Portrayed by actress and former 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.

[5][6] In exposition from The Mandalorian, 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.

Lacking sufficient weapons to take down the raiders' AT-ST, they develop a plan to use the environment of the village, digging ponds deep enough for the walker to collapse after stepping into them.

[1][21][23] At the start of the first-season finale "Chapter 8: Redemption", the group engages in a brief gunfight with the stormtroopers after IG-11, the bounty hunter droid, arrives with Grogu to provide assistance.

Cara is present when IG-11 sacrifices himself to eliminate a large number of stormtroopers to ensure the group's escape, and she survives an attack by Moff Gideon in a TIE fighter, which the Mandalorian repels.

[24] Afterward, Cara decides to stay on Nevarro to help eliminate any remaining Imperial presence on the planet,[24] and Greef invites her to work as his enforcer, which she appears to accept.

In the following episode, "Chapter 15: The Believer", Cara can secure the release of the prisoner Migs Mayfeld to assist the Mandalorian in a mission to infiltrate an imperial base and locate Moff Gideon.

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.

[citation needed] Cara Dune is a battle-hardened warrior, with a muscular build giving her far greater strength and durability compared to other heroines of the saga[26] with a tough and aggressive personality, but also a kindness beneath her gruff exterior.

[16] Gina Carano, the actress and former mixed martial artist who plays the character, said Cara and the Mandalorian are similar in personality and background, and that the two understand each other and were able to form a bond as a result.

[26] A highly trained fighter,[6] she is muscular,[15] an extremely accurate shot,[27] and has excellent hand-to-hand combat skills, as shown immediately in her fight with the Mandalorian when Cara is first introduced.

Carano said she had a strong positive emotional reaction to the conversation, and that it helped her play the role of Cara Dune more confidently, saying: "I feel like my whole life since I shot that has been a different world.

[16][54] The Mandalorian executive producer Kathleen Kennedy had stressed the importance of Cara having a distinctive silhouette because she felt all Star Wars characters should be recognizable from a great distance.

[14] Carano said she enjoyed performing against lead actor Pedro Pascal, who plays the Mandalorian, and other masked characters in the show, and she said it was easy for her to do so because, in her everyday life, "I don't naturally see what somebody's physical appearance is.

"[61] Carano said Howard listened to her thoughts and ideas during the filming of Cara's first episode, watched replays with her after shooting scenes, and communicated with her as a fellow actress.

[26] During Carano's first day of filming, she was required to ride the mechanical blurrg, a reptilian mounted creature that was so large she needed a ladder to climb atop it.

[63] Her introductory scene in which the Mandalorian and Cara fight each other was originally written differently, but it was changed on the set by Favreau and Howard as the stunt team worked on choreography and previsualization.

[64][65] On March 6, 2020, Carano posted an Instagram photo of herself in the Cara Dune costume on the set of The Mandalorian to mark the end of filming for the second season, writing: "I absolutely love this work and the people in it.

"[66] Carano collaborated and worked closely with The Mandalorian stunt team, and she believed they "accepted me as one of their own", in part due to her mixed martial arts background.

Luchini says Cara serves as a role model, particularly for female fans who consider themselves "a little rugged and audacious", writing: "She is a breath of fresh air for those who haven't been able to see themselves in the Star Wars universe quite yet.

[68] Variety writer Will Thorne praised Cara Dune, complimenting her combat skills and "debonair charm", and compared her to the Marvel Comics character Gamora as performed by Zoe Saldaña in the Guardians of the Galaxy films.

[8] Vanity Fair writer Joanna Robinson called the character a "prime showcase for Carano" and the first role to capitalize on her "real-life, distinct blend of inherent sweetness and physical toughness".

[16] Screen Rant writer Kevin Pantoja called Carano brings a "legitimate physical presence" to the role, and that Cara stands out in a franchise that already includes such strong female protagonists as Princess Leia and Rey.

[26] According to Anthony Gramuglia of Comic Book Resources some Star Wars fans were critical of the Cara Dune character because they perceived the presence of a strong female fighter as "forced diversity" and "wokeness".

Gramuglia calls these objections "misogynist" and "patently ridiculous", comparing them to complaints about other female Star Wars characters such as Rey, Rose Tico, Jyn Erso and Qi'ra.

[28] Gramuglia writes: "To them, Cara Dune's presence serves as a means to make men appear weaker by comparison, as she fights battles that most of the male characters aren't capable of undertaking themselves.

"[28] Several toys of Cara Dune were first made available at a Star Wars product launch event called Triple Force Friday on October 4, 2019.

Among them was a six-inch action figure by Hasbro as part of the company's Star Wars: The Black Series toy line,[71] and Funko Pop figurine,[71][72] and a Lego minifigure,[73] as well as The Mandalorian t-shirts featuring the character.

[71] Additionally, two more action figures based on the character were about to be released, one of which was reported to have been part of The Black Series 6 line, but production on all Cara Dune toys was canceled by Hasbro following Carano's firing.