Katee Sackhoff recently made shocking confessions about how playing Bo-Katan Kryze in live-action affected her on a personal level. Sackhoff made the stunning revelations on her show, The Sackhoff Show, where she often invites Star Wars actors for a discussion.
Sackhoff revealed that she lost confidence in her acting abilities after The Mandalorian, and "Bo-Katan is nowhere near who I am as a human being. Her life, what she wants. I didn’t understand her. As much as I understood her, I never felt her in my stomach. I never identified with her. I didn’t know how to find her. It broke me."
What makes Sackhoff's confessions more shocking is that she voiced Bo-Katan in The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. The Mandalorian marked the first time she played Kryze in live-action, but Sackhoff was the only actor Star Wars considered for the role. It's also bewildering that Sackhoff found her character unrelatable, because Bo has been the same person throughout canon. In The Mandalorian, Bo-Katan was finally relieved of the cycle of gaining power only to lose it, as she regained possession of the Darksaber, the Mandalorian throne, and her planet.
🚨Katee Sackhoff on how playing Bo-Katan in ‘The Mandalorian’ broke her🚨
— Mandoverse Updates (@Mando3Updates) August 20, 2025
“I lost all of my confidence after Mandalorian… My style of acting has always just been your first instinct is the right instinct. Do that. Play the reality of the situation. And I’ve never really played… pic.twitter.com/HyHtDogHgu
It sounds like Sackhoff couldn't relate or connect with her character, but she didn't reveal whether she discussed her concerns with Jon Favreau and the Mandalorian team. Sackhoff made her live-action debut during season 2, and her appearance was met with enthusiasm. The episode was well-received, and Sackhoff became a co-lead with Pedro Pascal in season 3. Perhaps that's where her troubles started, and she wasn't prepared to lead a series with such a large fan following. She says, "It just broke me where I started doubting everything about myself."
Although Katee's confessions are disturbing, and it sounds like she was hard on herself, it's hard to identify the cause of her self-doubt. Was it the writing, the direction, or imposter syndrome that bothered Katee throughout her experience as Bo-Katan? As an actor, it's her job to portray characters who are nothing like herself in real life, and no one will judge her for it. I believe season 3 of The Mandalorian was a letdown for various reasons.
I expected a riveting rivalry between Bo-Katan and Din Djarin, and a mention of Duchess Satine Kryze. I thought the darksaber would play a definitive role in the plot, but instead, it was easily swept under the rug. I think Katee did a better job as Bo during season 2, and perhaps, she might've felt better about her character if Bo had been given a redemption arc that felt earned. Instead, Bo was handed the Darksaber and easily accepted by all Mandalorians, including The Armorer.
Based on her experiences, it seems doubtful that Katee Sackhoff will be seen as Bo-Katan Kryze again in live-action soon. Maybe a character like Bo should remain in animation.
The Mandalorian is streaming on Disney+.