Between The Mandalorian, The Clone Wars, and many more Star Wars projects, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have become two of the franchise’s most important architects. However, their contributions to the galaxy far, far away go beyond their impressive work behind the camera. Between the two of them, Favreau and Filoni have either played and/or voiced a pretty eclectic roster of Star Wars characters.
While some of their roles have become major fan-favorite characters in the Star Wars franchise, others have been smaller background cameos. However, all of them very much point to corners and parts of the Star Wars galaxy they clearly love most. Even in projects as recent as The Mandalorian & Grogu, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni’s various Star Wars characters can be seen in many of their own projects. To that end, here are some of the biggest and best Star Wars roles played by Lucasfilm’s Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau.
Pre Vizsla Was Voiced By Jon Favreau In The Clone Wars, Leader of the Death Watch
Voicing Pre Vizsla was Jon Favreau’s very first Star Wars role, debuting in The Clone Wars as the ruthless leader of the Mandalorian terrorist group known as Death Watch. At the time, no one realized just how fitting this role would become, considering Favreau’s future with the franchise.
The first known wielder of the Darksaber during the Skywalker saga, Pre Vizsla sought to restore the ancient warrior traditions of Mandalore’s ancestors in the face of Duchess Satine’s pacifistic rule during the Clone Wars. Ultimately, Pre Vizsla was slain by Darth Maul, who took over Death Watch and became the new wielder of the Darksaber during the Clone Wars. That said, his legacy would continue to be felt by his descendants, as seen in shows like The Mandalorian.
Looking back, it’s absolutely fascinating that Jon Favreau continued to play a major role in the expansion of Mandalorian culture and canonical history in the Star Wars franchise, especially with the dawn of all Star Wars shows on Disney+.
Rio Durant Was Voiced By Jon Favreau In Solo: A Star Wars Story
In 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, Favreau voiced Rio Durant, the four-armed Ardennian pilot and cook working alongside Tobias Beckett’s crew when young Han Solo and Chewbacca first joined their ranks. Although he was killed during a raid by Enfys Nest’s Cloud-Riders, Rio was easily one of the movie’s most entertaining side characters.
8 years later, Jon Favreau voicing Rio has become even cooler thanks to The Mandalorian & Grogu. In the new Star Wars movie, director Martin Scorsese makes a cameo as another Ardennian who’s a fry cook operating out of a food cart on Shakari. Likewise, the credits and score from Ludwig Göransson confirm that Scorsese’s character is named Hugo Durant, heavily implying that Favreau’s past character is related to Scorsese’s in the Star Wars canon.
Paz Vizsla Is Voiced By Jon Favreau In All Three Seasons Of The Mandalorian
In Jon Favreau’s series The Mandalorian, the show’s creator and writer voiced the live-action Paz Vizsla, the imposing heavy-gun-wielding member of the Children of the Watch, an offshoot of the previous Death Watch during the New Republic Era.
As a member of Clan Vizsla, Paz was a descendant of the ancient Jedi-Mandalorian Tarre Vizsla (creator of the Darksaber), as well as Pre Vizsla. Although the heavy infantry Mandalorian had a rivalry with Din Djarin, it eventually evolved as they became strong allies by The Mandalorian’s third season. A literal walking tank, Paz Vizsla ultimately gave his life to protect his fellow Mandalorians during the Liberation of Mandalore, holding off Moff Gideon’s Praetorian Guards.
Trapper Wolf Is Played By Dave Filoni, A New Republic X-Wing Pilot
Across the board, Trapper Wolf no doubt serves as Dave Filoni’s most recognizable live-action Star Wars role.
Introduced in The Mandalorian, Trapper Wolf is one of the New Republic’s X-wing pilots patrolling the Outer Rim operating out of Adelphi Base, kicking off a fun tradition where even more Mandalorian episode directors have cameoed as various New Republic pilots, including in The Mandalorian & Grogu.
Additionally, the name “Trapper Wolf” is also a reference to Filoni’s love of wolves and his frequent inclusion of wolf-themed Star Wars iconography wherever he can.
The Bounty Hunter Embo Is Voiced By Dave Filoni
The Kyuzo bounty hunter Embo first debuted during The Clone Wars as one of the galaxy’s most gifted warriors, with George Lucas himself being heavily involved in his creation.
Inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, Embo quickly stood apart thanks to his large metal hat (used as both weapon and shield), as well as his Stoic demeanor. However, the funniest detail about Embo is his voice. Provided by Dave Filoni, the Clone Wars showrunner reportedly created Embo’s unique alien dialogue by badly pronouncing a Smurfs comic in French.
Now, Embo has finally made his live-action debut in The Mandalorian & Grogu, having been hired by the Hutt siblings known only as The Twins to capture Din Djarin after The Mandalorian betrayed them by failing to deliver their nephew Rotta the Hutt. Embo was also joined by his wolf-like anooba pet named Keibu, replacing the one he had during the Clone Wars named Marrok (not to be confused with the Imperial Inquisitor of the same name).
Star Wars Rebels’ Chopper Is Voiced By Dave Filoni
Dave Filoni is also the voice behind C1-10P aka Chopper, the ever-stubborn and aggressive astomech featured in Star Wars Rebels, The Bad Batch, and most recently making his live-action debut in 2023’s Ahsoka. Through a combo of electronic effects, growls, and various hilarious noises, Filoni’s Chopper is easily one of the most beloved droids in the entire Star Wars galaxy (even if he has canonically committed several war crimes). If R2-D2 is a dog, Filoni has said that Chopper is like an angry cat.
While he may have become one of the new heads of Lucasfilm as of this year, Filoni will almost definitely still provide the voice of Chopper for his upcoming appearance in 2027’s Ahsoka season 2. Filoni has also promised that Chopper will be even more unhinged in his next appearance, having shown concept art for the upcoming season at last year’s Star Wars Celebration, where the astromech was seen wielding a blaster rifle of his own.
CH-33P/Cheep Is Another Dave Filoni Astromech
While lesser-known than Chopper, Dave Filoni also voiced another astromech during the final arc of The Clone Wars season 7: CH-33P, nicknamed Cheep. Cheep was one of the astromechs who helped Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex survive Order 66 aboard a crashing Venator-class cruiser.
Cheep’s name and visual resemblance to Chopper were no doubt intentional. Although Cheep had far less screen time than Chopper, his role in the final episodes of The Clone Wars was crucial, keeping Ahsoka and Rex alive in the face of the entire 332nd Company. Overall, Cheep was also a great way for Dave Filoni to be featured in the final chapters of the series that first brought him to Lucasfilm in the first place.
Bo Keevil, A Resistance Pilot Voiced By Dave Filoni
Another one of Dave Filoni’s animated roles was Bo Keevil, a Kel Dor pilot featured in the Star Wars Resistance animated series. Keevil was a member of Ace Squadron during the New Republic Era, piloting alongside several elite Resistance racers and pilots.
Without a doubt, the role was especially meaningful considering Dave Filoni’s longstanding love for the Star Wars franchise’s most famous Kel Dor, Jedi Master Plo Koon (who just so happened to lead the 104th Battalion with Commander Wolffe and the squad known as the Wolfpack). Famously, Filoni even dressed as Plo Koon while attending the opening of Revenge of the Sith back in 2005.
The Mandalorian & Grogu is now playing in theaters from Lucasfilm.
- Release Date
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May 22, 2026
- Runtime
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132 Minutes