While Star Wars has mostly followed the Skywalker family and associated parties, the fictional universe is also filled with countless peripheral characters. The Mandalorian, the first live-action series in the franchise, puts those types of individuals front and center in an intimate, small-scale story.
Created by Jon Favreau (Iron Man), the series follows a Mandalorian bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal) as he navigates a lawless galaxy five years after the Galactic Empire's fall. Throughout his journey, the Mandalorian meets numerous individuals who have varying backgrounds and motives. With the first season recently wrapped, let's take a look back at the ten most interesting characters thus far. The following list has full spoilers for season one.
The Client
A former Imperial officer, the Client (Werner Herzog) hired the Mandalorian to retrieve the Child. He was accompanied by stormtroopers and Doctor Pershing, who encouraged him to keep the small alien alive. Unlike Pershing's military tunic uniform, the Client wore a leather-like jacket and an Imperial medallion.
Upon meeting the Mandalorian a second time to receive the Child, the Client receives a hologram message from superior Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), who kills him shortly afterward. The Client's identity remains a mystery, even after his death. But based on his comments in "Chapter 7: The Reckoning," he was a firm supporter of the Empire.
Greef Karga
Operating out of a cantina on the planet Nevarro, Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) is the leader of the Bounty Hunters Guild. As their leader, he decides which bounty hunters are worthy of getting jobs and makes sure everyone follows guild rules. When the Mandalorian takes the Child from the Client, Karga is the one who leads a group of bounty hunters to get the valuable asset back.
He is depicted as calm and financially influenced, but also fair. After the Child saves his life, Karga ditches his plan to steal the small alien and returns the favor. In "Chapter 8: Redemption," Gideon reveals the guild leader was a disgraced law administer. Despite his white-collar background, Karga declares his enjoyment of bounty hunters. During the season's final moments, he declares his intention to stay on Nevarro to continue leading the guild.
Mayfeld
Having one of the more distinguished personalities in the season, Mayfeld (Bill Burr) works with the Mandalorian in "Chapter 6: The Prisoner" on a rescue mission. The former Imperial sharpshooter was appointed by Ranzar Malk (Mark Boone Jr.), the Mandalorian's old associate, as point man for the prison ship break-in.
Despite the tense mission, Mayfeld displayed a strong sense of humor and enjoyed mocking others. He was only apprehensive when a guard threatened to bring a New Republic attack group to his location. For weaponry, he wields two blaster pistols with a third controlled by a droid arm attached to his back. He was last seen in a prison cell with those who betrayed the bounty hunter during the job.
The Armorer
A member of the Tribe, the Armorer (Emily Swallow) is a Mandalorian who lived in a secret Nevarro enclave. As her moniker suggests, she repaired or forged equipment for the warrior group. She also offered advice that went beyond equipment suggestions. Her wisdom seems to come from experience following the Mandalorian creed and familiarity with war stories.
Despite the brashness of her fellow Mandalorians, she never rose in emotion when situations got heated and repeatedly cited the creed. Yet even with a calm demeanor, she shows in "Chapter 8: Redemption" that she can use her fighting expertise when necessary. The Armorer elected to stay behind at the Nevarro enclave to salvage the scattered Tribe's leftover gear and supplies.
IG-11
Not to be confused with IG-88, IG-11 (Taiki Waititi) was a multifunctional assassin droid who worked as a bounty hunter. Like the Mandalorian, he was part of the Bounty Hunters Guild and was pursuing the Child on the desert planet Arvala-7. The two briefly partnered together shortly before the Mandalorian shot the droid for wanting to terminate the young alien.
Repaired by Kuiil, IG-11 was reprogrammed as a nurse droid that prioritized protecting. Despite the change in protocol, IG-11 maintained his direct personality, combat prowess, and non-combat functions. But most importantly, he was completely devoted to following his programming. With the Child's safety at risk, IG-11 activated his self-destruction feature to kill a squad of stormtroopers on Nevarro.
Kuiil
A member of the worker Ugnaught species, Kuiil (Nick Nolte) was a vapor farmer who lived on Arvala-7. Before settling down on his farm, he was sold to the Empire and worked hard for years to buy his freedom. Along with patience, the Ugnaught was exceptional with technology -- a skill he proved after he repaired IG-11 and the Mandalorian's ship, the Razor Crest, back to functioning status.
Kuiil became a valuable ally to the Mandalorian after the event. Eventually, the bounty hunter asked for his assistance again on a mission to free the Child from the Empire. Kuiil accepted the request because he strongly valued freedom after his personal experiences. He was killed while fleeing from scout troopers on Nevarro.
Cara Dune
Hailing from Alderaan, Carasynthia "Cara" Dune (Gina Carano) sought revenge for her home planet's destruction by serving as a Rebel shock trooper in the Galactic Civil War. After the war concluded, Dune transitioned into a peacekeeper, a job she did not want. Eventually, Dune became a mercenary and was wanted for unknown reasons. She hid on the forested planet of Sorgan, where she was discovered by the Mandalorian.
Proficient with firearms and close-quarter combat, Dune assisted the bounty hunter on two occasions. Strongly influenced by her military background, the action-oriented Dune showed fierce loyalty when she refused to abandon the injured Mandalorian in "Chapter 8: Redemption." Favreau stated the character was created exclusively for Carano.
The Mandalorian
Din Djarin, who is mostly known as "the Mandalorian," is a bounty hunter who operates out of Nevarro. During the Republic Era, his parents were killed by Separatist super battle droids and he was taken in by a member of Death Watch, a pro-war Mandalorian group. Eventually, he swore to follow the Mandalorian creed and officially became one.
By "Chapter 1," the Mandalorian is a member of the Bounty Hunters Guild. The quiet bounty hunter is depicted as exceptional at hunting and combat despite occasional rough moments. While working a high-reward job, the Mandalorian discovers the Child on Arvala-7. Due to the young alien's similar upbringing as his own, he chooses to protect him and has committed to the decision ever since.
Moff Gideon
During the Galactic Civil War, Gideon was an officer in the Imperial Security Bureau, the Empire's intelligence agency. He was involved in the Great Purge against the Mandalorians and was presumed to have been executed for war crimes. By the time of his introduction, he is in command of a remnant of Imperial forces and is desperate to attain the Child.
Ruthless, the Moff had no problem ordering the killing of the Client and many stormtroopers. He is also highly knowledgeable, being familiar with the background of various characters along with galactic history. In "Chapter 8: Redemption," Gideon is seen using the Darksaber, a black-bladed, one-of-a-kind lightsaber with a history of changing hands and a Mandalorian connection.
The Child
One of the two leads of the series, the Child is a 50-year-old alien who is sought after by Imperial remnant forces. He was found by the Mandalorian in a military compound on Arvala-7. He is one of three known members of Jedi Master Yoda's mysterious species that is known for aging slowly.
Like Yoda, the Child has the power to use the Force -- a probable reason Imperial remnant forces want him. Despite the constant danger, he has shown kindness to strangers, even using his abilities to help them. The Child was last seen in the care of the Mandalorian, who agreed to reunite him with his kind or protect him until he is of age.