Cara Dune
A former Rebel shock trooper turned mercenary and New Republic marshal.
Cara Dune is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, appearing in the first two seasons of the Disney+ television series The Mandalorian. Portrayed by actress and mixed martial artist Gina Carano, the character is a former Rebel shock trooper who became a mercenary after the Galactic Civil War, and is later employed as a marshal of the New Republic. A highly trained and battle-hardened special forces warrior, Cara is skilled in the use of weaponry, hand-to-hand combat, and battle tactics, and has an intense hatred of the Galactic Empire for its destruction of her homeworld, Alderaan. Carano described Cara as a loner who is having trouble readjusting to society following her career as a soldier.
Quick Facts
- Franchise
- Star Wars
- First minor
- Chapter 4: Sanctuary
- First major
- The Mandalorian
- First date
- (2019)
- Last minor
- Chapter 16: The Rescue
- Last date
- (2020)
- Creator
- Jon Favreau
- Portrayed by
- Gina Carano
Lore & Background
Cara Dune's full given name is Carasynthia, and her homeworld is Alderaan, the planet destroyed by the Death Star in the first Star Wars film. She is a former shock trooper from the Rebel Alliance who fought against the Galactic Empire in the Galactic Civil War and helped establish the New Republic. Cara reveals that most of her past work as a Rebel soldier involved eliminating Imperial warlords and other remnants of the Empire following the destruction of the second Death Star.
As a shock trooper, she was dropped behind enemy lines with no support to cause as much damage as possible. She left the Alliance after her role shifted to a more political peacekeeping role, such as protecting delegates and suppressing riots, which she said was "not what I signed up for." After taking what she calls "early retirement" from her military position, she became a mercenary and began drifting from planet to planet. She eventually became wanted for unknown reasons, leading her to hide out on the forest planet of Sorgan.
Reader's Guide
Cara Dune is a battle-hardened warrior with a muscular build, far greater strength and durability compared to other heroines of the saga, and a tough and aggressive personality with a kindness beneath her gruff exterior. Gina Carano said Cara and the Mandalorian are similar in personality and background, and that the two understand each other and formed a bond as a result. A highly trained fighter, she is muscular, an extremely accurate shot, and has excellent hand-to-hand combat skills, as shown in her fight with the Mandalorian.
In February 2021, following a series of controversial posts by Carano on social media, Lucasfilm announced that she would not return as Cara and that the character would not be recast. Cara does not appear in season 3, but is briefly mentioned in "Chapter 17: The Apostate" by Greef Karga that she is no longer serving as marshal of Nevarro as she was recruited by New Republic Special Forces after handing in Moff Gideon. Cara Dune also appears as an unlockable character in the mobile role-playing game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes.
More in Characters & Species
Elsewhere in The Mandalorian
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced