Our Favourite Cameos From ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 1 And 2

Season 3 of The Mandalorian is well underway, and Din Djarin is officially a man on a mission back to Mandalore, meeting frenemies  – old and new – along the way.

We are officially on the home stretch (literally, not figuratively) of Mando’s journey to reclaim his Mandalorian roots. And while I’m dying to know what awaits him and Grogu on their grand adventure, maybe the real treasure is the friends they made along the way. 

In honour of these friends (and foes), here’s a list of my favourite cameos from Season 1 and 2 of The Mandalorian. It’s not an exhaustive list by any means: I’ll be the first to admit that there were a bunch of cameos that went over my head (like show creator Dave Filoni pulling a Stan Lee and making his own appearance). These are the ones that had me thinking “wait, I swear I know that person from somewhere” enough to pause the show, pull up IMDb, then be on my way.

Timothy Olyphant As Cobb Vanth

First up is one of the easiest cameos to recognise, thanks to a lack of helmet and prosthetics. Timothy Olyphant is as charismatic as ever as the space sheriff Cobb Vanth, rocking up in Boba Fett’s old armour and teaming up with Mando to take down a krayt dragon.

Natalia Tena As Xi’An

Recognising Natalia Tena as Twi’lek bounty hunter Xi’An was satisfying, especially considering she’s barely recognisable through that incredible makeup and costume. But the moment I heard her voice as she brandished her knife in Mando’s face, I knew it had to be Natalia Tena. Makeup and prosthetics can only obscure so much, and her eyes and voice are hard to miss.   

Bill Burr as Mayfield

This cameo was less of a “who is that” moment and more of a “wait, why are they here?”. Bill Burr’s appearance as mercenary Migs Mayfield was as confusing as it was delightful. His return in Season 2 added some complexity to his wisecracking character that made this cameo extra special.

Richard Ayoade as Q9-0

Some of the voice cameos in The Mandalorian are tricky to place. I know Taika Waititi as IG-11 is probably the most famous droid voice cameo, but I can’t be the only one who thinks Ayoade’s one was way easier to clock.

Julia Jones as Omera

Omera’s love for Grogu and the will-they-won’t-they vibe with Mando was a highlight for the hopeless romantic in me. Julia Jones’ brief but poignant appearance in the Sorgan tribe brought a bit of romantic spice to the Sci-Fi adventure and I can only hope that the audience (or rather, Mando) catches a glimpse of her again.

Adam Pally And Jason Sudeikis As Stormtroopers

After I recovered from the shock of this damn Stormtrooper daring to lay hands on baby Yoda, I suddenly realised I recognised their voices. And well, well, well, you really can’t trust anyone around here. Known for their fun and comedic roles, who would’ve thought Jason Sudeikis and Adam Pally would play the worst Stormtroopers ever. It was a clever little cameo that I never wish to experience again, thank you very much.

Omid Abtahi As Doctor Pershing

After seeing Doctor Pershing a few times throughout series, I eventually realised who he was. Abtahi is clearly a huge fan of the series himself and he brings depth to an important character who, we can’t forget, brought Grogu and Mando together in the first place. 

Werner Herzog As The Client

To be clear, I know now that Werner Herzog is an icon of German cinema. He’s a critically acclaimed director, producer, and screenwriter – plus, he was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people in 2009. The seriousness of his role as The Client and his distinguished filmography (paired with where I recognised him from) makes Herzog my personal favourite cameo of the series. 

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Season 3 of The Mandalorian is now streaming, only on Disney+.

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(Images courtesy of Disney+)