Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures via MovieStillsDB
Published Feb 16, 2026, 9:32 PM EST
Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero.
With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention.
Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.
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The Mandalorian & Grogu will finally bring Star Wars back to the big screen for the first time since 2019. Embarking on a brand-new adventure with his adopted son, a new theory suggests Star Wars may have revealed a brand-new foe for Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin.
Last weekend's Toy Fair revealed several brand-new Mandalorian & Grogu toys coming soon to store shelves. This included a brand-new Star Wars character whom we've never seen before (though they look perfect as a potential rival for Din Djarin).
Star Wars Toy Fair Reveals: Who Is Mandalorian & Grogu's "Mercenary Guard Droid"?
New action figures revealed at Toy Fair 2026 unveiled our first look at a new Star Wars droid character, currently named "Mercenary Guard Droid", and they have a visual design that very much stands out.
Not only will this new droid apparently have an old Separatist STAP as a mode of transportation, but they also look to have a head coming from either a B1-battle droid and/or a Commando Droid from the Clone Wars.
It's also interesting that this Mercenary Guard Droid looks to be receiving multiple action figure variants and even a Funko Pop, suggesting they could very well be a prominent character in The Mandalorian & Grogu...perhaps even a primary antagonist.
A Sentient Droid Hunter Would Be Din Djarin's Perfect Arch-Foe
Visually, The Mandalorian & Grogu's Mercenary Guard Droid evokes other droid characters like the Aftermath trilogy's Mister Bones or Star Wars: Outlaws' ND-5, both of whom were former Separatist battle droid units who'd been heavily modified and were given more free-thinking and independent personalities.
If this new Mercenary droid character follows suit, they could easily be the perfect rival for Din Djarin given his established history in the Star Wars timeline. After all, Din Djarin has some major hang-ups with droids, stemming from his childhood trauma of having lost his parents during a Separatist droid attack during the Clone Wars.
With that in mind, Din Djarin having to face a droid hunter with Clone Wars-era components would make for a pretty interesting rivalry in the upcoming Star Wars movie, assuming the theory holds, and this new mercenary is indeed revealed to be an antagonist rather than a new ally in The Mandalorian & Grogu.
The Mandalorian & Grogu releases in theaters on May 22nd, 2026.
Release Date May 22, 2026
English (US) ·