Star Wars can exist in many mediums aside from film. That fact has been proven with the success of comics, games, and animated works like The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Recently, the franchise has found new life with its string of live-action shows. The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett have provided fresh adventures for rabid fans, but they didn't achieve that much esteem on their own.
Part of their appeal comes from bringing back familiar characters, mainly those from the animated shows. Bo-Katan, Ahsoka Tano, and Sabine Wren are among the most prominent examples thus far. With even more live-action series incoming, devotees are wondering which small-screen Star Wars faces will pop up next. More importantly, who will play these beloved characters for the shift in format?
9 Ezra Bridger - Mena Massoud
The main character of Star Wars Rebels, Ezra goes from a wily street kid to a noble Jedi. This journey evolves over four seasons, and it comes to a head when he sacrifices himself to stop Grand Admiral Thrawn in the finale, flinging both of them into unknown space. Sabine and Ahsoka soon set off to find their friend, so it stands to reason that he'll show up in the latter's upcoming spin-off show.
The fan casting is on point for this one. Viewers were always comparing Ezra to Aladdin, especially in his early days. Why not get the guy who played the Arabian thief in Disney's recent remake? Mena Massoud brought the brash swagger that viewers expected, but he didn't lose the likeability of an everyman. That's something not even the animated version accomplished, making Massoud uniquely suited to this role not so far, far away.
8 Hera Syndulla - Jolene Anderson
The leader of the ragtag team from Rebels, Hera steers the ship and coordinates many of their operations. This, of course, gives her an earthy quality and a rough sense of humor, but it also makes her the de facto mother figure. She can offer anything from loving reassurance to stern lectures. Why wouldn't Sabine seek help from an old friend like this?
Through her extensive TV work, Jolene Anderson embodies many of Hera's traits. She has a naturally charismatic grace mixed with working-class warmth. This largely informs her characters in Rush and Harrow. Translating these aspects to the Twi'lek pilot will make Hera all the more endearing.
7 Garazeb Orrelios - Paul Anderson
Zeb might come off as a comic relief character or the poor man's Chewbacca. Indeed, Rebels does use him for some physical comedy owing to his grumpy demeanor. However, this hides a tragic past.
The Empire hunted down his race to the point of near-extinction, and he was one of the elite guards charged with protecting them. Throughout the show, he works past his sense of weakness and failure and eventually helps his people re-establish themselves elsewhere. He's presumably still doing that during the live-action shows, but Sabine may bring him along for another adventure. Those two always loved blowing stuff up together.
Should this occur, Paul Anderson should don the fur. He's played plenty of lean and mean characters, often requiring immense physical transformations, but his most affecting work is as Arthur Shelby in Peaky Blinders. Worn down by the ugliness of his city, the brutality of his gangster life, and the lingering demons of his military service, he's a depressed wreck much of the time. Anderson captures that deep-seated emotional turmoil while still credible as the toughest guy on the block. That ability to portray such poignant PTSD would draw viewers into Zeb's character more than ever before.
6 Kallus - Tom Burke
This Imperial officer's story is tied to Zeb's. He helped hunt down the hero's people but took no pride in it. He doesn't always agree with the Empire's decisions. This, along with Zeb's unlikely friendship, leads Kallus to defect. He sees it as a valuable chance to atone for past sins.
To play this regretful soldier, you need a formidable actor with tangible pathos. Tom Burke carries such pathos in many of his roles. The Musketeers and C.B. Strike are among the most prominent. In these shows, Burke breaks hearts as a man of action with demons and emotional fatigue. That sums up Kallus in a nutshell.
5 Cad Bane - Walton Goggins
The outfit doesn't lie. Cad Bane is a gunslinger straight out of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. It's no surprise, then, that he's the best bounty hunter in the galaxy. He's willing and able to do nearly any job for the right price and take down anyone in his way. That success has given him a slick attitude to complement his cutthroat nature. He knows he's the best, and this makes him extremely fun to watch every second he's onscreen.
Walton Goggins embodies a similarly charming outlaw in Justified. He has a palpable enigma and brilliance, but he's also the most dangerous one in the room at any given time. His more recent turn in Fatman proves he's lost none of that cowboy credibility. Just paint him blue and give him a glorious hat, and you're all set.
4 Hondo Ohnaka - Peter Franzén
Hondo is like a cockroach, and not just in appearance. He's survived numerous attacks and setbacks throughout The Clone Wars and Rebels, yet he constantly bounces back due to some scheme up his sleeve. This scurvy pirate always looks for profit. It means he's capable of double-crossing heroes and villains alike, but you can't help but like him due to his irreverent outlook. That appeal is tough to pull off.
Nevertheless, Peter Franzén could do it with ease. He's proven as much as Harald Finehair in Vikings. In his pursuit to be the king of all Norway, this Northman constantly switches sides between the various Scandinavian factions. He betrays characters one minute and allies with them the next. That said, it's hard to hate him because of his charm. Franzén infuses Finehair with self-aware guile which softens his treacherous blows. Moreover, audiences see a genuine sensitivity at his center. Therefore, it's easy to forgive him whenever he comes crawling back. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to apply that to Hondo.
3 Rex - Temuera Morrison
This is a no-brainer. Rex is one of the millions of troops cloned from bounty hunter Jango Fett. Temuera Morrison played Jango and the clones in various prequel projects, but that's not all. Boba Fett is among these clones, and Morrison is currently filling the bucket head's boots in his spin-off series. As such, there's no reason to drop him.
He's proven a versatile Kiwi actor over the years. His ruggedness is on full display in New Zealand projects like Spartacus, making him convincing as a soldier. However, he can also be a lighthearted and comforting figure in silly stuff like Aquaman. That welcoming presence is important since Rex occasionally shows the sly sense of humor that comes with experience. Ahsoka may need that if she seeks aid from her old Clone Wars buddy.
2 Grand Admiral Thrawn - Lars Mikkelsen
One of the most iconic villains of the Expanded Universe, Thrawn returned to the mainline canon inRebels. He's a methodical menace who keeps the heroes on their toes for two seasons. By studying enemies' cultures and behavior, he can determine their moves before they even make them. That tactical brilliance creates a threat more imposing than even Darth Vader.
That impression is cemented by Lars Mikkelsen's voice work. His cold, hard monotone is absolutely chilling, and he's no stranger to such roles outside the voiceover realm, either. The Danish actor has demonstrated his propensity for calculating villains in several dramas as well as genre projects like Sherlock and The Witcher. Going from animation to live-action worked for Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan, and Mikkelsen's definitely got the look and talent to pull off a similar jump.
1 Kanan Jarrus - Philip Winchester
This may seem an odd inclusion since Kanan is dead by the time the live-action shows take place. He gives his life for his friends near the end of Rebels. Regardless, Star Wars has presented several ways to commune from beyond the grave, especially for a Jedi. This is presumably how Anakin Skywalker will speak to Ahsoka in her solo show; Kanan could return as a guiding figure for Hera, Zeb, Sabine, or Ezra the same way. After all, he underwent a similar journey as a fallen Jedi who found renewed purpose and heroism later in life. Thus, you need an actor who has the look of a soldier with underlying elegance.
Philip Winchester displays this persona in a number of his roles. It proves particularly useful for Strike Back, where he plays a British Intelligence agent. More essential, though, is the emotionality he shows here. His character goes to a dark place after his wife's murder, but he comes out of the ordeal stronger for it. Winchester sells this journey with ample intensity yet verisimilitude: not an easy feat in a popcorn action series. That sense of growth and wisdom is key to Kanan, particularly if he continues his mentor role from the afterlife.
