The Mandalorian's Katee Sackhoff Can't Get Enough Of Fan Reactions To Bo-Katan

Fans of Dave Filoni's animated "Star Wars" series have gotten their due reward for keeping up with what many may have initially dismissed as kiddie cartoons. Characters and major plot points in both "The Clone Wars" and "Star Wars Rebels" have appeared in live-action projects, turning Filoni's ideas into vital pieces of the grander "Star Wars" universe. Katee Sackhoff's Mandalorian Death Watch leader Bo-Katan Kryze, in particular, is currently playing a central role in season 3 of "The Mandalorian," paying off all the hard work Sackhoff has put into the role ever since she began voicing the character back on "The Clone Wars."

It's almost a miracle how prevalent Bo-Katan has become in the "Star Wars" mythos considering how rocky her character's behind-the-scenes start was. Filoni made Bo-Katan a major antagonist-turned-antihero in "The Clone Wars" right before Disney acquired Lucasfilm and subsequently cancelled the show. Luckily, Filoni gave her a chance to return in "Rebels" (in which she plays a more heroic role as an enemy of the Empire), prior to bringing the character back for a seventh and final season of "The Clone Wars" on Disney+. All the while, Sackhoff provided Bo-Katan's voice and made a smooth transition to live-action upon her debut in "The Mandalorian."

Those who have watched the "Battlestar Galactica" remake series have long known how great Katee Sackhoff is at bringing a senes of pathos into a hard-edged military mentality, when it comes to her live-action characters. Her role as Kara "Starbuck" Thrace was always more than an archetypical badass space marine woman, and she brings the same type of multi-layered performance while handling the moral complexities of Bo-Katan (in both animation and live-action). 

Bo-Katan's rise to and fall from the throne of Mandalore has its own tragedies that have deeply shaped both the character and Sackhoff's approach to portraying her over the years. The consistency and growth of the actor's work is also the reason why fans have greeted her reappearance(s) with such open arms. She discussed the fan reception in an interview with the official "Star Wars" website, explaining:

"I watched the fan reaction compilation that was put together of Bo showing up, and it just warmed my heart. I was so happy that she was so well received. I mean, listen: love her, hate her. You can hate her. She's done some pretty appalling things in her existence. But the reaction and overall excitement — and to see people instantaneously know who she was, the moment she landed... was really cool. I loved it."

Sackhoff has stated that transitioning from voice work to live-action has included its own challenges, but the positive response has proven that she has become synonymous with the character at this point. She now shares lead acting credits alongside Pedro Pascal, making the "The Mandalorian" deservedly Sackhoff's show, too.

New episodes of "The Mandalorian" premiere Wednesdays on Disney+.