Mandalorian & Grogu And 9 Other Live-Action Star Wars Projects With A Character That Originated In Animation

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The recent introduction of Rotta the Hutt in The Mandalorian & Grogu continues a trend of characters first appearing in animated Star Wars projects making their way into live-action shows. Disney and Lucasfilm have been bringing more animated characters to life in their Disney+ series. Previously, live-action Star Wars was primarily reserved for films, while television was mainly home to animated series like Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which is widely considered one of the best animated shows of the 21st century.

Everything shifted when The Mandalorian became a huge hit on Disney+, earning great reviews and attracting a large audience. This success prompted Lucasfilm to create a series centered around Boba Fett and another following Cassian Andor, a character originally from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. These shows also started incorporating characters from Star Wars animated series, culminating in a series dedicated to Ahsoka Tano, a character previously exclusive to animation.

Many of the characters we’re seeing in live-action Star Wars first appeared in the animated series The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Rotta the Hutt originally showed up in the Clone Wars animated movie, and now, as an adult, he’s made the jump to live-action, joining a growing number of characters who started in animation.

Ezra Bridger

Ezra Bridger first appeared as an animated character in the Star Wars series Star Wars Rebels in 2014. Taylor Gray provides his voice throughout the show, where Ezra begins as a 14-year-old orphaned pickpocket living on the planet Lothal. He eventually trains as a Jedi Padawan under Kanan Jarrus and becomes the central hero of the series. In the show’s final episode, Ezra heroically sacrificed himself to ensure the defeat of Thrawn, directing space whales called purrgil to pull Thrawn’s Star Destroyer into hyperspace.

Okay, so as a huge Star Wars fan, I was thrilled to see Ezra Bridger back in the Ahsoka series last year! Eman Esfandi did a fantastic job bringing him to life. The show revealed he actually did survive that crazy moment at the end of Rebels – he was stuck on this planet called Peridea with these cool creatures, the Noti. Thankfully, Ahsoka and Sabine managed to bring him home. Honestly, it was really satisfying to see his story get a proper conclusion and a happy ending, especially after everything he went through and sacrificed in the animated series.

Cad Bane

Cad Bane first appeared in the animated series The Clone Wars, and a highlight of his return in The Book of Boba Fett was that the same actor voiced him in both shows. He originally debuted in the 2009 Clone Wars season finale, “Hostage Crisis,” as a Duros bounty hunter who famously took senators hostage in the Senate building. After Jango Fett’s death, Bane became the most sought-after bounty hunter, and he was even intended to mentor a young Boba Fett in a storyline that was never fully completed.

Seeing Bane back on screen in The Book of Boba Fett was fantastic – they really stayed true to how he was in the animated series. What I especially loved was that Corey Burton voiced him again, both in animation and live-action! And Dorian Kingi did an amazing job bringing the character to life physically. His appearance was a classic Western-style showdown with Boba Fett in Mos Espa, and it was pretty brutal – Boba ultimately defeated him by impaling him with a gaderffii stick. A memorable moment for sure!

Chopper (C1-10P)

Chopper (C1-10P) is a cantankerous astromech droid from the animated series Star Wars Rebels. Interestingly, co-creator Dave Filoni provided his unique vocal effects. He was the loyal companion of Hera Syndulla and an important part of her crew, the Spectres. Before joining Hera, Chopper served during the Clone Wars. He made history as one of the first animated Star Wars characters to appear in live-action, showing up at the Rebel base on Yavin 4 in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

He returned to live-action again in the 2023 Ahsoka series, specifically in the episode “Part Two: Toil and Trouble,” joining Hera and Ahsoka on Corellia. The live-action version of Chopper is remarkably true to the animated character, and Dave Filoni continues to provide his unique vocalizations to maintain the same personality.

Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios

I’m so thrilled to see Zeb Orrelios get the recognition he deserves! As a huge fan of Star Wars Rebels, I loved watching Zeb, voiced brilliantly by Steve Blum, throughout all four seasons. He’s such a powerful Lasat, a former member of the Lasan Honor Guard, and he’s always been the strong, reliable muscle of the Ghost crew alongside Hera, Kanan, Sabine, and Ezra. It was amazing seeing him jump to live-action in The Mandalorian’s “Chapter 21: The Pirate” – especially seeing him in New Republic gear chatting with Captain Teva. It really felt like a full-circle moment for a character I’ve followed for years!

Zeb’s appearance revealed what happened to him after the events of Star Wars Rebels, showing he joined the New Republic following the Empire’s defeat. It also marked the first time anyone from his species, the Lasat, had been seen in a live-action Star Wars film or show. While critics generally liked his return, some felt the appearance was too brief, even with Steven Blum reprising his voice role.

Captain Rex

Captain Rex is a well-known clone trooper from the Clone Wars series, and he’s appeared in multiple Star Wars projects since. Voiced by Dee Bradley Baker, he’s been featured in The Clone Wars, Rebels, The Bad Batch, and Tales of the Jedi. As a leader, Rex commanded the 501st Legion’s Torrent Company, serving alongside General Anakin Skywalker and Commander Ahsoka Tano.

Though he made his live-action debut in the Ahsoka episode “Part Five: Shadow Warrior,” the original actor who played Jango Fett, Temuera Morrison, reprised the role. Morrison first portrayed the clone template, Jango Fett, in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002). This Ahsoka appearance is a flashback set during the final days of the Clone Wars, not a current-day introduction of the character.

Bo-Katan Kryze

Bo-Katan Kryze was introduced in the animated series The Clone Wars in 2012, with Katee Sackhoff providing the voice for the character. She debuted in the Season 4 episode “A Friend in Need” as a lieutenant within the Death Watch, a Mandalorian faction led by Pre Vizsla. A key part of Bo-Katan’s story revolved around her complicated relationship with her sister, Duchess Satine Kryze, the peaceful ruler of Mandalore, as they held opposing beliefs.

Bo-Katan Kryze appeared in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, with Katee Sackhoff reprising her role. She became a key character in the series, ultimately leading the effort to reclaim Mandalore from the Empire. This was a significant step, as it allowed the character to continue playing an important role in the ongoing conflicts across both live-action and animated shows.

Grand Admiral Thrawn

Grand Admiral Thrawn is a popular character in the Star Wars universe with a long history. He first appeared in the 1991 novel Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn, and the following Thrawn Trilogy became one of the most celebrated series of Star Wars novels ever written. Later, in 2016, he joined the animated series Star Wars Rebels, with Lars Mikkelsen providing his voice.

Grand Admiral Thrawn first appeared in live-action in the 2023 series Ahsoka, with Mads Mikkelsen returning to play the character. He previously served as a major villain in seasons three and four of Star Wars Rebels, and played a similarly crucial role in Ahsoka, where the heroes’ primary mission was to stop him from coming back.

Saw Gerrera

Saw Gerrera was a groundbreaking character, being one of the first to appear in both animated and live-action Star Wars projects. While the droid Chopper also made the transition, Gerrera played a significant role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, unlike Chopper’s brief appearance. Originally voiced by Andrew Kishino in The Clone Wars, he first appeared in the Onderon arc of Season 5, leading a rebellion against a king supported by the Separatists. The death of his sister was a key event that drove him to become an uncompromising resistance leader.

This character was fully developed in Rogue One, portrayed by Forest Whitaker. He led the Partisans, a small rebel group that operated independently of the main Rebel Alliance and took in Jyn Erso. The character also reappeared in both seasons of Andor.

Ahsoka Tano

Ahsoka Tano represents the most significant transition from animation to live-action in Star Wars history. Originally created for animated series like The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and Tales of the Jedi (voiced by Ashley Eckstein), Ahsoka began her journey as a 14-year-old apprentice to Anakin Skywalker. She ultimately left the Jedi Order after being wrongly accused of a Jedi Temple bombing.

Rosario Dawson first appeared as Ahsoka Tano in a live-action role in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, specifically the episode “Chapter 13: The Jedi.” In that episode, she’s the one who reveals the child’s real name – Grogu – and directs Mando to the Jedi temple on Tython. Later, in 2023, the Ahsoka series premiered, featuring Dawson as the former Jedi fighting to prevent the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn, who poses a threat to the galaxy.

Rotta the Hutt

Rotta the Hutt is Jabba the Hutt’s son and appears in the recent Star Wars story, The Mandalorian & Grogu. He was first introduced in the 2008 film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where he was kidnapped by the Separatists. Anakin Skywalker and his apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, saved Rotta and brought him back to his father. Ahsoka playfully called him “Stinky,” while Jabba affectionately referred to him as “Pedunkee Mufkin” (or “Punky Muffin”).

Jeremy Allen White now voices a grown-up version of the character in The Mandalorian & Grogu. He plays a key role in the story, as the Mandalorian and Grogu must complete a task for Rotta the Hutt in exchange for crucial information they need to continue their mission. According to Dave Filoni in an interview with ScreenRant, Rotta was an ideal character to bring back from Star Wars animated series for The Mandalorian & Grogu.

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2026-05-15 23:58