From the very beginning, The Mandalorian has been all about bounty hunters – including its titular character, Din Djarin. Plenty more have come across his path along the way, and The Mandalorian and Grogu introduces another one – although for fans of The Clone Wars, it’s a familiar face.
The bounty hunter Embo is sent to contront Djarin and Grogu on Nevarro, making his live-action debut in the film. But he was created by George Lucas and Dave Filoni for The Clone Wars animated series. He was actively working as a bounty hunter during the Clone Wars, often working for notable bosses like Jabba the Hutt, Boba Fett, Asajj Ventress, and even Darth Sidious. He was almost always seen alongside his pet anooba, Marrok, and was known for his wide-rimmed hat that served as a fashion accessory, weapon, sled, and more. He worked a number of jobs during the era, including at one point hunting down Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala and fighting the Jedi Knight.
By the end of the Clone Wars, Embo joined Boba Fett’s crew of bounty hunters, which eventually broke up. He continued to work as a bounty hunter through the Imperial reign, and after the fall of the Empire was hired to hunt down Lando Calrissian (who had a bounty on his head for blowing up the Death Star). In an ironic twist, Embo was actually then hired as part of a group of bounty hunters working for the New Republic, under the promise of a full pardon. After a while, he settled down on Felucia as a Farmer, still in retirement on the planet by the time of the sequel trilogy.
His introduction in The Mandalorian and Grogu suggests he went back to working for the highest bidder, even if it was against the New Republic, before he retired, complicating some of the other stories surrounding the character. But bringing in known bounty hunters has been something Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have enjoyed doing, with Boba Fett, Cad Bane, and now Embo.
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