I Think I’ve Figured Out Who Jonny Coyne Is Playing in The Mandalorian & Grogu and My Theory Blows the Movie’s Plot Wide Open
Five years after the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Lucasfilm is ready to bring the Star Wars franchise back to the big screen with The Mandalorian & Grogu, set to release in 2026. The movie is adapted from plans for The Mandalorian season 4, which means we’re seeing the return of familiar characters such as Jonny Coyne’s Imperial Warlord, who debuted in season 3 as a member of the Imperial Shadow Council.
Coyne’s character is described as a greedy and ambitious Imperial Warlord, hinting at a possible connection to the old Star Wars Expanded Universe, now known as Legends. The character’s dialogue in season 3 suggests he’s reinvented himself as a pirate, plundering hyperspace lanes and drawing unwanted attention from the New Republic.
The name “Imperial Warlord” is significant, as it is associated with Zsinj, a character from Star Wars Legends who was the definitive Imperial Warlord. Zsinj was respected by Palpatine for his tactical brilliance and was one of the few Imperials to hold the rank of Grand Moff, commanding a vast fleet and controlling the important hyperspace lane called the Hydian Way.
If Jonny Coyne is indeed playing the canon version of Zsinj, it would mean that he is the real villain of The Mandalorian & Grogu. The character’s parallel to Zsinj’s storyline, including his pirate-like raids and conflicts with the New Republic, is striking. It’s possible that the New Republic has asked Din Djarin, a bounty hunter who works for the New Republic, to bring in the Imperial Warlord, who is causing massive economic disruption on the Hydian Way.
The question remains whether Zsinj is still working with the Imperial Shadow Council or if he has gone rogue, potentially setting up a vast galactic conspiracy for Din to uncover. If this is the case, it would be a monumental plot twist, as Din Djarin would be up against the vast resources of the Empire, not just a single pirate captain.
The Mandalorian & Grogu is set to release on May 22, 2026, and the return of Jonny Coyne’s Imperial Warlord has the potential to blow the movie’s plot wide open.