The Mandalorian Season 2: George Lucas Came Up With New Character Name During Set Visit

The Mandalorian Season 2 has been surprising fans week after week, and the latest episode proved to be a fan-favorite by many. The third episode entitled "Chapter 11: The Heiress" was a hit among fans since it delivered hard-hitting action featured the live-action debut of Katee Sackhoff's Bo-Katan Kryze. 

On top of that, the episode also introduced two new Mandalorians in the form of Sasha Banks' Koska Reeves and Simon Kassianides' Axe Woves. The two guest stars, along with Bo-Katan, made an impressive entrance to the series while also hinting that the latest episode may not be the last time that fans will see them again. 

Now, one of the guest stars took to social media to reveal a notable tidbit about one of the new Mandalorian characters. 

NEWS

In a post from Instagram, The Mandalorian guest star Simon Kassianides, who played Axe Woves in "Chapter 11," shared interesting details about his character. The actor revealed that the name of his character was created by Star Wars creator George Lucas when he visited the set of the Disney+ series. 

Along with the reveal, Kassianides reflected on his Star Wars journey, sharing how he remained tightlipped for one year upon nabbing the role while also describing it as a dream come true moment for him: 

Meet Axe Woves. Mandalorian.

Created by @jonfavreau and @dave.filoni Directed in episode three of season two by @brycedhoward in @themandalorian . Made to look way cooler than I am by stunt man @kofi_stunts And...according to @jonfavreau and @dave.filoni the character’s name was created on set by George Lucas himself when he visited one day 🤯

One year ago to the date I auditioned for the role of Axe Woves. As a young boy I played with original Star Wars figures passed along to me (or loaned to me more like) by my older brother. My favorite was the mandalorian figure of Boba Fett.

I entered the costume department some days after winning the role, unaware of what kind of character I’d be playing. The secrecy and respect for the galaxy warranted and honoured by anyone near it. I have had to personally keep quiet about this for a year now.

Eventually on that day an instantly recognisable, career defining mandalorian helmet was revealed to me. I was told it wasn’t uncommon for grown men to become tearful when seeing items evocative of their entire childhood come to life in their hands and I was no different. I can say nothing here that would do justice to the magnitude of this moment for me. I was raised without any access to the arts. I knew nobody when I moved to the US. I had a dream. And that dream belonged to a kid with some toys on his family’s sofa imagining that Star Wars only existed in a galaxy far, far away.

To all of the kids play fighting with their star wars figures dreaming - I promise you, it’s worth believing in that dream. You just might get to live it.

To all the Star Wars fans, my friends and family being some of the greatest - it’s a great pleasure to meet you. I sincerely hope you are kind on this page and elsewhere. And that you find my interpretation of this role to your liking. It’s cool to hear a south London accent on a Mandalorian right?! I can’t wait to interact with you all and share in my excitement for this world.

May the force be with you. This is the way.

WHAT THIS MEANS

Being part of the Star Wars franchise is always a notable feat, as evident from Kassianides' recent statements. While the role might've been minor, it's still clear that it is an honor on Kassianides' part to play the character in one of the most successful franchises in pop culture today.

The reveal about George Lucas naming the character of Kassianides isn't surprising since it aligns with the previous report that he was hands-on during set visits. It was revealed that Lucas was giving The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian director Dave Filoni "a hard time" about the number of setups he was getting as well as "urging" him to go faster when shooting. 

Still, it's quite impressive that he was able to give a character name so quickly, clearly showing that his dedication to Star Wars is evident after all these years. Based on what's been revealed about The Mandalorian so far, there's a strong chance that Kassianides will be back in later episodes, potentially addressing Bo-Katan's fearless pursuit of Moff Gideon and the Darksaber. 

As is, it's always refreshing to hear an actor's sentiments about landing a role in the galaxy far, far away, and it will be exciting to see how Kassianides' Axe Woves will fit into The Mandalorian Season 2.