One of the dominant factors of Star Wars' continued success concerns the huge breadth of potential narratives that can be told within the IP's universe. This has seen the franchise be adapted to different stories across a multitude of media formats. While the IP is of course well suited to the likes of film and TV, the avenue of video games has long proved to be a commendably successful venture for the franchise.
In this way, it is no wonder that fans are excited about the confirmed open-world Star Wars title that is set to come from Ubisoft. The potential scale and narrative of such a title are massive, with aspiring players already debating what kinds of experiences the game will eventually offer upon its release. With this in mind, the aspect of what antagonists the game will feature is a deeply important one, and the title could easily look towards the success of The Mandalorian in its inspiration for an imposing and memorable figure.
The Popularity of The Mandalorian
The Mandalorian debuted on Disney+ in November 2019, telling a unique tale within the Star Wars universe that immediately captivated fans across the globe. Now running deep into its third season, it can be said that The Mandalorian is one of the most successful Star Wars projects in recent memory, with the involved characters of the show being firmly rooted in the wider lore of the franchise.
As to be expected, The Mandalorian has already featured a plethora of different supporting characters and antagonists, but one figure in particular sticks out as the show's most memorable and impactful. The character of Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon was introduced late on in the show's first season, wielding the almost mythical Darksaber and commanding a troop of Galactic Empire forces.
Moff Gideon would go on to become a central antagonist of the show throughout its second season, with many praising the performance of Giancarlo Esposito for curating such a sinister and imposing villain. The Mandalorian only gave fans a glimpse of Moff Gideon's overall story, so there is a clear impetus for the figure to be further fleshed out in other pieces of Star Wars media.
How Moff Gideon Could Feature In Ubisoft's Star Wars Game
Not a lot is currently known of Ubisoft's upcoming open-world Star Wars game, other than it will be a deeply story-driven experience headed by Massive Entertainment and the revolutionary Snowdrop game engine. Details such as the game's involved narrative and setting are entirely up for speculation, but the featuring of Moff Gideon in an antagonist role would of course be limited to a certain timeframe and general setting within the Star Wars universe.
If Ubisoft's open-world Star Wars game was to feature Moff Gideon, the title would have to either be set within the Imperial Era or the New Republic Era. This does give the game a wide potential catchment of time in which it could be set, but it would be more pertinent to feature Gideon during the height of the empire in the Imperial Era, in which his power was at its peak.
While the character itself is enough to warrant a video game adaptation, the presence of Giancarlo Esposito as the voice and likeness of the character makes Moff Gideon an even more attractive antagonist choice. Esposito has already played a significant role in Far Cry 6 as the fanatical dictator Anton Castillo, proving that he is just as capable of providing a memorable antagonistic role via the medium of video games as he is in live-action roles. Of course, Ubisoft's upcoming Star Wars game has a huge breadth of potential characters, but the popularity of The Mandalorian and Moff Gideon seems to provide an obvious choice for the game's antagonist.