Star Wars: The Mandalorian’s Best Side Characters, Ranked

Star Wars: The Mandalorian has returned to Disney+ for season two, which means it’s once again all we want to talk about! The season two premiere, “The Marshal,” featured everything from fun Star Wars easter eggs to celebrity cameos, and even introduced one of our new favorite characters: Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant). In fact, the character’s introduction has inspired us to list some of our favorite side characters from the series. We decided anyone who wasn’t Mando (Pedro Pascal), Cara Dune (Gina Carano), Greef Karga (Carl Weathers), Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), or Baby Yoda (himself) were eligible to make the list. Take a look at our choices and let us know if you agree!

10. The Mythrol (Horatio Sanz)

The unnamed Mythrol only appeared in The Mandalorian‘s first episode but he’s still a pretty important figure in the series. He served as Mando’s first bounty of the show, giving fans an immediate understanding of how the character deals with the people he captures. It was also pretty awesome to see someone get frozen in carbonite again. Not to mention, the Mythrol was hilarious (no surprise considering he was played by Horatio Sanz). 

9. The Armorer (Emily Swallow)

A badass woman who makes weapons and tells men what to do? Yes, please! The Armorer is powerful, diplomatic, and has a good head (and helmet) on her shoulders. She’s both loyal and practical, and it was pretty bold when she chose to stay behind at the end of the show’s first season in order to salvage what was left of the murdered Mandalorians. She’s also pretty darn skilled when it comes to forging weapons. Here’s hoping we see her again! 

8. Xi’an (Natalia Tena), Burg (Clancy Brown), Mayfeld (Bill Burr), and Zero (Richard Ayoade)

The crew in episode six, “The Prisoner,” is such a fun group! Sure, they’re mischievous and reckless and, well, not very nice but they’re a gang we loved watching onscreen. First of all, what a cast! Second of all, they came together and gave us one of 2019’s most fun standalone episodes. We’re still laughing at the idea that there’s a Boston out there in the galaxy far, far away. Also, is anyone else dying to know more about Xi’an and Mando’s romantic history?! 

7. Omera (Julia Jones)

Speaking of Mando and romance, the show’s fourth episode, “Sanctuary,” saw Mando and Baby Yoda taking refuge in a farming village. The show’s titular character got close with Omera and while he didn’t end up taking his helmet off for her, we could tell he really considered giving it all up and staying with her. They could have been something special under different circumstances. Also, we just love Julia Jones, and she played the character with such a comforting warmth. 

6. Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen)

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again… we need Fennec Shand to return! Not only is Disney Legend Ming-Na Wen badass in everything she does (hello, she’s Mulan AND Agent Melinda May), but we still have questions about her Mandalorian character. Mainly, did she actually die? However, if she does end up being a one-off character, Fennec was beyond fierce. We’re all about women villains, especially when they’re as lethal as this one. 

5. Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant)

We only met Cobb Vanth last week, but the Internet is already obsessed with him. Not only did Timothy Olyphant show up wearing Boba Fett’s armor (!!), but he was really taking care of his fellow townspeople on Tatooine. The charming marshal even learned to work alongside the Tusken Raiders, because he’s a good man who puts his people ahead of his pride. Also, let’s be honest, he’s a silver fox. 

4. Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris)

Amy Sedaris is pretty much the best part of anything she’s in, and that’s definitely true of her Mandalorian episodes. It was so nice to see her reprise her role as Peli Motto in the season two premiere. Not only is she hilarious, but her love for Baby Yoda is too adorable for words. She reminds us of our grumpy, quirky Nanas! We would be remised if we didn’t also mention her iconic hairdo, which has extreme Ripley vibes. The best babysitter on Tatooine! 

3. The Client (Werner Herzog)

Werner Herzog being in Star Wars still feels like a fever dream. The iconic filmmaker has a presence onscreen that is hard to match and his sinister energy is only more enjoyable when he’s cuddling up close with Baby Yoda. His character, The Client, is the type of villain we can’t get enough of; mysterious and well-spoken with a hint of eeriness. Never Forget: Herzog is part of the reason Baby Yoda isn’t just CGI. 

2. IG-11 (Taika Waititi)

When we first saw images of IG-11, we thought he was IG-88 from The Empire Strikes Back, and we’re sure glad we were wrong! This new assassin droid started off trying to kill precious Baby Yoda in the first episode and after Mando shot him, we thought we’d seen the last of the character. (Which would have been a bummer, because we love us some Taika Waititi.) However, we learned towards the end of the first season that Kuiil reprogramed IG-11 into a nurse droid. Not only did the reformed character die protecting Baby Yoda, but he also helped Mando come around a bit on droids in general.  

1. Kuiil (Nick Nolte)

Speaking of Kuiil, the Ugnaught has earned the top spot on our list. That’s right… we have spoken! The character had a rich history, having been forced to fight for the Empire. He’s wise, caring, and even chose to help Mando without accepting any reward. Like IG-11, he also died trying to protect Baby Yoda (damn those stormtroopers!). In fact, we’re still pretty broken up over his untimely demise, which is one of the reasons he’s our favorite side character of the series (so far).

Which side characters from Star Wars: The Mandalorian do you love the most? Tell us in the comments! 

New episodes of Star Wars: The Mandalorian drop on Disney+ on Fridays.