In quite a short period of time, Din Djarin, aka the Mandalorian, has become one of the most recognizable heroes on TV. There have only been two seasons so far of his Star Wars series on Disney+ but it’s also been the best non-animated addition to the galaxy far, far away in a long time.
But Djarin isn’t the first hero on TV, streaming or otherwise, by far. There have been more than a few over the years who are more than a little reminiscent of the bounty hunter with a heart of gold. And in some cases, they might even make good partners in crime.
10 Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith Was The Man With Many Plans (A-Team)
When a United States Special Force Unit was convicted of a crime they did not commit, they went on the run. This group became soldiers of fortune, mercenaries for hire who usually did the right thing and rarely seemed to get paid for their work.
The A-Team was led by Hannibal Smith, a professional soldier with a keen mind for strategy. Like Mando, he could see all of the angles laid out in front of him, which is why he almost always managed to come out on top.
9 Starbuck Wasn’t Afraid Of A Fight, Either (Battlestar Galactica)
Being one of the best pilots in the fleet was challenging to say the least. And when there was a neverending supply of Cylons chasing that same fleet, the pressure was really on. Mando knows a thing or two about being chased through space by an endless array of enemies, too.
Kara “Starbuck” Thrace was the best of the best. She loved to fight and she loved to fly, and the opportunity to combine the two was always relished. It’s almost like Starbuck would have made a really good Mandalorian, herself.
8 Raylan Givens Never Flinches (Justified)
Nothing ever seems to go smoothly for Deputy U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens. Reassigned to his hometown in Kentucky after a justified incident in Florida, Raylan brought the sensibility of an Old West sheriff to modern law enforcement.
Mando certainly has a similar old-school ethos and sensibility to him. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the two of them partner up to take on a rough situation. They would be a deadly duo, though probably not a long-term partnership.
7 Worf Lives By A Similar Code Of Honor (Star Trek)
For the most part, Klingons live by a strict code of honor. And things don’t generally end well for the Klingons who deviate too far from it. Worf certainly doesn’t tolerate nonsense from anyone, something Duras found out the hard way when Worf buried a bat’leth in his chest.
Mandalorians and Klingons would either be great allies or incredible enemies due to their surprising similarities. Worf may have chosen a life in Starfleet over that of being a bounty hunter but it’s safe to assume he would have been a great one.
6 Brienne Of Tarth Is Warrior With A Cause (Game Of Thrones)
The first woman in the Seven Kingdoms to become a knight and the Lady Commander of the Kingsguard, it’s safe to say that Brienne of Tarth is an impressive figure. She rarely goes out looking for a fight but she certainly finishes the ones that find her.
Oddly enough, Brienne and Djarin have very similar dispositions. And they’re both inclined to keep their armor on as much as possible. They are two principled warriors who are loyal to their allies as well as the causes they serve.
5 Dean Winchester Does What Needs To Be Done (Supernatural)
The Winchester Brothers were quite literally born to hunt and kill a seemingly endless array of supernatural beings, many of whom were up to no good. That roster of bad guys actually included Lucifer at one point and he wasn’t the worst of them by far.
Dean Winchester was a man of few words and the ones he did speak were often followed by a hail of bullets. Like Mando, he was the kind of man who believed in doing exactly what was necessary to get the job done, nothing more and certainly nothing less.
4 Buffy Summers Is Also Loyal To Her Mission (Buffy)
Becoming a slayer was a rough path for Buffy Summers, mainly because she wasn’t interested in it at first. Honestly, it’s not hard to blame her. Very few high school students would be excited to spend their nights hunting and killing vampires.
But once she got into the groove, no one was more dedicated to the mission of defending humanity from evil than her. Mando’s mission to protect Grogu was a bit different, but he was equally focused on it, all the same.
3 Angela Abar Doesn’t Care That There Are Tougher People In The Fight (Watchmen)
A masked member of the Tulsa Police Department, Detective Angela Abar fought for justice under the name Sister Night. She worked incredibly hard to unravel the mystery of the Seventh Kavalry, a white supremacist group heavily influenced by the writings of the late vigilante, Rorschach.
Angela is tough as nails and trained to fight but she’s often facing down even tougher people. Much like Din Djarin, that never stopped her from mixing it up with anyone who steps across any line, both real and proverbial.
2 Jack Bauer Is Equally Focused (24)
When it comes to individuals of singular focus, it’s honestly hard to find anyone who tops Jack Bauer. He spent most of his adult life trying to stop terrorists from completing their missions, somehow always in 24-hour increments.
Mando is also someone with unwavering focus. He was only willing to give up Grogu when he found the right Jedi to train the little guy. And anyone who got in his way got their butts handed to them, similar to what Jack Bauer did when trying to protect the world.
1 Jim Hopper Also Takes In Orphans (Stranger Things)
When Eleven got loose and became part of the world for the first time, it was hard for her to acclimate. She didn’t know anything about living life as a kid in the United States. It didn’t help that she had to fight demonic creatures from another reality.
Like Eleven, Grogu was a powerful child in need of guidance and care. While Mando was there for Grogu, Jim Hopper was there for Eleven. Both men became adoptive parental figures for their respective kids.
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