Every Star Wars Character Played By Jon Favreau & Dave Filoni

Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have become key figures in the world of Star Wars, thanks to shows like The Mandalorian and The Clone Wars, and other projects. But their involvement goes beyond directing and producing – they’ve also actually appeared in and voiced a surprisingly diverse range of characters within the Star Wars universe.

As a huge Star Wars fan, I’ve always noticed how Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni seem to pop up in the galaxy far, far away – sometimes as major characters we all adore, and other times in quick background appearances. It’s clear they both have a deep passion for this universe! Even in newer shows like The Mandalorian & Grogu, you can spot characters they’ve created or played in other projects. So, I thought it would be fun to highlight some of their most notable Star Wars roles at Lucasfilm.

Pre Vizsla Was Voiced By Jon Favreau In The Clone Wars, Leader of the Death Watch

Jon Favreau first entered the world of Star Wars by voicing Pre Vizsla. He played the cold-hearted leader of Death Watch, a Mandalorian terrorist group, in The Clone Wars. Little did anyone know how perfect this first role would be, given Favreau’s later involvement with the franchise.

During the Clone Wars, Pre Vizsla was the first known person to wield the Darksaber in the Skywalker saga. He aimed to revive the traditional warrior culture of Mandalore, challenging the peaceful leadership of Duchess Satine. However, Darth Maul killed Pre Vizsla and took control of the Death Watch, becoming the new owner of the Darksaber. Despite his death, Pre Vizsla’s influence lived on through his family, as shown in series like The Mandalorian.

It’s really interesting how Jon Favreau has kept being so important in building out the world of Star Wars, particularly with all the new shows now available on Disney+. He’s played a key part in shaping the story and history of the Mandalorian and the wider Star Wars universe.

Rio Durant Was Voiced By Jon Favreau In Solo: A Star Wars Story

I really enjoyed Solo: A Star Wars Story when it came out in 2018, and one of the characters who stood out to me was Rio Durant. Taika Waititi voiced him – he played this awesome four-armed pilot and cook who was part of Tobias Beckett’s crew. It’s where we first see young Han Solo and Chewbacca teaming up with them. Sadly, Rio doesn’t make it through the movie – he gets taken out during a raid by Enfys Nest’s Cloud-Riders – but he was definitely one of the most fun characters in the whole film.

It’s become even more exciting to remember Jon Favreau voicing the movie Rio now that he’s also known for The Mandalorian & Grogu. A recent Star Wars film features a cameo by director Martin Scorsese, playing another Ardennian—a fry cook with a food cart on the planet Shakari. The film’s credits and music, composed by Ludwig Göransson, reveal Scorsese’s character is named Hugo Durant, strongly suggesting a family connection to Favreau’s character within the official Star Wars storyline.

Paz Vizsla Is Voiced By Jon Favreau In All Three Seasons Of The Mandalorian

Jon Favreau, the creator and writer of the series The Mandalorian, also played the character Paz Vizsla. Paz Vizsla is a strong, heavily armed member of a group called the Children of the Watch, which is related to an older Mandalorian faction known as the Death Watch, during the time of the New Republic.

Paz Vizsla belonged to the esteemed Clan Vizsla, a lineage tracing back to Tarre Vizsla, the creator of the Darksaber, and Pre Vizsla. Initially, he clashed with Din Djarin, but they eventually became powerful allies during the third season of The Mandalorian. Paz was a formidable warrior, essentially a walking tank, and he bravely sacrificed himself to defend his fellow Mandalorians while liberating Mandalore, successfully holding off Moff Gideon’s elite Praetorian Guards.

Trapper Wolf Is Played By Dave Filoni, A New Republic X-Wing Pilot

Trapper Wolf is likely Dave Filoni’s most famous live-action character in the world of Star Wars.

Trapper Wolf, first seen in The Mandalorian, is a New Republic X-wing pilot stationed at Adelphi Base and patrolling the Outer Rim. His appearance started a trend of The Mandalorian directors making cameo appearances as New Republic pilots, a practice that continued in The Mandalorian & Grogu.

The name “Trapper Wolf” also reflects Dave Filoni’s fondness for wolves, which he often incorporates into Star Wars through related imagery and details.

The Bounty Hunter Embo Is Voiced By Dave Filoni

Embo, a skilled bounty hunter from the Kyuzo species, was first introduced in The Clone Wars. George Lucas played a significant role in developing the character, establishing him as one of the galaxy’s most talented fighters.

As a huge Kurosawa fan, I immediately noticed the Seven Samurai influence in the character of Embo. He really stood out with that incredible metal hat – it functioned as both weapon and shield, and he always carried himself with this really cool, stoic vibe. But honestly, the funniest thing about Embo? His voice! Apparently, Dave Filoni, who ran The Clone Wars, came up with Embo’s alien language by deliberately mispronouncing a French Smurfs comic. It’s such a wonderfully bizarre origin story!

Embo has now appeared in live-action in The Mandalorian & Grogu. He was hired by a pair of Hutt siblings, known as The Twins, to capture Din Djarin after Din failed to deliver their nephew, Rotta the Hutt. Embo brought along his anooba pet, Keibu, a wolf-like creature, replacing a previous anooba named Marrok. It’s important to note this Marrok is different from the Imperial Inquisitor with the same name.

Star Wars Rebels’ Chopper Is Voiced By Dave Filoni

Dave Filoni not only helps create Star Wars stories, but he also voices the fan-favorite astromech droid, C1-10P – nicknamed Chopper! Known for being stubborn and a bit feisty, Chopper first appeared in Star Wars Rebels and The Bad Batch, and recently made his live-action debut in the 2023 series Ahsoka. Filoni creates Chopper’s unique sound using electronic effects, growls, and funny noises, making him one of the most beloved droids in the Star Wars universe (despite a questionable history!). Filoni has described Chopper as an ‘angry cat’ to R2-D2’s ‘dog’.

Dave Filoni recently took on a new leadership role at Lucasfilm, but he’s still expected to voice the character Chopper in the second season of Ahsoka, which is scheduled to release in 2027. Filoni has teased that Chopper will be even more chaotic than before, and shared concept art at last year’s Star Wars Celebration showing the astromech droid armed with a blaster.

CH-33P/Cheep Is Another Dave Filoni Astromech

Besides voicing R2-D2’s counterpart, Chopper, Dave Filoni also provided the voice for another astromech droid in the final season of The Clone Wars: CH-33P, who went by the nickname Cheep. Cheep played a key role in helping Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex escape Order 66 when their ship, a Venator-class cruiser, was going down.

Cheep was clearly named and designed to resemble Chopper, and this was likely deliberate. Despite appearing briefly, Cheep played a vital role in the final episodes of The Clone Wars, saving both Ahsoka and Rex from the entire 332nd Company. Beyond that, Cheep also provided a nice way to include Dave Filoni, who began his career with Lucasfilm on this series, in its final moments.

Bo Keevil, A Resistance Pilot Voiced By Dave Filoni

Dave Filoni also voiced the character Bo Keevil in the animated series Star Wars Resistance. Keevil was a Kel Dor pilot and part of Ace Squadron during the time of the New Republic, flying with some of the best racers and pilots in the Resistance.

The opportunity was particularly special for Dave Filoni, a longtime fan of the Star Wars character Plo Koon, the well-known Kel Dor Jedi Master. Filoni has a deep connection to the character – he even led the 104th Battalion alongside Commander Wolffe and the Wolfpack in the Star Wars universe, and famously dressed as Plo Koon for the premiere of Revenge of the Sith in 2005.

The Mandalorian & Grogu is now playing in theaters from Lucasfilm.

2026-05-27 06:01