The Mandalorian “Chapter 21: The Pirate” featured a nice live-action cameo of Zeb Orrelios, a popular Star Wars Rebels character.
The latest Mandalorian installment saw the return of Carson Teva (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) on a mission to persuade the New Republic to fight Gorian Shard’s pirates who took over Nevarro. Teva reunited with some fellow New Republic rangers, including Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios, before embarking on an unsuccessful journey to Coruscant. But who’s Zeb Orrelios? Here’s a closer look at the character.
Who Is Zeb Orrelios
Zeb Orrelios is a Lasat who was a key character in the Star Wars Rebels animated series. The Mandalorian “Chapter 21: The Pirate” featured Zeb’s first live-action appearance, but the character was first introduced in 2014’s Rise of the Rebels and Zeb to the Rescue books. As in Star Wars Rebels, voice actor Steve Blum lent his voice to Zeb.
The Lasat history is similar to the Mandalorian people’s one. During the time of the Galactic Empire, their species were nearly wiped out and scattered throughout the galaxy by the Empire. This was due to their planet of Lasan becoming a target of the Empire’s weapons, leading to the decimation of their people.
Before the Empire destroyed the planet, Zeb was a member of the Lasan High Honor Guard, where he became an expert in hand-to-hand combat, as well as being proficient in the use of his bo-rifle, a combination weapon that doubles as both a blaster rifle and an electrostaff. The prestigious military organization selected the most skilled warriors based on their bravery, strength, and loyalty to the Lasan culture. Zeb survived the destruction of his homeworld Lasan, which fueled his hatred toward the Empire.
His military background came in handy when Zeb fought the Empire as a member of the Ghost crew. He was also instrumental in helping the Lasat find a new home on the planet Lira San, where they could rebuild their society and preserve their culture. Over time, Zeb developed a close relationship with Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger.
Zeb Orrelios in The Mandalorian “Chapter 21”
The latest Mandalorian episode confirmed Zeb survived the Galactic Civil War before joining the New Republic army as an X-wing pilot. “Chapter 21” showed Zeb was serving at Adelphi near the Outer Rim, which wasn’t exactly the main focus of the New Republic. Zeb appeared after Teva played Greef Karga’s help request, expressing his concern for Nevarro.
When Teva stated he was about to send that request to Coruscant, Zeb reminded him the central government didn’t return their dispatches in a while. Teva took the matter into his own hands and flew to Coruscant by himself, with Zeb wishing him good luck. The installment didn’t show more of Zeb, but considering the character’s importance, he might return before the season finale.
