'The Mandalorian' Chapter 7 'The Reckoning': Here's everything we know about Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon and Moffs in general
'Star Wars' is such a massive cultural phenomenon that even those who don't know the difference between an Ewok and a Wookie would still have some understanding of the franchise's world.
However, what the casual audience member might not realize is that there is a very complex social, political, and military system that exists within this galaxy far, far away.
'The Mandalorian' just revealed the true villain of the season in Chapter 7 'The Reckoning' and he's a former high-ranking Imperial officer called Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito).
He's menacing, evil, and he wants to do unknown things to Baby Yoda, which is already reason enough to hate him. But for those who are wondering what exactly he is, we've got you covered.
Though the title might sound a bit funny, a Moff was a prominent Imperial official who was certainly not someone to be laughed at. Moffs held more of a political position than a military one though most Moffs did tend to cross streams quite often.
In order to become a Moff, one had to be appointed to the post by Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) himself or by a trusted Imperial advisor after years of service.
During Imperial rule, Moffs were the governers of their designated sectors of space, answerable only to Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing), the Emperor and his Imperial Ruling Council.
After the Empire's collapse, most of the Moffs would have been rounded up and imprisoned by the Alliance, with those who escaped forming their own factions intent on restoring the empire.
Moff Gideon appears to be one of the officials who escaped the empire's defeat, apparently with an army of stormtroopers and death troopers, and his comments about restoring order to the galaxy suggest that he may have some ties to the First Order, the villains of the 'Star Wars' sequel trilogy.
Speaking to ET on the 2019 Emmy Awards red carpet at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on September 22, Esposito gave fans some insight into his character.
"I play a guy who was a warden of the universe. He was in power before the [Empire] collapsed. You don't know if he's good or bad ... but he certainly is a guy who has order in his life," Esposito explained. "He's an exciting guy because he has all of the equipment and spaceships at his ready."
Like all would-be dictators, Moff Gideon too seems to think he's doing what's best for the galaxy but considering his Imperial connections, we're not about to believe him without some hard evidence. At least, not till we know what he's planning to do with Baby Yoda.
'The Mandalorian' Chapter 8 will arrive on Disney+ on December 27.