Overview

The Mandalorian is a web TV series about a lone gunfighter which falls into the American space Western genre. Its initial season was released on Disney Plus and created by Jon Favreau. The series is the first live action one for the Star Wars franchise. Favreau is the head writer and showrunner, and also serves as executive producer. Other executive producers are Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson. 

The series came out at the same time as the launch of Disney Plus, all rights reserved, in the US – November 12, 2019. Season one had eight episodes, with a new one being released weekly. A second season is in the works, and it is set to premiere in October 2020 with Jon Favreau as director. The first season has received countless positive reviews and proven to be the main draw for new Disney Plus subscribers.

Premise

The Mandalorian follows the story of a Mandalorian bounty hunter and lone gunfighter called Din Djarin as he goes on various escapades in a galaxy far beyond the New Republic’s reaches. The series is set in the far reaches of the galaxy, five years after Return of the Jedi and 25 years before The Force Awakens. The story follows those of Jango and Boba Fett, as another warrior rises in prominence in the Star Wars universe.

Cast/characters

The Mandalorian/Din Djarin – Pedro Pascal

The Child/Baby Yoda

Greef Karga – Carl Weathers

The Client – Werner Herzog

Dr Pershing – Omid Abtahi 

The voice of Kuiil – Nick Nolte

The voice of IG-11 – Taika Waititi

Carasynthia ‘Cara’ Dune – Gina Carano

Peli Motto – Amy Sedaris

Toro Calican – Jake Cannavale

Fennec Shand – Ming-Na Wen

Ranzar ‘Ran’ Malk – Mark Boone Junior

Mayfeld – Bill Burr

Xi’an – Natalia Tena

Burg – Clancy Brown

The voice of Q9-0 aka Zero – Richard Ayoade

Qin – Ismael Cruz Cordova

Moff Gideon – Giancarlo Esposito

The Armorer – Emily Swallow

Omera – Julia Jones

Caben – Asif Ali

Stoke – Eugene Cordero

Riot Mar – Rio Hackford

Davan – Matt Lanter

Trapper Wolf – Dave Filoni

Jib Dodger – Rick Famuyiwa

Sash Ketter – Deborah Chow

Filming locations

The first season began its principal photography in October 2018 in Southern California. During this period, George Lucas visited the series set to surprise Favreau on his birthday. Later, it transpired that Lucas had been involved in the creation of the show. The first season completed its filming in February 2019.

Favreau stated that filming for the first season took place on a soundstage featuring a 360 degree video wall. Some limited location shooting also took place around Southern California. Furthermore, camera crews were sent to locations across the globe such as Iceland and Chile, with the filming results incorporated into the virtual sets.

Episode summaries

Season One

Chapter One – The Mandalorian

A Mandalorian bounty hunter and lone gunfighter in a galaxy far away gives his latest bounty to Greef Karga. He is then directed to capture a fifty year old target by a client who appears to have Imperial connections and is located in the outpost world of Nevarro, in the outer reaches. The payment is Beskar steel, which his people find sacred. This payment is used to make a pauldron. On his journey, the Mandalorian is helped by Kuiil, a vapour farmer. The Mandalorian is forced to partner with a bounty hunting droid called IG-11 to find a Yoda child. 

Chapter Two – The Child

The Mandalorian has to kill a group of rival bounty hunters on his return to his ship. He confronts Jawas who are trying to strip his ship for parts. Kuiil helps the Mandalorian to find the Jawas and negotiate for what they have taken. He is instructed to retrieve a Mudhorn’s egg. However, he is brutally attacked when he enters its cave. To his surprise, the Child helps out in an unexpected way. 

Chapter Three – The Sin

The Mandalorian hands the Child over to the Client on Nevarro. The lone gunfighter asks what the plans are for the Child, but isn’t given any information. He decides to take matters into his own hands, breaking into the Client’s base and killing most of the stormtroopers, although Dr Pershing is spared. Greef Karga, who has given him his next job, demands he hand over what he has taken.

Chapter Four – The Sanctuary

The Mandalorian takes refuge on an outer reaches forest planet called Sorgan. He encounters Cara Dune, a mercenary who was a Rebel shock trooper. Two fishermen ask him to drive off a band of Klatoonian raiders. He is taken in by Omera, and tells her a secret. The Mandalorian is targeted by a Guild bounty hunter, but Dune intervenes. 

Chapter Five – The Gunslinger

The Mandalorian takes on a bounty hunter and lone gunfighter. His ship is damaged and he lands on a repair dock on Tatooine. He works in a cantina to pay for the repairs and meets a budding bounty hunter called Toro Calican. The Mandalorian agrees to help him in his mission. After receiving intel from Fennec Shand, Calican turns on him. 

Chapter Six – The Prison

The Mandalorian seeks work from Ran. The lone gunfighter becomes part of a five-man job with Mayfield, Burg, Q9-0 and Xi’an to save Xi’an’s brother Qin from his imprisonment with the New Republic. While the crew achieves success, the Mandalorian is then in trouble. His safety is further impacted when Ran turns on him. 

Chapter Seven – The Reckoning

Greef Karga reaches out to the Mandalorian as ex-Imperial troops led by the Client have taken over Karga’s outer reaches town on Nevarro. Karga has a dangerous proposition which involves the Child. Dune and Kuiil assist the Mandalorian, as he suspects a trap. Karga ends up confessing the original plan after the Child provides unexpected help.

Chapter Eight – Redemption

IG-11 comes to the rescue after the storm troopers wreak havoc. Gideon says that Karga, Dune and the Mandalorian will be killed unless they help him. The Child helps with the Force when a stormtrooper attacks the Mandalorian. The Armorer tells the Mandalorian he must care for baby Yoda and discover its origins. Then the lone gunfighter must return it to the Yoda species in the outer reaches of the galaxy. 

Production

The idea for The Mandalorian was pitched by Favreau in summer 2017. This was done while he was directing the remake of The Lion King for Walt Disney Pictures. When Favreau was subsequently connected with Dave Filoni, doodles were created of The Child. Favreau proceeded to work late after his time on The Lion King each day to develop this secret TV project, based on a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, for Lucasfilm.

November 2017 saw Walt Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger reveal during a quarterly earnings call that a new live-action Star Wars TV series, all rights reserved, was being developed with Disney and Lucasfilm for its upcoming streaming service, which did not have a name at the time. 

FAQ

Is the Mandalorian Boba Fett?

Some believe the Mandalorian is Boba Fett because he looks a lot like him, due to being a bounty hunter with a helmet. However, the Mandalorian is actually called Din Djarin. The official show description, released by Jon Favreau, states that the story of the Mandalorian only comes to light after those of both Jango and Boba Fett. In fact, Boba Fett is not technically a Mandalorian in Star Wars history. Instead, he is a clone of the Mandalorian Jango Fett. Furthermore, he was raised in the outer reaches galaxy on a planet called Kamino – not on Mandalore.

Who is the Mandalorian?

While the Mandalorian is referred to simply using this title, his name is Din Djarin. Din is a male Mandalorian foundling and lone gunfighter who was around during the New Republic Era, working in the Star Wars galaxy in the outer reaches as a bounty hunter. Din rose to fame after the fall of the Galactic Empire, as he traveled in a galaxy far away – the Outer Rim Territories – collecting bounties as a member of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild. He had a starship of his own called the Razor Crest.

Is the Mandalorian any good?

The Mandalorian has received incredibly high reviews from many sources. For example, Rotten Tomatoes reported a 95% approval rating for the first season starring the bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the Star Wars galaxy. The site describes it as ‘action-packed and expertly crafted’. Meanwhile, Metacritic, all rights reserved, assigned the show a score of 69 out of 100, using a weighted average to come up with its rating.

In terms of audience viewership, it took just four days for the Star Wars universe show to experience higher US demand compared to The Umbrella Academy, When They See Us, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and Good Omens. TV Time said the Mandalorian had the largest gain of any TV show.

What channel is the Mandalorian?

The Mandalorian can be streamed on Disney Plus, the streaming service which launched on November 12, 2019, all rights reserved. The initial roll-out was in the US, with Australia and New Zealand following a week later. A global roll-out is expected to take place over the following year. The entire first season can be streamed, and the second one will become available soon.

What is the point of the Mandalorian?

The Mandalorian tells the story of one of the bounty hunters who have a place in the outer reaches Star Wars universe; a lone gunfighter. For example, Tales of the Jedi – which is set thousands of years before the original Star Wars film – describes how the Mandalorians are a major military power who worked with the Sith in their war against the Jedi. Their leader was manipulated by the Sith into bringing a war against the Republic. With the help of Revan and Malak, the Mandalorians were defeated, and a new Mand’alor – the ruler of the Mandalorian people – was ensured by Revan so that they did not rise again. As a result, their unity ceased to exist and their culture became one comprising wandering mercenaries.

Is the Mandalorian making money?

Screen Rant reported that a standard budget for an episode of the Mandalorian in season one was set at around $12.5 million. This means that the eight episodes of the first season cost Disney $100 million in total. Some have reported that Disney has lost around 2 million following the release of the show.

Is the Mandalorian going anywhere?

The story of the Mandalorian continues with season two. Jon Favreau confirmed that it had started shooting in November 2019, which was barely a single day following the premiere of the first season. In February 2020, Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that the second season would make its debut on Disney Plus in October 2020.