We're not too far now from the launch of Disney+ and one of the things that have people most excited for the new streaming platform is The Mandalorian. This new Star Wars series will follow the intergalactic adventures of a Mandalorian bounty hunter played by Pedro Pascal.
The series will be introducing a lot of new characters with a very impressive cast, including Carl Weathers, Nick Nolte, and Werner Herzog. Though Jon Favreau has confirmed Boba Fett will not appear, the inclusion of droid bounty hunter IG-88 means the potential for familiar faces popping up. Here are some Star Wars characters we could see in The Mandalorian.
10 Lando Calrissian
The series is confirmed to be set after the fall of the Empire and before the formation of the First Order, which means the original trilogy's heroes will have already been established. It's very unlikely we'll see the likes of Luke, Leia or Han, but an appearance by Lando Calrissian is at least possible.
Lando feels like he could fit into this world with all his wheeling and dealing across the galaxy. Actor Billy Dee Williams is too old for this time period but we've seen the amazing de-aging technology at work. This could help explain where Lando has been before his return in Rise of the Skywalker.
9 Lor San Tekka
The new trilogy of films has opened up a lot of mysteries for the world of Star Wars. One of the biggest questions is who Lor San Tekka is. The man with obvious long-standing ties to the Rebels appeared in the open scene of The Force Awakens, as played by Max Von Sydow, before quickly being killed off.
While some of the expanded universe has explored his backstory, The Mandalorian could be the perfect place to answer some lingering questions. Tekka would be a younger man in this series and it would be interesting to see what he was up to in those years.
8 Dengar
While the series will no doubt touch on some of the universe at large, the series looks to be telling a smaller story focused on the world of bounty hunters. The bounty hunters have always been a point of fascination for Star Wars fans ever since we got a glimpse of some of their memorable members in Empire Strikes Back.
One character to stand out in that scene was Dengar. Though given no lines or character development, the curiosity of fans led to him being expanded on in the other stories. Given the timeline, it's entirely possible Dengar could still be operating as a bounty hunter at this time.
7 Rotta The Hutt
It seems like bounty hunters and the Hutts fit together naturally in a story. The Hutts are a clan of galactic gangsters with the most famous member being Jabba the Hutt. Though Jabba died in Return of the Jedi, the expanded universe introduced his son, Rotta.
Given that Rotta has not been seen on screen, it would present the series a great opportunity to depict a totally new version of the Hutt. He could even be seen in a small cameo, hiring Pascal's unnamed bounty hunter.
6 Jas Emari
This will be the first Star Wars cinematic story to deal with this specific time in between the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy. However, the expanded universe has explored with the era of the universe before, introducing some key characters as well.
Jas Emari is a character from the Aftermath novels. She is a Zabrak bounty hunter who has been a part of some of the biggest events in the Star Wars universe. She has even teamed up with Dengar on occasion which would make her a perfect character to show up as ally or enemy to the Mandalorian.
5 Maz Kanata
Maz Kanata is another character from the new trilogy we have more questions about than answers. Like Lor San Tekka, Maz is someone sympathetic to the Rebels and seems to have a lot of very interesting stories to tell.
Though it's not quite clear how old Maz is, it seems very likely she was active and around during this time period. This could be a good opportunity to shed some more light on the character. Maybe we'd even get to see how she came to possess Luke Skywalker's old lightsaber.
4 Snoke
Though Snoke was set up as a formidable threat in The Force Awakens, he was shockingly killed off in The Last Jedi, leaving fans with a lot of questions. Though it looks like his time is done in the new trilogy, The Mandalorian could explore his origins.
Favreau has said the series takes place before the First Order's rise, but that doesn't mean Snoke isn't waiting in the shadows somewhere, preparing to strike. Though he is clearly not as important a character as we thought, it would be nice to find out who he actually was in the first place.
3 Bossk
Though Boba Fett is certainly the most popular bounty hunter in the Star Wars universe, there is plenty of love for the lizard-like bounty hunter known as Bossk. He first appeared in that bounty hunter line-up scene in The Empire Strikes Back and has since been a fan-favorite.
Bossk was actually meant to appear in Solo: A Star Wars Story, so it's clear he's been around for a long time. This feels like the perfect place for him to finally get to show off a bit. He could even be a mini-villain as a rival bounty hunter to the Mandalorian.
2 Chewbacca
Chewbacca is one of those characters who can just pop up all over the Star Wars universe and it would make sense. The Wookie smuggler is rarely seen on his own without his pal Han Solo, but it might be interesting to see him in a new way.
It helps that Chewbacca never seems to age and can, therefore, appear in many different timelines. He could have a run-in with bounty hunters or even need to team up with them for some reason. Though it would likely not be a large role, he feels like a good choice for a fun cameo appearance.
1 Emperor Palpatine
One of the biggest shocks revealed about the upcoming Rise of the Skywalker is that it will apparently see the return of Emperor Palpatine. While Darth Vader might be the villainous face of the franchise, Palpatine was revealed to be the puppet master behind it all and his return is very exciting.
Given how he seemed to meet his very definitive demise in Return of the Jedi, there's a lot of question as to how he will return. The Mandalorian could potentially answer that question seeing as it will be taking place shortly after his apparent death.