some unfortunate stormtroopers while in the caves beneath Nevarro’s surface. While the Armorer is otherwise pretty one-note, there’s something slightly “off” about her, which really lends to the more intimidating nature of her character. Friend or foe? Hopefully we’ll learn a lot more about her as The Mandalorian Season 3 goes on.
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10. Greef Karga
Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) is yet another recurring character in The Mandalorian, and has been there since the very beginning, first as a the head of the bounty hunters guild on Nevarro, and now, in The Mandalorian Season 3, the High Magistrate of the newly-built Nevarro. Carl Weathers is the perfect as Karga, one of Din Djarin’s closest allies, who, at times, feels so much a part of the bounty hunter’s inner-circle, that he’s almost like family.
In true Carl Weathers-fashion, Greef Karga has not been without plenty of action sequences in the series so far, from gun-fights on the streets of Nevarro (first of all, against Din Djarin) to sitting co-pilot with ex shock-trooper Cara Dune/Gina Carano in Season 2’s “Chapter 12: The Siege”. Karga also has a ton of chemistry with Dune, and so it’s an incredible shame that Carano is no longer in the show. Either way, what lies ahead for Greef Karga?
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9. Moff Gideon
Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) is an Imperial officer who is the main antagonist of The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2. The Season 1 finale reveals that Gideon is in possession of the elusive Mandalorian Darksaber, however, by the end of Season 2, he loses it to Din Djarin after toe-to-toe combat. Nevertheless, Gideon is skilled with the blade, and manages to hold his own pretty well against the Mandalorian and his Beskar spear.
Gideon is a cruel and unapologetic character, and the fact that he wants to conduct experiments upon Grogu really speaks to just how evil and devoted to the Empire he really is. Fortunately, he’s currently in New Republic custody, although we’re pretty sure it won’t stay that way for too long. While it remains to be seen who the main antagonist of The Mandalorian Season 3 will be, we’re hedging our best on Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff).
Related: ‘Mandalorian’ Season 3 to Feature Huge Tie-In to Sequel Trilogy
8. Boba Fett (Mando-Verse Character)
Star Wars fans rejoiced when Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) first appeared in The Mandalorian Season 2’s “Chapter 14: The Tragedy” (although he technically makes his first appearance in Season 1’s “Chapter 5: The Gunslinger”). The Robert Rodriguez-directed episode is nothing but back to back action, in which Boba Fett reclaims his title as the ultimate bad-ass bounty hunter from the faraway galaxy.
It’s also wonderful to see Morrison play Boba Fett, having played the character’s father Jango Fett, as well as every other clone, in the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. Unfortunately, his own spin-off show The Book of Boba Fett (2021) leaves a lot to be desired, which also left many fans feeling that Disney and Lucasfilm had ruined the character, as he’s suddenly far more agreeable than he is intimidating. Nevertheless, Morrison absolutely rocks in the role.
Related: Watch These 5 Episodes From ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ to Complete ‘The Book of Boba Fett’
7. Fennec Shand (Mando-Verse Character)
You can’t have Boba Fett without Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) — at least not in the Mando-Verse. The elite mercenary and assassin is first introduced as the antagonist in Season 1’s “Chapter 5: The Gunslinger”, however, she returned as Boba Fett’s partner-in-crime in Season 2’s “Chapter 14: The Tragedy”, having been saved from death by the bounty hunter.
Fennec helps Boba protect Din Djarin and Grogu against Moff Gideon’s Imperial forces as they try to retrieve “the Child” from the ruins of a Jedi temple where he’s trying to reconnect with other Jedi. Ming-Na Wen also steals the show in The Book of Boba Fett, especially in the finale in which she swiftly kills all the crime lords on Mos Eisley.
Related: Where is Ahsoka During All Three ‘Star Wars’ Trilogies?
6. Ahsoka Tano (Mando-Verse Character)
Ahsoka Tano is one of our favorite characters in the entire Star Wars franchise, so it might surprise you then to see that she’s not at the top of our list of characters from The Mandalorian. Well, the truth is that, while Rosario Dawson is excellent as the Togruta Jedi, deep down we’re still getting used to the idea of seeing the character in live action.
We were absolutely thrilled when she appeared in Season 1’s “Chapter 13: The Jedi”, and when she returned in The Book of Boba Fett‘s “Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger”. Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) is getting her own live-action series later this year, and we can’t wait to see how Dawson fleshes out this beloved, iconic character.
Related: ‘Ahsoka’ Series Could Bring Maul Back From the Dead
5. Kuiil
You might think we’re taking liberties with including Kuiil (Nick Nolte) on this list, but there’s no denying that his character has a huge impact on the show, despite not making it past the Season 1 finale “Chapter 7: The Reckoning”. Kuiil is an alien of the Ugnaught variety, and one who previously worked for the Empire during its reign over the galaxy.
When we meet him in the Season 1 episode “Chapter 1: The Mandalorian”, he’s living in solitude on the planet Arvala-7. Kuiil teaches Din Djarin how to ride a Blurrg, leads him to locate the bounty that turns out to be the Child, and reprogrammes IG-11 into a nurse droid. Unfortunately, though, Kuiil is sadly killed while trying to protect the little green guy.
Related: 7 Reasons Why Bo-Katan Needs Her Own Live-Action ‘Star Wars’ Series
4. Cara Dune
Two years ago, Gina Carano was fired by Lucasfilm for sharing a tweet comparing the way Republican-Americans are treated to Jewish people during the Holocaust. But whatever you may think of Carano, the tough-but-tender Cara Dune isn’t just one of the best characters in The Mandalorian, but also one of the best female characters in the faraway galaxy.
Dune first appears in The Mandalorian Season 1’s “Chapter 4: Sanctuary”, and becomes a regularly recurring character right up until the explosive Season 2 finale. Fortunately, there are many excellent Cara Dune moments throughout the show — it’s just a shame that we won’t ever see her appear in Star Wars again, unless she’s recast or appears in animation.
Related: The 5 Best Episodes of ‘The Mandalorian’
3. Bo-Katan Kryze
Like Ahsoka Tano, Bo-Katan Kryze first appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), then again in Star Wars: Rebels (2014), and then for the first time in live action in The Mandalorian Season 2. Though she started out as something of a villain, being a member of Mandalorian terrorist cell Death Watch, Bo-Katan soon became an ally of Ahsoka, helping her to defeat Maul after he claimed the throne of Mandalore, just before Order 66.
She also ends up helping Din Djarin and the rest of the team at the end of The Mandalorian Season 2, however, that’s where things become quite complicated, as Din comes into possession of the Darksaber, which can only be won through combat. It will be interesting to see how things play out between the two in The Mandalorian Season 3, but let’s hope it doesn’t end badly for Bo-Katan, because she deserves her own live-action show.
Related: Katee Sackhoff Isn’t the Only Person Playing Bo-Katan In ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3
2. Grogu (Mando-Verse Character)
What isn’t there to love about Grogu aka “the Child” aka “Baby Yoda”? He’s tiny, adorable, funny, innocent, dangerous… the list goes on. When he’s first introduced in The Mandalorian Season 1’s pilot episode, we all had our suspicions that he would turn out be a Force-user, but we had no idea just how powerful he would be.
And though we’ve learned from Ahsoka that Grogu was a youngling at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and have also seen snippets of his time there during the events of Order 66, we’re yet to fully understand where he’s been for the last 28 years. But the more interesting question is; what lies ahead for Grogu? Is he destined to become a Jedi, or a Mandalorian?
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1. Din Djarin/the Mandalorian (Mando-Verse Character)
It might seem like a copout having the main character from The Mandalorian in the top spot, but we are ranking characters from the Mando-Verse and not strictly from the flagship show (even if it is where they all make their initial appearance!) Not only that, but the titular bounty hunter has become instantly iconic, and it’s plain to see why.
So, what has earned the gun-slinging Mandalorian first place? Well, take your pick. For starters, he’s incredibly cool, and though on first glance he’s as hard on the inside as his Beskar armor, he’s deeply compassionate and is guided by his moral compass. Pedro Pascal also does a brilliant job at conveying many emotions from behind a solid helmet.
Related: Recap: ‘The Mandalorian’, “Chapter 17 – The Apostate”
Check out the official trailer for The Mandalorian Season 3 below:
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Bo-Katan Before ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3
As per Disney+, here’s the official synopsis for The Mandalorian Season 3:
The journeys of the Mandalorian through the Star Wars galaxy continue. Once a lone bounty hunter, Din Djarin has reunited with Grogu. Meanwhile, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history. The Mandalorian will cross paths with old allies and make new enemies as he and Grogu continue their journey together.
The Mandalorian Season 3 stars Pedro Pascal (Din Djarin/The Mandalorian), Giancarlo Esposito (Moff Gideon), Carl Weathers (Greef Karga), Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan Kryze), Emily Swallow (The Armorer), Omid Abtahi (Dr. Pershing), Amy Sedaris (Peli Motto), and Tim Meadows and Christopher Lloyd in undisclosed roles.
Related: Nicolas Cage Breaks Silence on ‘Mandalorian’ Appearance, Makes Surprising Revelation
The Mandalorian Season 3 is now streaming on Disney+. Ahsoka (2023) will premiere on Disney+ later this year.
Who are your favorite characters in The Mandalorian? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!