The Big Picture
- Katy O’Brian elevates
The Mandalorian
by portraying a terrifying and cruel villain in Elia Kane. - The character Kane represents a new generation of Star Wars villains responding to uncertain galactic politics.
- O’Brian’s performance as Kane adds a palpable sense of danger and stakes to the show, making her a standout in the series.
The Star Wars franchise certainly has no shortage of memorable villains, as characters like Ian McDiarmid’s Emperor Palptaine and David Prowse’s Darth Vader easily rank among the greatest villains in cinematic history. Each iteration of the series has produced a memorable set of antagonists, and that can certainly be said for the current programs on Disney+. Characters like Andor’s Lieutenant Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denish Gough), Ahsoka’s Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Reva Sevander (Moses Ingram) have all proven themselves worthy of being in Vader and Palpatine’s company.
While Giancarlo Esposito’s Emmy-nominated performance as the ruthless Imperial Remnant leader, Moff Gideon, serves as a strong overarching villain in the “New Republic” era, he’s not the only memorable threat introduced in The Mandalorian. Katy O’Brian’s performance as the ruthless Imperial remnant officer, Elia Kane, is easily one of the most terrifying villains in the history of the galaxy far, far away.
The Mandalorian
The travels of a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic.
- Release Date
- November 12, 2019
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
- Seasons
- 3
Who Does Katy O’Brian Play in ‘The Mandalorian?’
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the shared Star Wars television universe by Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau is its proximity within the saga’s timeline. The era between the end of Return of the Jedi and the beginning of The Force Awakens is a contentious period in Star Wars’ political infrastructure; the surviving members of the Galactic Empire attempt to hold on to the pillars of fascism that have begun to disappear since Emperor Palpatine’s supposed “death,” and the New Republic faces issues of its own. Kane represents a new generation of Star Wars villains who responds to the uncertain state of galactic politics, taking on the responsibility of ensuring that a “new guard” of heroes are not able to usurp the power regime of the Imperial Remnant.
While she’s often stuck serving under Moff Gideon’s direct orders, Kane is a character who frequently goes to sadistic lengths to ensure that her supervisor’s orders are carried out. The capture of the force-sensitive child, Grogu—who is under the protection of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal)—is of the utmost importance to Gideon due to his potential role in the Imperial cloning project. While Gideon orders his troopers to find and capture the enigmatic child, Kane’s deep resentment towards the force-sensitive being reveals a much more sinister motivation altogether. Like any great Star Wars villain, she is motivated by fear: Kane is terrified of the possibility of the Jedi returning to the galaxy and is willing to torment Grogu and his protectors in order to dissuade them from going against the Imperial Remnant.
While The Mandalorian certainly doesn’t delve into the banality of evil with the same complexity that is seen in Andor, O’Brian shows the dehumanizing effects of fascism through Kane’s complete unwillingness to question her commands. While there are many Imperial officers in the Star Wars franchise who are guilty of a little more than “following orders,” Kane often speaks at great length about the merits of the Imperial Remnant’s position and why a “New Republic” can ultimately not be trusted to ensure the galaxy’s safety. Her complete disregard for the humanity of her opponents somehow makes her even more terrifying than any of the creatures and monsters that appear in The Mandalorian. Kane has been brainwashed to believe that a totalitarian regime is not only justified, but worth celebrating.
Katy O’Brian Makes ‘The Mandalorian’ Better
While it ostensibly revitalized the franchise in the aftermath of TheRise of Skywalker’s failure, The Mandalorian has begun to suffer a serious decline in quality. The show’s emphasis on teasing out future storylines, connecting dots between different films and shows, reintroducing classic characters, and putting an emphasis on the Jedi Order have deprived it of the unique quality that its first season had. However, O’Brian has consistently been able to elevate the material by giving The Mandalorian a legitimate threat. While some may argue that the Star Wars shows now lack stakes as they’ve begun to resemble that of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), there’s certainly a palpable sense of danger whenever O’Brian is on-screen.
Kane has been involved in some of the show’s best episodes, including the memorable Season 2 finale, “Chapter 16: The Rescue.” As Din Djarin, Greef Karga (Carl Weathers), Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison), Cara Dune (Gina Carano), Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), and Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) attempt to breach an Imperial vessel in order to rescue Grogu, Kane is tasked with activating the Dark Troopers that attack Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Even when it’s obvious that Skywalker’s prowess as a warrior will lead the episode to a happy conclusion, Kane refuses to back down in the face of danger. Her deep-seated fanaticism—even when faced with a battle that she will likely lose—speaks to her unquenchable loyalty to the Imperial Remnant.
18:04
Kristen Stewart on ‘Love Lies Bleeding’s Katy O’Brian: “The Coolest Feeling Is Being Thrown Over Her Shoulder”
O’Brian, Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Dave Franco, Anna Baryshnikov & director Rose Glass discuss the new A24 movie along with Stewart at Sundance 2024.
O’Brian Has an Exciting Future in ‘Star Wars’
While the third season itself proved to be a disappointment, O’Brian was able to show a different side of Kane’s villainy through the Imperial Amnesty Program storyline. After being accepted into a program that helps former Imperial officers re-introduce themselves into the New Republic and head in a more positive direction, Kane proves that her loyalties to Gideon and his jingoistic beliefs have not been eroded. Her manipulation of the former Imperial scientist, Dr. Pershing (Omid Abtahi), stands as one of her most cruel actions yet; it’s not enough for Kane to just destroy her own future, as she is intent on preventing anyone else from redeeming themselves.
While it’s unclear how the announcement of The Mandalorian & Grogu film will affect the next stage of the series, Kane is clearly a significant factor in the future of the Star Wars franchise. Her association with the Imperial Remnant’s secret cloning operations and the corruption of the New Republic infrastructure means that she is a threat that the heroes will be forced to reckon with at some point. With her captivating depiction of a cold, callous zealot, O’Brian’s performance as Kane has proven to be a Star Wars villain like no other.
The Mandalorian is available to watch in the U.S. on Disney+.
