After the lackluster fan reaction to The Last Jedi and the massive box office failure of Solo, many thought that the world was over Star Wars. However, the launch of Disney+ brought with it the first live-action television series within the universe, The Mandalorian. The popularity of the show proved that Star Wars is still a huge franchise.
The Mandalorian takes place several years after Return of the Jedi and follows a Mandalorian bounty hunter and his adventures. Every character featured in the show is a new addition to Star Wars. We're taking a look at them and ranking the ten best.
Xi'an
We'll preface this entry by stating that we didn't love Xi'an. The Twi'lek mercenary was a bit over the top at times during her lone appearance in "Chapter 6: The Prisoner." That being said, there's still a lot to like about her. For one, Xi'an is played by the talented Natalia Tena.
Tena's performance made her the first actor to appear in Star Wars, Game of Thrones, and Harry Potter. That's impressive. Xi'an also has an interesting backstory that we'd like to know more about. There's a clear past, possibly romantic, with the Mandalorian himself and that should be explored deeper in season two.
Mayfeld
Appearing in the same episode as Xi'an, Mayfeld was part of the team that the Mandalorian worked with. Played by the always entertaining Bill Burr, Mayfeld was arguably the highlight of the chapter. He was something of an antagonist but that doesn't mean he's not a fun character.
Mayfeld was competent as the leader of the group but what he brought to the show was some humor. When he was praised as a sharpshooter for the Empire, Mando scoffed and Mayfeld hilariously stated that he, "wasn't no stormtrooper." We also loved his Gungan joke. More Bill Burr, please.
The Armorer
One of the biggest lingering questions in the series revolves around the lore of the Mandalorians. We don't know a ton about them even after the season wrapped up. We know about the armor they wear, that they mostly lived in the shadows, and they said, "this is the way," a lot.
The Armorer helped shed some light on these things. This female Mandalorian works to forge armor and weapons from Beskar steel. She also won over fans with the way she enforced their traditions. Add in her awesome fight scene in the finale and you've got a winner. She is played by Emily Swallow.
Kuiil
Kuiil was one of the first characters that we met on The Mandalorian. He assisted Mando in completing his job in the premiere episode and then helped him regain his ship in the next episode. Kuiil is an Ugnaught who lives a quiet life as a vapor farmer before meeting Mando.
Voiced by Nick Nolte, Kuiil became a fan favorite. His "I have spoken" line is already a hit and we had more of his rich backstory revealed in "Chapter 7: The Reckoning." Sadly, Kuiil was killed while trying to protect the Child at the end of the episode.
Greef Karga
Even before meeting Kuiil, audiences were introduced to Greef Karga. Played by the always awesome Carl Weathers, Greef is the leader of a bounty hunter guild. It is he who hires Mando to track the valuable asset for a special client. He switches from ally to enemy often.
After helping Mando to start, Greef becomes his foe at the end of "Chapter 3: The Sin." He seemingly goes on the hunt for Mando and the Child but ultimately sides with them. Greef is an interesting character who is neither fully good or evil, and he was always intriguing to watch.
Cara Dune
Full name Carasynthia Dune, this is one badass woman. In fact, she manages to stand out in a universe that already features tough leading ladies like Rey and Princess Leia. Cara is first seen in "Chapter 4: Sanctuary" where she goes toe to toe with Mando in combat.
As a former rebel shock trooper, she has the skills required to take on anything that gets in her way. Former MMA competitor Gina Carano brings a legitimate physical presence to the role. Cara shows loyalty to Mando and their partnership was a highlight of the series.
IG-11
Star Wars has no shortage of memorable droids throughout its history. R2-D2 and C3-Po are the classics but the recent films gave us the likes of BB-8 and K-2SO. Even the Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order game features the awesome BD-1. The Mandalorian continues that trend with IG-11.
This droid is awesome from the moment we meet it, as it goes to battle alongside Mando at the end of the premiere. IG-11 doesn't return until the penultimate episode after being reprogrammed. IG-11 takes care of the Child and everyone around it. The sacrifice that IG-11 makes in the finale is emotional. Of course, being voiced by Taika Waititi adds a lot because he's great.
Moff Gideon
Every great story needs a fantastic villain. For most of The Mandalorian, we didn't have one. There were smaller baddies but not an overarching one that we got to see. That changed in "Chapter 7: The Reckoning" when we were introduced to Moff Gideon.
For starters, he's portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito, who already played one of the best villains in TV history on Breaking Bad. Gideon immediately feels like a major threat that could cause problems for our heroes. Plus, there's a lot of intrigued surrounding how much he knows about everyone and his darksaber.
The Mandalorian
You can't have a list like this and not include the titular hero. Often called Mando, we learned his true name is Din Djarin in "Chapter 8: Redemption." Din is the hero we root for from the start and there are plenty of reasons to have a connection to him.
We're given an origin story that allows us to empathize with him. There are plenty of scenes where we get to see how much of a badass warrior he is. You also can't help but love seeing someone in his awesome armor doing his thing. The best characteristic about Din is how he's taken to the fatherhood role he ended up in.
The Child
There really couldn't be another top choice. The Child, or Baby Yoda to most fans, is the 50-year old infant-like creature that Din/Mando discovers at the end of the first episode. This was the bounty he was meant to collect. Over the first few episodes, the two form a bond.
The Child has consistently blown us away. There's the obvious adorable factor that makes us love it. However, the Child also uses the Force in interesting ways, from saving Din to choking Cara. The Child has taken the world by storm and that doesn't seem like it'll change anytime soon.