Who is Zeb?

The Lasat warrior Garazeb Orrelios, better known as Zeb, made his big-screen debut in the film Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu after being introduced in the series Star Wars Rebels and leaping to live action with a notable cameo in The Mandalorian Season 3. But who is Zeb? Let’s investigate Zeb’s history and where you can learn more about his backstory.

Behind the scenes

Debuting in the 2014 animated series Star Wars Rebels, Zeb was created to be a key part of the Ghost crew, the Spectre rebel cell who later joined a unified Rebel Alliance. Gruff, tough, and soft on the inside, Zeb was the muscle for his found family.

The origin of Zeb and his species, the Lasat, takes us back to the very beginnings of Star Wars and the earliest concept designs for Wookiees. Rebels art director Kilian Plunkett noted that Zeb was one of the trickiest of the Ghost crew to design: “For a long time he was a blue Snivvian. Our final Zeb is a cross between Ralph McQuarrie’s original concept for Chewbacca and Dave Filoni’s cat.”

While finding Zeb’s voice in the recording studio, actor Steve Blum originally tried out a variety of dialects for Zeb, finally settling on a South London accent with a little Australian sprinkled in. “I was so excited to get to work on a Star Wars cartoon,” remembers Blum, who revisits the character in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. “To get to co-create Zeb with this amazing team was beyond a fanboy’s wildest dreams.”

Early rebel years

As part of the Ghost crew, Zeb joined ace pilot Hera Syndulla, Jedi Kanan Jarrus, Mandalorian Sabine Wren, and their droid Chopper in their fight against the Empire.

Working on their own, the Ghost crew helped slow down Imperial actions and aid civilians who were impacted by Imperial tyranny. In fact, that’s how they met a young Lothal orphan named Ezra Bridger, who joined their crew after they both tried to steal some Imperial cargo.

Zeb’s past is hinted at early in the series. In “Droid in Distress,” we find Zeb visibly upset when his team plans to sell T-7 ion disruptor rifles to a local crime lord. Hera later tells Ezra that these weapons were used by the Empire to kill the Lasat population during the Siege of Lasan, explaining why Zeb feels so strongly that the weapons shouldn’t be used by anyone.

Zeb’s strength is immediately apparent; he could do a lot of physical damage to an opponent before turning to his weapon, a specialized bo-rifle. Always ready to jump into action as the crew's muscle — especially if it involved knocking down stormtroopers — Zeb proved to be both fearless and in possession of a big heart. After selling cargo stolen from Imperials on Lothal, Zeb helped distribute food to a nearby village, a refuge for denizens who had lost their homes to Imperial greed.

While Zeb had a kind smile for many, he was slow to trust Ezra as the newest Ghost crew member. The duo’s relationship early on resembled that of warring siblings, but Zeb and Ezra grew closer over time, teaming up to steal a TIE fighter and take on Inquisitors.

Connecting with his ancestors

Zeb was overwhelmed and shocked when he crossed paths with two Lasat refugees, as he believed he was the last of his species to survive the Siege of Lasan. The duo identified Zeb as a Captain of the Lasan High Honor Guard – a title he had not shared with any of his crewmates.

After learning that the Lasat refugees were trying to find Lira San, a planet thought to be the lost homeworld of his people, Zeb was at first skeptical the planet existed beyond mythical stories. But during a ritual where Chava the Wise called upon Ashla, the Lasat name for the Force, for help to find Lira San, Zeb used his bo-rifle as the ancient Lasats once used theirs to help guide them to Wild Space to find the planet.

There, Zeb learned that many of his kind were living in peace, safe from Imperials or other invaders. While Zeb chose to remain with the Ghost crew, he was able to shed some of his guilt from not being able to stop the Empire from destroying his home.

Zeb’s place in the Ghost crew's found family meant a lot to Blum. “It seemed to me that Zeb was one of these people who was just looking for purpose in his life,”says Blum. “It came from a lot of damage and grief and he was able to work through some of that in the process of Star Wars Rebels with this chosen family.”

Friends with the enemy

During his years as a member of the Spectre rebel cell, Zeb repeatedly came face to face with Imperial security officer Alexsandr Kallus. Their rivalry and later friendship gave fans a unique perspective on the conflict between rebels and Imperial forces.

When they first met, Zeb took an instant dislike to Kallus, who had been stationed on Lothal to stamp out rebel activity. He discovered Kallus possessed a weapon that once belonged to a Lasat guardsman, which he obtained during the Siege of Lasan.

However, when the two were stranded together on a Geonosian moon, they exchanged stories as they tried to survive the night in an icy cave. During their time on the moon, both Zeb and Kallus could have easily betrayed the other, but they learned they had a few things in common.

The two parted with a greater understanding of each other that only deepened when Kallus turned against the Empire and began spying for the Rebellion. Zeb was quick to welcome Kallus when he subsequently joined the Rebellion at their base on Yavin. And after the war, Zeb took Kallus to Lira San, where he was welcomed as a friend.

Blum hopes a future Star Wars story might take Zeb back to Lira San to see what Zeb’s life is like there, perhaps with Kallus tending to their meiloorun farm. “For him to actually be able to experience that planet and how life has gone on and evolved for the Lasat species, I think, would be an amazing thing.”

A rebel hero

As the fight against the Empire continued, Zeb and the Ghost crew joined up with other rebel cells in Chopper Base on the planet Atollon. Zeb, along with Chopper and AP-5, reprogrammed an Imperial recon droid to hide the base’s location from Grand Admiral Thrawn. But after an attack on the base, the rebels relocated to new headquarters on Yavin.

Lothal remained close to Zeb and his crew’s hearts as the Rebellion continued to grow. Despite suffering a personal loss along with his Ghost family, Zeb was able to help lead the successful liberation of the planet from Imperial occupation.

Continuing the fight

After fighting in the Battle of Scarif and continuing to work with Hera throughout the Galactic Civil War, Zeb became a pilot for the New Republic. He was with X-wing pilot Carson Teva on Adelphi Base when Teva received a call for assistance from Nevarro.

At the outpost, Zeb trained new recruits for the New Republic fleet, helping form the next generation of freedom fighters.

Blum notes that Zeb’s role in The Mandalorian and Grogu furthers Zeb’s search for purpose as part of a team that is working to combat forces of evil in the galaxy. Sharing how much he enjoyed Zeb being a Chewbacca-like character in the film — a supportive warrior, friend, and co-pilot to Din Djarin’s rogue hero — Blum says Director Jon Favreau created a collaborative environment during production allowing Blum to improvise his lines and try new things. “Just as a fan, to see Zeb up there and in that capacity made all the hairs on my arms and back stand up simultaneously,” Blum says.

Catch up with Zeb as he teams up with Din Djarin and Grogu in The Mandalorian and Grogu and get your tickets for Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, an all-new Star Wars adventure, in theaters now.

And to see more of Zeb in action, check out the Star Wars Rebels episodes “Droids in Distress,” “Legends of Lasat,” and “The Honorable Ones,” as well as The Mandalorian episode “The Pirate.”