New information about Giancarlo Esposito’s character explains why there are stormtroopers in The Mandalorian.
The first trailer for The Mandalorian is epic and it certainly raised a number of questions, one of which is why there are so many stormtroopers in a story taking place after the fall of the Empire and before the full-fledged rise of the First Order.
Most of our theories revolved around Giancarlo Esposito’s character being an Imperial sympathizer who stormtroopers had flocked to, or that he had collected stormtrooper armor and weaponry to create hisown mini faux-Imperial army.
Entertainment Weekly has now revealed that Giancarlo Esposito’s character name is Moff Gideon. Moffs were Sector Governors in the Empire. With the Empire now gone, he’s on his own, except for the stormtroopers who still serve him. EW revealed that Moff Gideon is still ambitious, though.
This matches with other interviews where Esposito has said his character is trying to keep order, which from a certain point of view is an admirable thing in a lawless part of the galaxy. In an interview with Slash Film, Esposito even said “You may also look at him as a savior, as someone who might bring back some order to the world after it’s all collapsed.”
Moff Gideon is definitely an antagonist, but he’s a villain who views himself as a hero.
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So now we know the stormtroopers–and death troopers–in the trailer did used to fight for the Empire and are still fighting for Moff Gideon. Based on the all the stormtrooper helments on the ground and the ones impaled for all to see, they’re not doing so hot when it comes to keeping order, though. The Mandalorian is a fearsome opponent, whose very existence threatens Moff Gideon’s mission.
Imperials tend to have the upper hand in Star Wars stories, but Moff Gideon and his stormtroopers may actually be something of an underdog. They no longer have the strength of the once mighty Empire. They’re on their own, clinging to an order that is no more, overwhelmed in the face of formidable bounty hunters and Mandalorian warriors.
These refreshing types of dynamics and perspectives are part of what makes The Mandalorian seem like it will be something truly special in a galaxy far, far away.
We’re glad we now have our answer to the stormtrooper question and can’t wait to learn more about the fascinating character of Moff Gideon.