An eye-catching Star Wars character made the crossover from animation to live-action in the fifth episode of The Mandalorian season 3, and fans are already stirring themselves into a frenzy theorizing who will come next.
The inclusion of Purrgil early in the third season quickly prompted rumors of Ezra Bridger’s return, but the blue-haired Jedi has yet to re-enter the Star Wars story. Several of his most treasured companions on the Ghost have appeared in the Pedro Pascal-led series, however, and their inclusion is prompting widespread rumors of more yet to come. As more characters from the Star Wars: Rebels series officially join the Mandalorian story, we’re convinced more are guaranteed to join them before season 3 comes to a close.
Animated Star Wars characters who’ve appeared in live-action
Mid-way through season 3 of The Mandalorian, a familiar face joined the likes of Bo-Katan and Cad Bane in transitioning from animation to live-action. Garazeb Orrelios was a longtime favorite among Rebels viewers, and his arrival in a core Star Wars story quickly prompted rumors of who’s set to follow. A range of beloved characters, from Ezra and Sabine to Hera, Rex, and Chopper (who wouldn’t watch a Chopper-centric show?) might be making their live-action debuts over the next several years, and fans couldn’t be more here for it.
Ahsoka Tano
Ahsoka Tano first entered the Star Wars universe via the Clone Wars animated film and subsequent television series. A starkly unpopular character when she first appeared, Ahsoka gradually grew and advanced into a respectable Force user and a top fan pick. She led the cast of The Clone Wars and enjoyed a stint on Rebels, before finally making her live-action debut in The Mandalorian. She’s headed toward a live-action solo series of her own later this year, when Ahsoka finally arrives on Disney Plus.
Bo-Katan Kryze
Live-action viewers are well familiar with her by this point, but Bo-Katan’s been a favorite among ardent Star Wars fans for years now. She made appearances in both The Clone Wars and Rebels before dazzling audiences with her official live-action entrance. Bo-Katan is largely popular among solely live-action audiences — given their lack of knowledge regarding her role in the formation of the Death Watch cult — but viewers of the animated series are more wary. Despite this, her recent run in The Mandalorian has been almost universally popular, and even pushed some audiences to ship a Bo-Katan/Din romance.
Saw Gerrera
Live-action audiences may know him only with Forest Whitaker’s face, but fans of those branching Star Wars animated series were familiar with Saw Gerrera long before he stepped into live-action in Rogue One. In fact, he’s been in almost every accompanying Star Wars story out there, from Clone Wars and Rebels to The Bad Batch and Andor. He’s a singularly popular Star Wars character, working his way up to join the likes of Admiral Ackbar and Mon Mothma, and it seems his influence in the galaxy is far from over.
Cad Bane
Cad Bane was easily one of the most popular Star Wars villains from the Clone Wars era, before he made the jump to live-action and was far too abruptly killed off. Bane served as an insidious and capable antagonist, using his skills as a mercenary and bounty hunter to thwart Jedi, kidnap children, and further the Sith agenda across the animated series’ seven seasons. He then appeared in The Book of Boba Fett, shifting actors from his longtime vocal contributor, Corey Burton — who played him in The Clone Wars and Bad Batch — and allowing Dorian Kingi to bring him to life in new form. He was, unfortunately, quickly killed off by Boba Fett, leaving fans without much hope for further Cad Bane appearances.
Fennec Shand
Fennec Shand was created for live-action, but The Bad Batch quickly made space for the character to likewise appear in animated form. Her first appearance was in The Mandalorian, but Fennec has since seen cameos in the aforementioned Bad Batch, and sports a leading role in The Book of Boba Fett. A ruthlessly capable mercenary and assassin, Fennec is a perfect fit for the modern-day Boba Fett, and fans are ardently hoping to see more of her in future live-action releases.
Garazeb Orrelios
Perhaps the most exciting character on this list is Zeb, a staple of the Ghost crew and the Star Wars world’s most recent live-action recruit. He appeared mid-way through The Mandalorian‘s third season in his first-ever live-action appearance, and quickly made fans of a new body of viewers. Zeb, a mainstay of the Rebels cast, is one of few remaining Lesat, after his home world was devastated and the majority of his race was killed off. Zeb’s return to the Star Wars universe is ramping up hype for the appearance of his fellow Ghost crew members, and sparking rumors about how he’ll fit into future Star Wars canon.