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 took months more to enter Star Wars story. Several of his most treasured companions on the Ghost did appeared in the Pedro Pascal-led series, however, and they were soon joined by plenty more with the debut of Ahsoka. More and more Star Wars characters are officially making the transition from their animated roots into the wide world of live-action, and we’d like to be among the first to welcome them.
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?) soon joined Zeb in live-action with the debut of Ahsoka, which saw almost every member of the Ghost crew appear, many for the first time, outside of animation.
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 then enjoyed the debut of her own live-action solo series in 2023 when Ahsoka arrived, after a long wait, 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 one of the Star Wars world’s early live-action recruits. 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 quickly ramped up hype for the appearance of his fellow Ghost crew members — who followed several months later — and sparked rumors about how he’ll fit into future Star Wars canon.
Sabine Wren
Speaking of fellow Ghost crew members, fans were introduced to a longtime friend of Zeb’s just a few months after he appeared in The Mandalorian. Sabine Wren, alongside the Ghost’s captain, Hera, and several other crew members, joined Zeb in their new medium when Ahsoka arrived on Disney Plus. Some audiences may just be getting to know her now, but Sabine has a lengthy history in Star Wars canon. She’s got history as a Rebel fighter, rare Mandalorian Force user, and weapons expert, and those same skills are only expanding with her introduction in Ahsoka.
Hera Syndulla
These days, she’s a full-blown general, but back when Rebels was on the air the Ghost’s tenacious pilot served as a Rebel leader and mother figure to her dedicated crew. Equal parts kind and fierce, Hera is easily the most emotionally intelligent and mature member of the crew, and she’s the talented pilot behind all those eye-catching aerial maneuvers we’ve enjoyed across Ahsoka’s first season, and each of Rebels’ four seasons. Her son Jacen, shared with her longtime partner Kanan, also technically made the jump from animation to live-action with Ahsoka, but given that he’s little more than a footnote in Rebels, he gets to share a section with his mom.
Chopper
Finally, we get around to the main event. He may not boast the screen time — in live action, at least — of Ahsoka or Sabine, but Hera’s loyal, snarky astro droid is an easy fan favorite among pretty much any Rebels viewer. He’s one of the most unique droids in Star Wars canon, not only due to his well-developed personality, but also due to his staggeringly high kill count. My man gives Luke Skywalker himself a run for his money.
Chopper is capable, loyal, and utterly difficult — for pretty much anyone outside of Hera, at least. The cantankerous droid has been by his captain’s side for decades, and his transition into live action has only served to cement him as one of the best non-human characters in all of Star Wars.
Huyang
He doesn’t quite match up to our main man Chopper, but Huyang certainly gives the crotchety old droid a run for his money. Unlike Chopper, who will never change (and never should), Huyang has spent his life around Jedi. As a result, he’s a wisened, measured, and well-educated droid who doesn’t hesitate for a moment to shell out harsh truths. He’s already a standout among Ahsoka’s cast, and — even if the show fails to secure a second season — we predict he’s got a long future in Star Wars.
Ryder Azadi
One of the only Star Wars characters to be played by the same actor in animation and live-action, Ryder Azadi is truly unique. Sure, actors like David Tennant returned to reprise roles like Huyang, but their faces were never in the mix. Azadi is exceedingly rare, in his unique transition from animation to live-action, which provides him with a privileged spot among Star Wars characters. Add to this his unique position as a character — serving as Governor of Lothal first under the Empire and later under the Republic — and his long standing support of the Rebel cause, and its hard to think of a character more welcome among the cast of Disney’s Ahsoka.
Ezra Bridger
Last but far from least, we have the man, the myth, the lost-to-another-galaxy legend: Ezra Bridger himself. Once known only to the Star Wars die-hards who frequent the franchise’s highly-rated animated shows, Ezra made his big live-action debut in Ahsoka, and quickly became the new character to watch. A Force user and former Jedi trainee, Ezra is easily among the most interesting character to grace the Star Wars universe so far. He spent his youth collecting new skills like candy and maturing from a curious — if brash — young man who flirted frequently with the Dark Side into the measured, charming new man we met in Ahsoka.
Published: Oct 10, 2023 08:46 am