8 Great TV Characters Who Die At The Beginning

The Mandalorian could have been on shaky ground when it launched in 2019, but series creator Jon Favreau's steadfast dedication to Star Wars lore, characters and texture has ensured its longevity and endeared it to even the most hard-headed fans.

Blending elements of all three Star Wars trilogies while remaining independent from them, this space Western has been guided along by a cast of colourful and intriguing characters who fit seamlessly into the galaxy far far away.

While the latest series has been built on the back of established characters from the saga and expanded universe, such as Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison), the first brought us an array of original takes. And few are better than IG-11, the bounty hunter droid voiced by Taika Waititi, who also directed the final episode of the season, "Chapter 8: Redemption".

Similar to IG-88, one of the bounty hunters Vader recruits in The Empire Strikes Back, IG-11 was an assassin droid working as a hired gun. After a brief team-up with the show's namesake (a helmeted Pedro Pascal doing more character work with just his voice than we've seen from entire casts), he was killed when attempting to assassinate the pair's bounty – Grogu.

Though retired vapour farmer Kuiil later repaired IG-11, he also altered his personality and purpose, turning him into a nurse droid, ensuring the cold-shelled killer was never coming back.