Essential Embo Episodes to Watch Before ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’

Remember when The Mandalorian was briefly about bounty hunting? Maybe you want to bring some of that back for its transition to the big screen in The Mandalorian and Grogu. Maybe the bounty hunter anyone actually cares about in Star Wars got dinged by a pretty awful miniseries. Maybe you also killed off the second-most liked one in that same miniseries for very little reason. So whatever are you to do?

Enter Embo.

As we learned in yesterday’s new trailer, The Mandalorian and Grogu will bring the beloved Kyuzo bounty hunter Embo to live-action for the first time, a chance to show off a Clone Wars character and their rich legacy on the big screen. He has… a big hat! And a dog named Marrok, unrelated to the guy named Marrok! Need to know more? Here’s our guide to all of Embo’s past animated adventures, so you can be all caught up on his deal in time for the new movie.

“Bounty Hunters†(Clone Wars Season 2, Episode 17)

Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka team up with a group of bounty hunters to protect a village from the pirate forces of the enduring goofball Hondo Ohnaka.

Embo is also there. In fact, he was originally going to die in early plans for the episode, but the production team thought he had a cool design, so instead he merely gets injured in the final village defense. Imagine where The Mandalorian and Grogu would have been if he had died! We could be talking about Robonino instead. Or Derrown. Or Sugi! All beloved characters.

“Sphere of Influence†(Clone Wars Season 3, Episode 4)

As the Separatists blockade Pantora, Chairman Papanoida (he of the George Lucas Revenge of the Sith cameo fame) hunts down the kidnappers of his daughters with the help of Pantoran senator Chuchi and Ahsoka.

Embo is also there. Don’t get too excited; he’s not the kidnapper (Greedo is, because of course). He’s literally just in the crowds at Jabba’s palace for a scene.

“The Box†and “Crisis on Naboo†(Clone Wars Season 4, Episodes 17 and 18)

Obi-Wan fakes his death to infiltrate a circle of bounty hunters being trialed for a mission from Count Dooku to capture Chancellor Palpatine.

Embo is also there. He avoids the same fate as multiple no-name bounty hunters who get killed off during the trials but ends up being arrested when the Jedi rescue Palpatine.

“Bounty†(Clone Wars Season 4, Episode 20)

Abandoned by Count Dooku after a failed mission, a wandering Asajj Ventress starts a new life as a bounty hunter, crossing paths with a crew run by the young Boba Fett.

Embo is also there. Quite literally, he’s not even in the crew the arc follows; he just walks by them at one point.

“Revenge†(Clone Wars Season 4, Episode 22)

The returned Darth Maul, now working with his brother Savage Opress on a quest for vengeance on Obi-Wan—who finds himself teaming up with Ventress to defend himself.

Embo is also there. This time he’s just hanging out in Chalmun’s Cantina in Mos Eisley. Man likes to hang around!

“Eminence†(Clone Wars Season 5, Episode 14)

Darth Maul’s quest for vengeance on Obi-Wan continues, as he teams up with the Mandalorian terrorist group Death Watch to take down the Jedi Master.

Embo is also there. He gets a little more to do, mainly in the form of being beaten up by Savage when he and Maul take their Shadow Collective to try and rough up the Grand Hutt Council on Nal Hutta.

“An Old Friend†(Clone Wars Season 6, Episode 5)

Padmé Amidala is called on by an old flame (and now Separatist), Rush Clovis, to expose corruption within the Intergalactic Banking Clan—before a bounty hunter can silence them forever.

Embo is also—wait, no! He’s actually the primary antagonist of the episode! He even gets to fight Anakin to a standstill and gets to sled on his hat in a cool chase scene! My god, it only took them eight episodes.

We’re being flippant here, but it’s kind of all you really can be when The Mandalorian and Grogu is elevating a character whose entire on-screen Star Wars history can be distilled into just over 13 minutes—and he’s not even doing much for half of that. Time will tell if Embo’s moment on the silver screen will give some depth to a character design his creators are clearly still enamored by, or if his live-action debut will amount to about as much as his animated past.

We’ll find out when The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters on May 22.

 

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.