What do we know about the so-called Pirate King and the actor who plays him? The Mandalorian season 3 opener provided a lot of the framework for the episodes, including introducing a terrifying new villain, Gorian Shard.
The Star Wars franchise has always featured performers whose faces are concealed by a helmet, an alien costume, or an entirely CGI character, resulting in some incredibly memorable heroes and antagonists.
In the recently released third season of The Mandalorian, I attempted to replicate this successful approach by introducing us to Pirate King Gorian Shard, another man whose characteristics are hidden.
The Mandalorian Introduces Gorian Shard
The Mandalorian finds himself on a new quest in season 3 as he tries to win forgiveness after removing his helmet, which is strictly forbidden within his clan of Mandalorians and the events of season 2 and The Book Of Boba Fett.
The first episode of the new season spends a lot of time setting up future attacks, and as part of that, a new antagonist, Pirate King Gorian Shard, is introduced.
On Nevarro, we hear Shard’s name spoken as some of his supporters try to enter the old saloon converted into a school. We discover from this talk that Greef Karga had previously done business with Gorian Shard and had even opened the cantina on Nevarro with the proceeds of one of their jobs.
In the first episode, Mando leaves Nevarro to continue his quest when he is accosted by several of Shard’s pirates, giving us our first look at the plant-covered alien. Mando stumbles upon Shard’s massive flagship after taking out several pursuing fighters.
The angry pirate captain approaches him and demands retribution for the crew and ships he has lost. He activates the turbo on his N-1 Starfighter and launches into hyperspace before Mando is hurt.
For more details regarding the newly published Mandalorian, see the tweet below this one:
💚 this Tweet to unlock your exclusive #Mandalorian helmet and receive weekly episode reminders. Collect all 16 helmets.
The new season of The Mandalorian starts streaming March 1 on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/Bg0s2nC7YI
— The Mandalorian (@themandalorian) February 15, 2023
The Pirate King’s Species Discussed
Gorian Shard is an alien unlike any we’ve seen in the Star Wars universe before, and it’s clear from the moment he makes his debut in the Disney+ series. If the fur carpet were replaced by a living patchwork of plants and moss, his species, which is still unknown, would almost resemble a Wookiee.
Even though Gorian Shard’s species is currently unknown, fans have continued to speculate about what kind of extraterrestrial the Pirate King is despite this.
Gorian Shard being a Drengir—an extraterrestrial species that resembled a plant and was first mentioned in the High Republic literary universe—is one of the more well-liked theories to have surfaced in the wake of the episode. The Drengir was a dreaded race depicted in that series of books and comics.
They could assume many shapes and were often attacked with writing tentacles and razor-sharp fangs. Gorian Shard might also be a member of the Lasat alien race, which Zeb from Star Wars Rebels belonged to because of their similar facial features.
But if so, Gorian Shard must have spent much time on a wet planet for his body to grow as thickly coated in vegetation as we see in episode 1.
If you are interested in learning more about Mandalorian, then you may check out the following resources that we have provided for you below:
- The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 1 Cast: Meet The New And Returning Faces!
- Why Did Grogu Return to the Mandalorian in Season 3?
Who is the Actor Playing Gorian Shard?
The actor Nonso Anozie will play Gorian Shard in The Mandalorian. More specifically, Carey Jones, who played the terrifying Wookiee Krrsantan in The Book Of Boba Fett, wears the creature’s outfit while Nonso offers the voice of the pirate character.
Nonso Anozie, a 44-year-old actor from London who debuted in Prime Suspect in 2006, has been active in the field ever since.
Since then, Anozie has acted in numerous films and television shows, including Atonement, The Grey, Ender’s Game, the 2013 Dracula series, Cinderella (2015), the CBS Zoo series, and Netflix’s Sweet Tooth, where he plays Tommy Jepperd. Anozie now plays Xaro Xhoan Daxos in Game of Thrones.
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