Star Wars is already making history with its next movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu, but this one important franchise milestone is especially surprising – and very welcome. Prior to the release of The Mandalorian TV show, characters who debuted in Star Wars animation rarely ever got a chance to appear in live-action.

The Mandalorian season 2, however, changed that. With key characters like Ahsoka Tano and Bo-Katan Kryze finally getting to enter the live-action realm, anything seemed possible for animated Star Wars characters. Now, in The Mandalorian and Grogu, Star Wars is bringing one of its main animated characters to the big screen for the first time.

The Mandalorian And Grogu Is Bringing Zeb Orrelios To The Big Screen

Zeb Orrelios, one of the main characters in Star Wars Rebels, is headed to the big screen in The Mandalorian and Grogu. Zeb made his live-action debut in The Mandalorian season 3 with a brief appearance alongside Captain Carson Teva at the New Republic’s Adelphi Outpost.

While Zeb isn’t the first animated Star Wars character to hit the big screen – that honor goes to Saw Gerrera in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – he is, in fact, the first main character from an animated TV show to be featured in a Star Wars film.

Saw was only a part of a brief arc in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, whereas Zeb was a core part of the Rebels crew. While the nature of Zeb’s role in The Mandalorian and Grogu is still unknown, it’s likely he’ll be working quite closely with Din Djarin, which makes him a crucial addition to the movie’s cast.

Animation Is More Important To Star Wars Now Than Ever Before

20 years after Lucasfilm Animation first began, Star Wars’ animated stories are more important than ever before. Zeb will have a key role in Star Wars’ next movie, Ahsoka season 2 will continue bringing animated characters and their stories to the forefront, and Dave Filoni’s culmination movie will give all these characters a chance to shine on the big screen.

All these big, modern Star Wars stories have a foundation in animation. Without it, shows like Ahsoka would never have even been made. From The Clone Wars to Rebels and Star Wars: The Bad Batch, these animated TV shows are truly crucial to the entire franchise – as proven by The Mandalorian and Grogu.

The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters May 22, 2026.