It's been a while since we've seen a Star Wars project as universally loved as The Mandalorian. Harsh criticism of the series is hard to come by, and it's clear that Disney and Lucasfilm have a winner on their hands in the flagship series for Disney+. The pilot episode of the show dropped simultaneously with the release of Disney's streaming service back in mid-November 2019, and within the hour the internet exploded with the revelation of The Child, affectionately called Baby Yoda by Star Wars fans.

The series took off after its launch, garnering hundreds of millions of viewers by the time the first season ended in December. The final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars recently wrapped on Disney+, and we're currently in the midst of Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, a featurette detailing the behind the scenes process of Mando's freshman season. While fans are enjoying a look behind the curtain at The Mandalorian's first season, a great deal of attention is pointed towards its second.

The second season of The Mandalorian is set to debut in October and fan anticipation couldn't be higher. In recent months, several reports have broken out suggesting the arrival of familiar Star Wars characters into Mando's world, in varying degrees. Because of this, there seems to be no better time than now to take a look at the roster of characters set to hit TV screens in Season 2, both confirmed and rumored. Many stories lie ahead, and the stunning character lineup for The Mandalorian's second season is prepared to propel the series into uncharted waters...

CONFIRMED

DIN DJARIN

No character set to return should be more obvious than The Mandalorian himself, Din Djarin. Once a foundling due to the loss of his parents during a Separatist attack on his city as a child, Djarin had an instant connection with The Child and his plight, choosing to protect the little guy from the Imperial Remnant. When we last saw Din, he had successfully taken out the Imperial forces on Nevarro, keeping The Child safe in the process, but discovered that much of the Mandalorian Covert had been wiped out and created a new rival in Moff Gideon.

The window for Din's story is wide open. We know that he'll be protecting The Child from Gideon and presumably discovering more about the Force as he looks for his tiny partner's people, but his personal journey could go in many directions. With the rumored inclusion of Mandalorians from the animated series, namely Bo-Katan Kryze and Sabine Wren, there's a good chance we could see Din begin his journey towards rebuilding the fabled warrior world and eventually becoming the Mandalore.

THE CHILD

The star of the first season, by far and away, was The Child. Our little green friend forged a quick bond with Din Djarin, his appearance at the end of the pilot episode being as surprising to the Mando as it was to viewers. The Child formed a quick bond with Djarin, saving him from a Mudhorn prepared to deliver certain doom by putting his mysterious Force powers to use, and the favor was returned when Mando rescued him from the Imperial safe-house. The little man finally achieved a small sense of freedom when Djarin and his allies defeated Moff Gideon and the Imperial Remnant on Nevarro, but the great threat still remains at large.

Presumably, Season 2 will see The Child continue to discover what he can do with the Force, and perhaps he may be able to remain conscious after performing his mystical feats. The reported appearance of Ahsoka Tano will allow for both Din and The Child to understand more about how the Force works, offering some guidance to our heroes before parting ways. The series creators have said they know The Child's real name, so with any luck we'll learn more about his origins and have a name beyond Baby Yoda to call him.

CARA DUNE

An ex-Rebel shocktrooper with a serious bone to pick with the Empire, Carasynthia Dune was in a bit of a rough place when we first met her. Hailing from the now destroyed Alderaan, Dune fought for the Rebellion but bailed on the Republic after being tasked with transporting delegates and became a mercenary, one who crossed paths with Din Djarin on Sorgan. The two quickly forged a bond as they defended a local village, and Cara was the first person Mando sought out for aid in defeating the Remnant on Nevarro. Following their narrow victory, Dune elected to remain with Greef Karga as his personal enforcer for the Guild.

We know Cara will be starting out the second season at Greef Karga's side but, given that Gideon wasn't killed and seems to be one to hold a grudge, there's a good chance things go very badly for Dune and the Guild boss very quickly. There's no world in which Cara and Din don't cross paths again, so some major event will have to happen to get she and Karga back into the fold. Maybe a vengeful Gideon captures Cara and Karga early on, forcing the Mando to return to Nevarro to help his friends?

GREEF KARGA

It will be a different world for Greef Karga when we meet him again in Season 2. The disgraced former magistrate led the Bounty Hunter's Guild on Nevarro, acting as an employer for the Mando and the middle between he and The Client. Following Djarin's rescue of and escape with The Child, Karga concocted a plan to lure back Mando, to kill him and take the kid back to The Client, ending the Imperial occupation. An injury caused by a creature attack prompted The Child to heal Karga's fatal wounds, leading to a change in heart. Karga assisted Djarin in defeating the Imperial Remnant and took on Cara Dune as his personal Guild enforcer.

Karga and Dune will serve as an interesting duo. Greef promised to deal with Dune's chain code problem when she agreed to work with him, but they'll both have bigger problems on their hands when they find out Moff Gideon is alive. It will be difficult for Karga to run his portion of the Guild once the Remnant ends up on their tail, which only seems inevitable. He's bound to find his way back into Djarin's life, alongside Dune, and the three misfits may find themselves eventually committing to a heroic cause and shedding their troubled pasts.

MOFF GIDEON

We don't know much about him, but Moff Gideon knows how to make an entrance unlike any Star Wars character we've ever seen. Armed with knowledge, Gideon arrived on the scene when his Imperial forces had our good guys pinned down in the cantina on Nevarro, hellbent on taking The Child into his possession. He revealed details about all of our heroes' pasts and dealt the Mando a near-fatal blow during a firefight. Djarin was saved by IG-11 and lived to fight on, taking down Gideon and his nifty TIE Fighter while making good use of his new jetpack. However, Gideon survived, cutting his way out of the wreckage with none other than the Darksaber.

Although he only played a small role in the first season, this role was pivotal, and Gideon will undoubtedly serve as the main antagonist for Season 2 and probably the rest of the series. The Moff's possession of the Darksaber and his ties to Mandalore spell bad news for the Mandalorians we saw in Rebels, a thread that will definitely be addressed when the characters from the aforementioned series make an appearance. We don't know what he wants with The Child; maybe he's trying to extract the little guy's midichlorians to use the Force? Gideon's motives will undoubtedly be revealed in Season 2, and how he ties in to Din Djarin's overall journey.

RUMORED

AHSOKA TANO

The internet broke when word quickly spread that Ahsoka Tano would be making her live-action debut in The Mandalorian for an episode, played by Rosario Dawson. The news first hit in a report by /Film, which was quickly corroborated by several highly credible Hollywood trades. We reported exclusively that Dawson had signed a multi-show contract to play Ahsoka, and large media outlets have suggested that Tano's appearance in Season 2 will be a backdoor into her own live-action show.

Ahsoka's appearance in Season 2 will be groundbreaking. Tano has grown from Anakin's annoying animated Padawan to one of the most beloved characters in the franchise, and it's all been earned.  Ahsoka's strong connection to the Force will no doubt play a role in learning more about the young member of Yoda's species and helping him tap into his abilities, but whether or not he'll be the catalyst for her arrival remains to be seen. Giancarlo Esposito has teased lightsaber battles involving his character, and Ahsoka would be the most likely candidate to go toe-to-toe with the villainous Moff.

BOBA FETT

The live-action return of Boba Fett has been long in the making, and it appears the time has finally come for the former Sarlac dweller to strike back. It was initially reported by THR that Temuera Morrison would portray Boba Fett in Season 2, a role he previously re-voiced in The Empire Strikes Back, and the report was quickly corroborated. While Fett's part is reportedly small in the second season, we reported exclusively that he would be back in Season 3 with a larger role.

When an anonymous spurred figure appeared at the end of Chapter 5: The Gunslinger, many fans immediately speculated that the mystery man was Boba Fett. The likelihood seemed high at the time, and the recent reports all but confirm that it was indeed Fett who observed Fennec Shand's corpse on Tatooine. The infamous Bounty Hunter may have his chance to get back in the game, now that every mercenary in the galaxy will be after Din Djarin and The Child, and who better to collect than a fellow warrior in Mandalorian armor?

CAPTAIN REX

Around the same time that Fett's turn was reported, word spread that Temuera Morrison may also be portraying Captain Rex in Season 2. Both Nerdist and Jordan Maison have indicated that Morrison would bring the fan-favorite Clone captain to live-action, alongside Ahsoka Tano and company. While this rumor hasn't been covered by the major trades like several of the others, Rex's appearance makes perfect sense and Morrison has previously expressed interest in playing the role.

Whatever Ahsoka is up to, Rex will be up to. The two hold an inseparable bond, forged in the early days of The Clone Wars, and Rex was undoubtedly elated to discover that his friend had survived her duel with Darth Vader on Malachor. The rumored Rebels sequel animated series would presumably take place around this time, meaning Rex and his allies could conceivably bump into the Mando along their journey. Should Rex come across Boba Fett, perhaps the Republic Captain may seek out a way to alter his enhanced aging.

SABINE WREN

To add to the roster of Mandalorians already in the series, it was reported that Sabine Wren would be making an appearance in Season 2 as well. This development was announced by Noah Outlaw, who also broke news of the Rebels animated sequel series. Like the rumor about Rex, Sabine's involvement in the second season hasn't been corroborated by the big Hollywood news outlets, but she would fit in perfectly alongside our Clone Wars veterans.

Sabine offers a unique opportunity to the story in that she's actually a Mandalorian, unlike both Rex and Fett. The specific covert that our Mandalorian, Din Djarin, belongs to, forbids the removal of one's helmet, something we saw Sabine do regularly in Rebels. The drastic difference in these characters' cultures could lead to some interesting developments for Djarin, and may even shift the way he treats his own helmet and identity.

BO-KATAN KRYZE

The most recent addition to the slew of popular characters reported to appear in Season 2 is Bo-Katan Kryze, played by Katee Sackhoff. Word of Bo-Katan's involvement first came from /Film, but was later corroborated by many of the major trades. Sackhoff also portrayed the character through voice work in both The Clone Wars and Rebels, and shares a direct resemblance with the animated features of the Mandalorian warrior.

The appearance of the Darksaber in Moff Gideon's hand implied bad news for Bo-Katan, who was the last person seen with the legendary weapon before The Mandalorian. It's a safe bet that we'll find out how Gideon came to be in possession of the mighty sword, and a flashback involving Kryze may do the trick. If she survived the disaster with the Imperial forces, there's a good chance she's been after the Darksaber for some time now, and we may find her on Gideon's trail. Restoring Mandalore has been a long and, up to this point, fruitless venture for Kryze, but she may eventually find an ally in Din Djarin to return glory to their people.

FENNEC SHAND

Though she only appeared in one episode, Fennec Shand made quite the impression. Rookie hunter Toro Calican enlisted the Mandalorian to aid him in capturing Shand, who would serve as his ticket into the Bounty Hunter's Guild. Following a day-long standoff, the feared assassin Shand was captured, despite having the high ground, and convinced Calican that Djarin was a more worthy bounty than she. Unfortunately, this also meant she was expendable, as the young rookie shot her point-blank, leaving her for dead.

This one is a little hard to wrap the head around, as Shand appeared to be pretty clearly dead in Chapter 5. That Hashtag Show reported exclusively that Ming-Na Wen would reprise the role, though no other outlets have corroborated. In all likelihood, any appearance by Shand would be during a flashback sequence. However, the mysterious figure observing her body could also imply that there is more to come for the character in the present, so for now we'll defer to the ways of Poe Dameron: somehow, Fennec Shand returned.

MAYFELD

The point man in an operation to free a prisoner, Mayfeld proved to be a pretty lousy leader. When Din Djarin reached out to his old allies looking for some work, he was introduced to the former Imperial sharpshooter and took a grilling from the heavily armed man due to his helmeted culture. Mayfeld and his crew underestimated Djarin's abilities when they betrayed and imprisoned him after successfully freeing their target, as the Mando escaped and hunted them down individually, leaving them in a cell as he collected payment for the job.

It was pretty obvious that Mayfeld would be coming back as soon as it was revealed that he was left alive by Djarin and put in prison. Reports by Making Star Wars indicated that comedian Bill Burr would be returning to play the fiery mercenary, and it's not a stretch to imagine that the Twi'lek Xi'an and Devaronian Burg will accompany him. Now that they've been humiliated by the Mando, it may be time for the team to exact revenge on their old friend, especially knowing there will be a heavy reward in return for his capture.

OTHER CAST MEMBERS

MICHAEL BIEHN

In continuing the trend of casting well-known actors, there have been several reports claiming that Michael Biehn is joining The Mandalorian Season 2. Making Star Wars first reported the rumor, and they were quickly backed up by THR. Little is known about the scope of Biehn's involvement, but MSW claimed that the old action star would be performing a Bounty Hunter with strong ties to Din Djarin's past, sharing the art design for the character.

JAMIE LEE CURTIS

While the report on Biehn was a hit, the report that Jamie Lee Curtis joined the Season 2 cast is a bit more complicated. It was reported by Making Star Wars that Curtis was on location for a couple days of the second season's shoot and that she was joining the cast, but MSW has since suggested that the role may have fallen through due to schedule conflicts. The leaker still maintains that a small appearance for Curtis in Season 2 is possible, with a larger role in the third, but the unknown character may be taken by someone else at this point, or written out entirely.

TIMOTHY OLYPHANT

News of the most recent addition to the cast broke just days ago, as Timothy Olyphant has reportedly joined Season 2. Word first came from THR, and has since been covered extensively by several other major trades. Whether Olyphant will be playing a new or familiar character remains to be seen, but his Western television resume suggests he'd make for a very compelling Bounty Hunter out to find the Mando and The Child.

THIS IS THE WAY

It's pretty mind blowing to look at this lineup as a whole and consider the amount of talent in the cast.

The returning characters from the first season have all proven to be compelling, thanks to phenomenal acting performances and a gripping story that's only just beginning. The inclusion of several fan-favorite characters from the animated series will set a precedent for even more bridges to be built between the different mediums of storytelling in the canon, making the galaxy far, far away feel much more connected. Boba Fett's return will be monumental in its own right, providing the opportunity for the cool looking Bounty Hunter to grow into a compelling character with something of weight to contribute to the Mando's story.

The slate is clean going forward, with nothing more than a blank canvas ahead for Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni to work with. Now that we've gotten to know our core cast of characters, the real story is about to begin. Mando's enemies are only going to multiply as the series progresses, but so will his number of allies. We'll pick up some new friends and probably lose others along the way, but the possibilities for Din Djarin and The Child's journey couldn't be more exciting.

With the roster we've got on our hands, Season 2 is shaping up to continue the excellence that The Mandalorian has established for Star Wars.

I have spoken.