The Mandalorian season 2 has featured a number of returning alien species from the Star Wars franchise, including a race from Rogue One. Season 2 has already marked the return of several alien species to the franchise - from Gammoreans to Abyssins, Weequays, and even a Krayt Dragon (which first appeared in skeletal form all the way back in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope). Among these returning species is a Gigoran, prominently featured in Rogue One - though the species later appeared fleetingly in Solo during the spice mine sequence.

Despite lacking a Skywalker draw, Rogue One, the spin-off made over $1 billion at the box office and was critically acclaimed,  thanks in large part to its impressive worldbuilding. And the many alien designs introduced were widely praised for feeling true to the established world, while also adding new elements for future filmmakers to explore in greater detail. The Mandalorian season 1 received greater praise than most of Disney’s previous Star Wars efforts, and the future of the show looks set to continue that deep-dive into the galaxy far, far away with new worlds and new species.

Related: The Mandalorian Season 2 Helps Debunk Old Boba Fett Fan Theory

In The Mandalorian season 2, “Chapter 10: The Passenger”, Din Djarin ends up in the Mos Eisley Cantina - one of the most famous locations from the original trilogy - and encounters, among other sentient species, a Gigoran. Tall and hairy, Gigorans resemble Wookiees crossed with Wampas, and are often captured as slaves within the Star Wars universe due to their immense strength. While the first named Gigoran in Disney’s new continuity was Moroff from Rogue One, the species actually originated in the old Expanded Universe (now deemed non-canon) as part of source material for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game - though they looked thinner and more ape-like than their later canon counterparts. Additionally, the non-canon Gigorans could speak Galactic Basic (the Star Wars term for “English” or whatever language the media is being translated into), while Disney’s Gigorans require a translating vocoder - often worn over their mouths, and resembling a muzzle.

Gigoran, The Mandalorian

It’s likely that the Gigoran costume used in The Mandalorian season 2 was recycled from Rogue One - common practice within the Star Wars franchise, and understandably so. Many alien species are only seen for a few moments on screen, but each requires an incredible amount of work from costume designers and special effects artists (not to mention money), so it makes sense to recycle costumes and alien designs wherever possible. For a television project like The Mandalorian, it’s useful to have various alien costumes “on the rack”, as it were, to better flesh out the world and help keep the budget down.

In addition to various returning alien races, The Mandalorian has also introduced some new species - most notably, the Frog Lady, Dr. Mandible (an ant-like alien), and the ice spiders. While none of these aliens have official species names, thus far, this is expected to change with the release of a new reference book (The Mandalorian: The Ultimate Visual Guide) in 2021. Until then, it’s likely that more aliens will re-appear throughout The Mandalorian season 2 - giving Star Wars fans plenty to chew over in the coming weeks.

Next: The Mandalorian: Why IG-88’s Head Is In The Mos Eisley Cantina