Star Wars: Bo-Katan Star Talks The Mandalorian Spin-Off Potential

By Andrew Gilman Updated:
Bo-Katan, Spin-off

There can never be enough Mandalorians in Star Wars.

The Mandalorian has shone a spotlight on the creed of warriors in recent years, but their history in the Star Wars canon extends much further back. First introduced in the second season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the war-stricken world and its divided people instantly became a major faction in the animated series. The group known as Death Watch joined forces with Darth Maul to regain control of the planet, and following some in-fighting, Bo-Katan Kryze led loyal Mandalorian warriors away from the Zabrak's crime syndicate and fought to eradicate his influence on their world.

As events often go in Star Wars, things didn't go as planned for Bo-Katan. Immediately after successfully removing Maul from Mandalore's throne, the Empire formed and eventually took over the planet. Kryze led a rebellion against the Imperial forces following the events of Star Wars Rebels, but given the situation she and other members of the creed find themselves in The Mandalorian, the effort was disastrous.

With Bo-Katan now a member of the Star Wars live-action world, there's an opportunity to tell more of her story in a significant way. The actress behind the feisty warrior has opened up on how she would feel about seeing Bo-Katan get more screentime, and perhaps even her own show...

KATEE SACKHOFF IS OPEN TO A SPIN-OFF SERIES

During an interview with Comicbook.com, actress Katee Sackhoff said she would be happy to play Bo-Katan Kryze in her own spin-off series:

"It's an interesting thing, because I love Bo and, selfishly, as the performer that gets to play her, I'm like, 'Sure, let's do this."

However, Sackhoff noted that Kryze fits perfectly in the current climate of The Mandalorian, and there may be no need for a spin-off at the moment:

"But at the same time, Bo fits very beautifully in the Mando world. That's not to say that she couldn't have shown up in these other things, but she fits beautifully as this character that is in that world right now. And it would just be selfish of me to want more."

The actress did add that she'd be interested in playing a younger Bo-Katan, but quipped that age may be a factor in the portrayal:

"I will say that if they were going to do something like that, not to take myself out of it, but I would love to see early Bo, which ... there's not enough Botox in the world to take me back there."

WOULD A BO-KATAN SERIES MAKE SENSE?

Bo-Katan's story is at an interesting point where there are several places in the timeline worthy of exploring the character, but she's not necessarily the central focus of any of the events.

A good example of this would be her role in the final arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Kryze enlisted the help of Ahsoka Tano and the Republic to capture Maul and reclaim Mandalore, but the heart of that story belonged to Tano and Captain Rex. The same can be said for her appearance in The Mandalorian, in which she happens upon Din Djarin and provides aid in his journey, but has plans of her own that collide with his.

Given the way the second season of The Mandalorian ended, Bo-Katan clearly isn't going anywhere. With Grogu out of the picture, at least for the time being, Mando will likely join forces with Kryze and help in her struggle to reclaim their world, but there's already a great conflict presented between the two in the Darksaber. Because Bo-Katan's story is so intertwined with Mando's at this point, there's no reason to take her out of The Mandalorian and give the character her own show.

To Sackhoff's point that going back in time may be a good place to tell stories about Bo, there is potential there. Nothing is known of the character's backstory beyond the philosophical divide between her and her sister Satine and her joining Death Watch, leaving plenty of potential for stories to be told there. Anything that touches on what happens post-Clone Wars will likely be addressed in animation, as Kryze is rumored to have some form of involvement in this year's The Bad Batch.

The best place to tackle a spin-off for Bo-Katan would the "night of a thousand tears," as Moff Gideon referred to what can only be presumed to be the disaster that lost Mandalore once more to the Empire and put the Darksaber in the villain's hands. However, those events may be better told in the form of a novel or in flashbacks in The Mandalorian, akin to Djarin's rescue as a child as seen in Season 1.

Bo-Katan is a very interesting character with the potential for many great stories to be told, but at this time it may be better to see how her current roles play out and find any doors that may open for new opportunities.

- About The Author: Andrew Gilman

STAR WARS Writer