By George Bate, Josh Reilly B., and Cale William
Over the last couple weeks, the talk in Star Wars fandom has primarily involved the recent rumor of Rosario Dawson joining the cast of The Mandalorian season 2 as fan favorite character Ahsoka Tano, which would make this her first live-action appearance. We thought this would be a good time to have a fun look forward at the upcoming season of the Disney+ show, which is scheduled to premiere on the streaming service in October of this year. Along with Ahsoka, there are a variety of other interesting characters that could possibly appear in The Mandalorian at some point. This list is by no means exhaustive, but we thought we’d play around with the idea of previously seen characters appearing in the highly anticipated second season of the show and hypothesize as to their potential roles in the plot.
1. Boba Fett
It’s no secret that Boba Fett is a fan favorite, with the character’s popularity arguably paving the way for the creation of The Mandalorian in the first place. In canon, the last time we saw Boba was when he flew into the Sarlacc Pit and was presumed dead, but many believe that it is possible he could have escaped to live another day as he did in Legends. Many fans have theorized that the bounty hunter seen at the end of Chapter 5 of season one approaching Fennec Shand on Tatooine is Boba Fett, citing the sound of the footsteps as eerily similar to the sound of Fett’s entrance in The Empire Strikes Back. If he were to show up, he could have a number of different roles in the show. Boba could appear in a one-off episode like “The Prisoner” last season as a minor side character. Or he could play a more substantial role in the show as an ally of Din Djarin or a nemesis hunting after The Child. Boba could also appear in flashbacks to events on Mandalore or other flashbacks, potentially exploring a prior relationship between Boba and Din.
2. Cad Bane
Speaking of notorious, deadly bounty hunters, Cad Bane is another logical choice for a character who could show up in The Mandalorian. The show is obviously about bounty hunters and has already introduced us to an array of people involved in this “complicated profession.” Bane’s inclusion in season two seems natural given his last known canon appearances are when Bane collaborated with Dooku to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine and when Bane paid Captain Sear for blueprints of the Jedi Temple in the Clone Wars era, and his character has yet to be seen since. It is possible that Bane, not Boba, was the bounty hunter who approached Fennec in season one and this is how he could be introduced. Not only is the prospect of seeing Bane for the first time in live-action crash with Din Djarin in a post-Empire era really exciting, but the potential for Cad Bane to be actualized in live-action in any capacity seems like a great opportunity.
3. Luke Skywalker
At the end of Return of the Jedi, the Jedi were reborn. Anakin Skywalker’s sacrifice meant that his son was able to live and restart the Jedi Order. As The Mandalorian is set 5 years after Return of the Jedi, which is arguably Luke’s prime, we could see Dyn Djarin and The Child meet him at some point, particularly as the latter does indeed have Force powers. As Luke was restarting the Jedi Order at this time, it’s possible that he may take an interest in The Child and see him as a potential apprentice. However, if Jon Favreau and co. don’t go down this route, it’s still possible that Luke could appear, with the Jedi helping The Mandalorian. Luke has already appeared in canon several times after the Battle of Endor and before his appearance on Ahch-To in The Force Awakens, including the Shattered Empire series, The Rise of Kylo Ren comic series, and the Battlefront II campaign. It’s not implausible to suggest that Luke could appear, in a very limited capacity, in The Mandalorian given his activities during this era, such as hunting for old Jedi and Sith artifacts and training young Jedi. Moreover, young Luke’s appearance in The Rise of Skywalker paves the way for the usage of old footage to portray Luke or Mark Hamill to reprise his role as a younger version of himself with some of the in vogue de-aging technology seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Either way, it’s possible that Luke’s path converges with Din and The Child in the show.
4. Maz Kanata
Maz Kanata didn’t have the substantial role in the sequel trilogy many predicted or was initially planned in The Force Awakens, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t ample room to delve deeper into the character’s background. Maz is centuries old, therefore making her appearance in the era post Battle of Endor that The Mandalorian is set in possible. Maz’s somewhat ambiguous connection to the Force is reminiscent of The Child’s abilities in the Force given that neither are Jedi, yet both exhibit knowledge of and bonds to the Force. The Mandalorian has already placed the viewer inside many bars and taverns across the galaxy in its first season, so it’s not unreasonable to suggest that Maz Kanata’s castle seen in The Force Awakens could be the next stop for Din and The Child.
5. Admiral Gail Ackbar
Din’s path has already crossed with forces of the New Republic and Din has expressed some unsavory opinions of the new regime in a conversation with Greef Karga last season. Although the show so far has primarily centered around Din’s bounty hunting and relationship with The Child, multiple reports prior to the release of season one explained that the show will delve deeper into the origins of the First Order, making it logical to assume that the New Republic could also play a more substantial role in the show moving forward. Given Ackbar’s relatively limited role in the sequel trilogy, The Mandalorian could be a perfect opportunity for the fan favorite character to reappear. The show has already hinted slightly at Ackbar’s appearance in the show when Greef offers the bounty puck of a Mon Calamari to Din. Not only does the hologram resemble Ackbar, but Greef refers to the bounty as a “nobleman.” Din’s pursuit of Ackbar or a relative of his could be a really interesting plot point in the show’s second season, even as a one-off episode akin to “The Prisoner” or “The Gunslinger.”
6. Iden Versio
While the casting of some characters from animated shows or video games may be difficult, this would not be the case with the protagonist of the Battlefront II campaign Iden Versio. Janina Gavankar, who has forged a successful career in TV shows and movies as well, portrayed the character brilliantly in DICE’s 2017 shooter and the possibility of her reprising this role in live-action is inticing. Recently, Gavankar coyly responded to a rumor of the character’s appearance in the upcoming season of The Mandalorian. And the timelines match up relatively well. Iden’s journey in the Battlefront II campaign spans many years, but kicks off after the events of Return of the Jedi. Similarly, The Mandalorian is set in the aftermath of Palpatine’s death and the fall of the Empire, with the remnants of the fallen Empire playing major roles in both The Mandalorian and Battlefront II.
7. Snoke
Given the previous point about the potential for The Mandalorian to explore the origins of the First Order, Snoke’s inclusion is entirely plausible. It seems relatively clear from an array of different canon comics and books, in addition to some of the reveals hinted at in The Rise of Skywalker, that the First Order was born out of the desires of many Imperial officers and loyalists who wanted to continue the reign of their beloved Empire despite the Emperor’s death. However, at some point, the puppet Snoke, with Palpatine pulling the strings from the background, “hijacked,” for lack of a better term, the First Order and took them to another level of power and villainy. Eventually, the shards of the Empire we see in The Mandalorian will form into more of what we see in The Force Awakens as an organized First Order and Snoke obviously plays a large part in that. Not only could Snoke’s inclusion provide a great connection to the sequel trilogy, but it could also be an opportunity to delve a little deeper into the character’s origins that The Rise of Skywalker and The Rise of Kylo Ren comic series only touched the surface of. This isn’t to say Snoke could play a large role in the show as that is highly unlikely. However, a mere cameo or even mention of the Supreme Leader would be very interesting moving forward in The Mandalorian.
8. Q’ira
The incredible cliffhanger ending of Solo: A Star Wars Story featuring Q’ira’s fateful decision to adopt Dryden Vos’ position in Crimson Dawn, rather than leading a life with Han, is yet to be continued in canon following the 2018 film. Despite this, Q’ira remains an interesting character to explore, especially when Star Wars is delving deeper into underworld activities in projects like The Mandalorian. As Din Djarin crosses paths with bounty hunters, crime syndicates, mercenaries, smugglers and governments throughout the show, it could be that Crimson Dawn and, therefore, Q’ira become involved in the Mandalorian’s affairs. Q’ira would obviously be older at this point than when we last saw her and her inclusion in The Mandalorian may spoil aspects of her character arc taking place after Solo that we have yet to see. However, if there are no current plans for Emilia Clarke to reprise her role in a sequel to Solo or another project, The Mandalorian season two seems like a great opportunity to reintroduce her character into the fold.
9. Ezra Bridger
Given the cliffhanger that Star Wars: Rebels ends on in regards to Ezra Bridger, the young Jedi Padawan who was trained by Kanan Jarrus before his death, one can deduce that a follow up to these events is only a matter of time. It’s been rumored that an animated sequel to show to Rebels is on it’s way sooner rather than later, but even if this is indeed accurate, Ezra could still show up in The Mandalorian. If Ahsoka appears in the second season, then that could signal the creators behind the show are potentially following up the events of Rebels in The Mandalorian, meaning that the question of what happened to Ezra may be answered here.
10. Sabine Wren
From one Phoenix Squadron member to another, Sabine Wren comes next. There have been whispers about the famous Mandalorian and former wielder of the darksaber’s inclusion in the second season of this show. Sabine has been a fan favorite from her time on Star Wars Rebels and her connection to the darksaber, which she eventually handed off to Bo-Katan Kryze in the show, provides a tangible connection to The Mandalorian given Moff Gideon’s acquisition of the famous blade sometime during the original trilogy era. If Din Djarin and The Child ever journey to Mandalore or encounter more surviving Mandalorians, it’s a possibility that Sabine could make a much welcomed reemergence in canon.
11. Bo-Katan Kryze
Speaking of darksaber wielders, Bo-Katan’s inclusion seems to be one of the clearer cut choices to include on this list. As noted previously, Moff Gideon possesses the storied blade of Tarre Vizsla in the season finale of The Mandalorian, but it is unclear how he acquires this from the darksaber’s last known owner – Bo-Katan. Overall, Bo-Katan could play an integral role in The Mandalorian moving forward if the show decides to delve deeper into the fall of Mandalore, which I think it will. The last time we saw Mandalore, the planet was reunited under Bo-Katan’s reign as the clans came together to rebel against the Empire’s occupation of their plan and domination of their below. Some point thereafter, however, “the purge” occurred, leading to Imperial Security Bureau officers like Gideon presumably defeating Bo-Katan and reclaiming the planet and the darksaber. Whether it be in flashbacks to the tragic puge or if she is indeed one of the surviving Mandalorians scattered across the galaxy, Bo-Katan’s inclusion in the show makes a lot of sense.
As mentioned previously, this list is by no means exhaustive as we anticipate many more characters mentioned or seen in Star Wars canon will pop up in The Mandalorian at some point. From Dengar to Bossk to Palpatine to Han to Chewie to C3PO to Lando to IG-88 to Phasma to Mon Mothma, the list of potential characters that we haven’t touched on are endless. And that’s one of the best things about Star Wars, especially in the new canon era – the level of interconnectivity of events, characters and locations across different eras and projects. The Mandalorian season 2 is over 6 months away and our excitement will continue grow every day until it premieres this October.