All 8 Star Wars Characters Played by Jon Favreau & Dave Filoni

When a pop culture franchise takes off in hyperdrive, one can only hope the result is extraordinary. After the mind-boggling success of George Lucas‘ hit film, Star Wars has continued to dazzle us for decades. Though Lucas no longer serves as the primary visionary and mastermind, a handful of individuals are entrusted with leading audiences into the next generation of the galaxy. Two of the bright lights in this new generation are Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni.

Both Favreau and Filoni are two of the most important creative architects behind the modern, interconnected Star Wars television and film universe. They have served in countless roles, including showrunners, creators, executive producers, and writers on multiple Disney+ series. Together, they served as co-writers on the most recent Star Wars blockbuster, The Mandalorian and Grogu, alongside Noah Kloor. When the duo isn’t helping others find their voice in the galaxy far, far away, they’ve been lending theirs! Here, we’re celebrating Filoni and Favreau’s acting credits within the Star Wars universe, from droids to bounty hunters. Both have brought incredible influence into the franchise, on and off-screen, and it’s a great time to acknowledge them.

Bo Keevil – Dave Filoni

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Sometimes, serving as director and executive producer comes with its perks. For Filoni, when it came to the animated series Star Wars Resistance, he put himself directly into the action. The series followed Kazuda “Kaz” Xiono (Christopher Sean), a young, somewhat clumsy pilot recruited by the Resistance to spy on the growing military threat of the First Order. Set on the massive oceanic refueling station known as the Colossus before the events of Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens, the story is grounded in community rather than in Jedi and galactic warfare. Part of that community is Bo Keevil, a Kel Dor Aces Station pilot and racer, who set out to defend the fueling station.

The trick with Bo was that he appeared frequently enough, but seldom spoke. When he did, fans were thrilled to hear the voice of the mastermind behind him. Bo’s tenure on the show was a mix of silly fun, like when he nearly caused a bar disaster while scrambling to his ship in “The Doza Dilemma,” and genuine action, showcasing his incredible death-defying, daredevil maneuvers. One highlight in “The Voxx Vortex 5000” is when he flies his Yellow Ace against Vranki the Hutt’s (John DiMaggio) racer, showcasing his defensive flying skills as he dodges magnetic mines and maneuvers through an asteroid field.

Cheep (CH-33P) – Dave Filoni

Image via LucasFilm

Every Star Wars fan’s dream is to play in the galaxy far, far away. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the story chronicles the massive, galaxy-spanning conflict between the Galactic Empire and the Separatist Alliance, set between the events of Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith. The series fleshes out the Star Wars universe, diving into Mandalorian culture, the rise of dark Sith villains, and the darker, corrupting effects of warfare on the Jedi Order. One of the new droids introduced during its run was CH-33P, lovingly known as “Cheep.”

With grey and yellow plating, the C1-astromech droid famously assisted Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) and Clone Captain Rex (Dee Bradley Baker) during the chaos of Order 66 at the Siege of Mandalore, sacrificing itself to distract mind-controlled clone troopers so the pair could escape. Cheep worked alongside fellow droids R7-A7 and RG-G1, cutting Rex off from his men so the inhibitor chip could be safely removed. Later, they snuck into the Star Destroyer’s command center to heroically manipulate the hangar’s maintenance platforms to confuse the clone troopers. Though Cheep may have had a short run, the droid forever has a place in Star Wars fans’ hearts.

Chopper (C1-10P) – Dave Filoni

Image via Lucasfilm

And now, for a droid that has had a long-running tenure in the Star Wars universe: Chopper. The universally beloved droid first appeared in the animated series Star Wars Rebels before making a plethora of appearances, both animated and live-action. Rebels follows a close-knit, ragtag group of freedom fighters aboard the starship Ghost as they conduct covert operations, sparking a widespread rebellion against the oppressive Galactic Empire. Chopper is the grumpy, cynical astromech droid known for his sass and problem-solving skills.

Having infused such a personality into Chopper, Filoni provided a hilarious, chaotic contrast to the polished and polite droids of yore, leading to his remarkably high kill count as he was known to ruthlessly blast enemies, tamper with ships, and casually cause explosions. Though he makes a brief background cameo appearance in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Chopper’s big live-action run came in Ahsoka, assisting General Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) aboard Ghost. From there, Chopper has been seen in Star Wars: The Bad Batch and Star Wars: Forces of Destiny. Filoni was the perfect man to voice the little agent of chaos.

Embo – Dave Filoni

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If you thought Cheep was Filoni’s only foray into The Clone Wars, you’d be wrong. He also voiced the infamous, highly skilled and fan-favorite bounty hunter Embo. He is known for his signature large, round hat, which he often uses as a boomerang or shield, or rides as a surfboard. Agile, incredibly athletic, and renowned for going toe-to-toe with Jedi, Embo is one of the galaxy’s most stylish and capable gunslingers.

Of his many crowning achievements during the season, Embo showcased his ruthless survival skills alongside Cad Bane (Corey Burton) and Boba Fett (Daniel Logan) in The Box. Navigating a deadly gauntlet of traps and poisonous gas, he physically outmaneuvered his rivals to earn a spot on a high-stakes mission. He defended the Hutt Council from Darth Maul (Sam Witwer) and Savage Opress (Clancy Brown) via hand-to-hand combat and showcased his operational teamwork prowess alongside Boba Fett and Bossk (Dee Bradley Baker) in rescuing Jedi Quinlan Vos (Al Rodrigo) from Count Dooku’s (Corey Burton) forces. Embo, who was supposed to be killed off after his first appearance, is a survivor. He made his live-action appearance in The Mandalorian and Grogu, accompanied this time by a new canine companion named Keibu.

Pas Vizsla – Jon Favreau

Image via Lucasfilm

Perhaps the greatest Star Wars achievement on television is the creation of the space Western The Mandalorian. Giving audiences a reason to become obsessed with the live-action Star Wars series on Disney+, Favreau’s series not only gave us a new character to journey through the galaxy with but also introduced the world to the most beloved, adorable space creature since the Porg: Grogu. The series centers on lone, armored bounty hunter Din Djarin as he operates in the outer reaches of the galaxy five years after the fall of the Galactic Empire. After rescuing and adopting the character once deemed “Baby Yoda,” Din goes on the run to protect the powerful child from Imperial remnants.

Favreau dropped himself into the universe, playing Pas Vizsla. Appearing in The Mandalorian and later in The Book of Boba Fett, Pas Vizsla is a heavy-infantry Mandalorian warrior who wields a massive rotary blaster cannon. A member of the Children of the Watch, he is a descendant of Tarre Vizsla, the ancient Jedi who created the Darksaber. Because of the lore of his lineage, he believed that the Darksaber rightfully belonged to him, not Din Djarin. A strict follower of the ancient Mandalorian Way, he was seen clashing often with the titular hero. He does become a hero in his own right by the end of Season 3, helping rescue Grogu and sacrificing himself to hold off Moff Gideon’s (Giancarlo Esposito) elite Praetorian Guards.

Pre Vizsla – Jon Favreau

Filoni wasn’t the only Star Wars creative who had fun in The Clone Wars. Favreau joined in, voicing the infamous Pre Vizsla. Serving as a primary antagonist in several key storylines of the animated series, Pre Vizsla was a Mandalorian warrior and leader of the Death Watch terrorist group. Pre Vizsla’s ultimate goal was to overthrow Duchess Satine Kryze’s (Anna Graves) pacifist government and restore Mandalore to its ancient warrior heritage. He is most recognized for wielding the Darksaber, an ancient black-bladed lightsaber stolen from the Jedi Temple by his Mandalorian ancestors.

During his run, Pre Vizsla made alliances with countless antagonists, including Count Dooku and the Separatists and the Sith brothers Darth Maul and Savage Opress. With Maul’s help, Pre Vizsla conquered Mandalore and betrayed the Sith. That did not sit too well with Maul, who challenged him to a duel for the throne, ultimately defeating and beheading him for control of Mandalore, claiming the Darksaber for himself. Pre Vizsla was ruthless and ambitious, having incredible showdowns with the likes of Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor) and Ahsoka Tano. A crucial player in the overall Star Wars mythology, Favreau seamlessly fit into the villain role.

Rio Durant – Jon Favreau

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Becoming a beloved or infamous character is every actor’s goal in the Star Wars world. While some have unfortunately found themselves taking on infamous horrible creatures, Favreau was lucky when he took on the voice of Rio Durant in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Set years before the original trilogy, a young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) navigates the galactic criminal underworld, meets his lifelong co-pilot Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), befriends Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), and ultimately wins the Millennium Falcon. Rio’s entry in the story comes as the pilot for Tobias Beckett’s (Woody Harrelson) gang of thieves and smugglers.

Known for his criminal expertise and military experience with the Freedom’s Sons, the good-natured, four-armed Ardennian was open to the recruitment of Han and Chewy. All it took was convincing the crew of the benefits of having a deep sleep on a Wookie’s lap. Optimistic and capable, Rio embraces the risky, adventurous nature of the heist world, single-handedly keeping the Imperial Hauler aloft as it took on enemy fire. Known for time-efficient multitasking, Rio used his four-armed skills to cook, chat, and shoot simultaneously. A wonderfully witty and sarcastic character, Rio is sadly killed during the coaxium train heist on the planet Vandor.

Trapper Wolf – Dave Filoni

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Most of Filoni’s Star Wars work has been done sans face until he played Trapper Wolf in The Mandalorian. Trapper Wolf is a New Republic X-wing pilot who operates in the Outer Rim, patrolling for threats and enforcing the laws of the restored galaxy. The name is a nod to Filoni’s real-life love and appreciation for wolves, which has served as a creative influence on his work in the Star Wars universe. The character came to be a cameo bit at the urging of Favreau, alongside fellow directors Rick Famuyiwa and Deborah Chow, who also made cameos as New Republic pilots throughout the series.

Filoni’s Trapper Wolf emerged as the standout, swooping in to save the day. Alongside Captain Carson Teva (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), they use their X-wings to blast the ice spiders who besieged Mando, Grogu, and the Frog Lady (Misty Rosas). Upon learning that Mando was wanted, they decided not to arrest him, honoring his previous attempts to save a New Republic officer on Bothan-Five. Filoni had the great honor of uttering the infamous Star Wars line, “May the Force be with you.” What a lucky guy! Trapper is back for The Mandalorian & Grogu, this time sporting Filoni’s signature cowboy hat, seated at the Adelphi Base tavern. Then, back in the cockpit once again, he leads a squadron of X-wing pilots in a sweeping dive-bomb attack on the Hutts upon learning of their lingering ties to the Empire.