Mandalorian And Grogu Could Reintroduce A Forgotten Clone Wars Character
Another animated character is making his way to live-action.
Bounty hunters have always been baked into the fabric of Star Wars, but it took The Mandalorian to put a spotlight on the seedy profession. Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) proved that a Star Wars story could revolve around a criminal with a heart of gold, and the series also served as a great platform for bounty hunters introduced in past projects. Slowly but surely, The Mandalorian and its spin-offs became a love letter to animated shows like The Clones Wars and Rebels, reintroducing minor characters into live-action and giving them a new lease on life. Bo-Katan Kryze became a major player in The Mandalorian’s third season, the infamous bounty hunter Cad Bane was an antagonist in The Book of Boba Fett, and that cycle is set to continue as Din Djarin and his young companion, Grogu, take their adventures to the big screen.
The Mandalorian may not be getting a fourth season just yet, but creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni are spearheading The Mandalorian & Grogu, a film that could bring the title characters to a new corner of the galaxy. Though its May 2026 release date is coming closer, its plot remains a total mystery. Other than the return of minor Clone Wars character Rotta the Hutt, Lucasfilm seems keen to keep details under wraps. That said, a new rumor could finally shed some light on the film’s latest addition, and true to form, it’ll involve another Clone Wars alum.
YouTuber Kristian Harloff shared some insights into The Mandalorian and Grogu on his pop culture podcast, The Kristian Harloff Show. According to Harloff, Filoni and Favreau have chosen an antagonist in Embo, a legendary bounty hunter introduced in The Clone Wars. The Mandalorian and Grogu will pit him against Din, giving the rival hunters conflicting missions. Embo has been ordered to assassinate Rotta the Hutt, while Din is tasked with keeping him alive.
Embo is a deep-cut Star Wars character, making him an interesting choice for The Mandalorian and Grogu.
It’s a much simpler story than fans might have expected, especially for Din and Grogu’s first big-screen adventure. Per Harloff, The Mandalorian and Grogu is shaping up to be more like “a Clone Wars episode brought to life,” a comparison that, for better or worse, aligns with a lot of Filoni’s recent moves.
For anyone unfamiliar with Clone Wars lore, Embo is the perfect example of a “glup shitto.” Though he played a minor role and only popped up in a handful of episodes, he’s relatively popular all the same. Embo was first introduced in Season 2’s appropriately titled episode “Bounty Hunters,” one of the franchise’s most overt tributes to Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, a major influence on George Lucas and his successors. Embo’s alien species, the Kyuzo, was even named after a character in the movie, and Dave Filoni voiced Embo throughout The Clone Wars.
Embo has crossed paths with plenty of characters that even casual Star Wars fans know. He worked closely with the Hutt clan, briefly teamed up with Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano, and served as a member of Cad Bane’s posse toward the end of The Clone Wars. His canon adventures continued after the fall of the Empire, making him an ideal (if surprising) addition to The Mandalorian and Grogu.
Embo is a man of few words, but Harloff assumes that Filoni will reprise his role in some capacity for the character’s live-action debut. If his intel is accurate, then Embo’s return may be the most fan service-y choice in The Mandalorian and Grogu so far. It’ll be interesting to see how he interacts with someone like Din, as they’re both the strong, silent type, and it’s unclear if this minor TV character will have much to add to a big-screen, blockbuster adventure. Filoni and Favreau are certainly making interesting choices with The Mandalorian and Grogu. We’ll just have to wait and see if they actually pay off.
