The Mandalorian and Grogu Will Bring a Star Wars Fan Favorite from The Clone Wars

For most people watching the latest trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu, the exciting stuff is everything that’s always been great about Star Wars: the spaceships, the power of the Force, all the cool sci-fi updates to classic genre elements. But for a certain group of people, the best part of the trailer is the appearance of a gangly guy with a wide-brimmed hat on his head and a mutt by his side. For them, it’s all about Embo.

For the uninitiated, Embo is the frightening-looking figure who removes Din Djarin’s helmet midway through the trailer, breaking Mandalorian law but also revealing the handsome face of star Pedro Pascal. Even the neophyte viewer knows that the situation doesn’t look good for Mando. But for fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Mando’s bad luck is going to lead to a good time.

Embo made his debut in “Bounty Hunters,” the 2010 season 2 episode of The Clone Wars animated series. The episode finds Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka arriving at a village where the desperate farmers have hired a quartet of hired guns for protection from local warlords. Although Embo is just one of the four new faces introduced in that installment, his stoic demeanor and general nobility—holding to a deal but willing to accept help from the heroes—won over fans.

After another appearance in season 3, Embo popped up several times in the show’s fourth season, truly standing out in “The Box,” which involved a competition between bounty hunters. Watching Embo hold his own against established killers such as Cad Bane cemented his legend.

For most fans, Embo carries a mystique that recalls the love original trilogy fans had for Boba Fett. As difficult as it is to remember now, Boba Fett was little more than a cool-looking guy standing in the background of The Empire Strikes Back who had to be warned by Darth Vader against going too far. Not even his ignominious end in Return of the Jedi, getting bumped into the sarlacc pit by a blind and bumbling Han Solo, or participation in the Star Wars Holiday Special could diminish his appeal.

For that reason, fans aren’t coming to The Mandalorian and Grogu looking to learn more about Embo. As long as he keeps looking cool, with his bowcaster on one side and his dog Marrok on the other, and as long as he makes Mando’s life difficult, that will be enough.

But will it be enough for everyone else? Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian proved to be a hit for Disney+, in part because of the pop culture sensation around Baby Yoda and in part because the show went back to pulpy basics. But as The Clone Wars creator Dave Filoni developed a stronger voice in the series, it became more indebted to lore from that cartoon series and its sequel Rebels. Thrilling as that shift was for those who grew up with those shows, everyone else fell off of The Mandalorian.

As a major motion picture playing in theaters, The Mandalorian and Grogu cannot afford to cater to a select group of fans who loved a certain cartoon show fifteen years ago. So while the movie can absolutely bring in deep cuts like Embo, the reference alone won’t sell tickets. Then again, Embo has always make a strong first impression. That impression alone might be enough to make believers of everyone who watches The Mandalorian and Grogu.

The Mandalorian and Grogu comes to theaters on May 22, 2026.