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Season 3 of The Mandalorian introduced fans to a new villain in Din Djarin’s orbit —  the pirate king Gorian Shard. He’s covered in green vines, so it’s hard to tell who plays him. And it’s not surprising that even hardcore Game of Thrones fans haven’t recognized the actor behind this intriguing character.

[Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian Season 3.] 

Nonso Anozie smiling
Nonso Anozie | Geoff Robins/Getty Images

The Pirate King Gorian Shard wants to conquer Navarro in ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 

Gorian Shard (Nonso Anozie) was introduced in the first episode of The Mandalorian Season 3, “The Apostate.” Commanding his ship, the Corsair, he tried to attack Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal). But the Mandalorian was quick to jump into hyperspace before the Pirate King could hit him.

In The Mandalorian, Season 3 Episode 5, “The Pirate,” Gorian Shard leads a group of pirates in an attack on Nevarro. The attack is ultimately unsuccessful, and after a long battle, Shard’s ship crashes, seemingly killing him. 

Shard is a tall, imposing figure with stringy, green moss-like growths all over his face, head, and body. He wears a brown jacket and pants with a red ammunition sash around his shoulder. 

‘Game of Thrones’ star Nonso Anozie plays Gorian Shard

The Pirate King Gorian Shard is played by Nonso Anozie, a British actor who has appeared in several popular TV shows and movies. But Anozie is perhaps best known for his role as Xaro Xhoan Daxos in Game of Thrones. His character — a wealthy member of Qarth’s Thirteen — appears in season 2 opposite Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys Targaryen. 

Anozie has also appeared in Sky’s Dracula and the CBS drama, Zoo. In 2021, he starred in Netflix’s Sweet Tooth — a comic book story adapted for TV by executive producer Robert Downey Jr. 

In an Instagram post, Anozie talked about how thrilled he was to land the role of Gorian Shard on The Mandalorian. And along with thanking director Jon Favreau, he thanked Downey, possibly for recommending him for the role. 

‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 introduced a few other surprise characters

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Season 3 of The Mandalorian has been full of action and intrigue as it dives deeper into the story of the Mandalorians. And while the show brought back old favorites like Katee Sackhoff’s Bo Katan Kryze, Carl Weathers’ Greef Karga, and Amy Sedaris’ Peli Motto, the show has also introduced a few new surprise characters.

In The Mandalorian Season 3, Episode 6, fans get to meet Plazir-15’s elected rulers, Captain Bombardier and the Duchess of Plazir-15, played by Jack Black and Lizzo. The episode also introduced Back to the Future star Christopher Lloyd as Commissioner Helgait. 

So far, the season has seen Din Djarin team up with Bo-Katan Kryze and her Mandalorian warriors in an attempt to retake Mandalore. Meanwhile, Moff Gideon is still on the loose, and it’s unclear what his next move will be. 

New episodes of The Mandalorian air Wednesdays on Disney+. The eighth episode of the season, which serves as the season finale — will hit the streamer on April 19.

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