Star Wars Confirms The Mandalorian's Theme Is The Franchise's Greatest Music (That's Not By John Williams)

Published Sep 12, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT

Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero. 

With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention.

Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

For almost 50 years, very few movie franchises have had more recognizable music than Star Wars. Of course, the bulk of the credit belongs to legendary composer John Williams, who has provided some of the most memorable themes in all of cinema over the years. Without Williams, it's doubtful Star Wars would be as popular as it's become almost five decades later. However, the music and themes of The Mandalorian franchise are a great sign for Star Wars' future

On the whole, Star Wars hasn't lacked exciting music from multiple composers across movies, television, games, and more. However, there have always been inevitable comparisons to John Williams' work, which has long remained the franchise's core musical identity. However, The Mandalorian and the work of Ludwig Göransson provide a strong case that the Star Wars franchise may finally have a strong successor, proving that Williams' motifs and themes don't always have to be replicated to work.

Particularly after the release of The Mandalorian & Grogu, it's very exciting to see how a new musical identity has been created apart from the iconic work of John Williams.

Star Wars Movie Music Has Struggled To Live Up To John Williams

Beyond the nine core Skywalker saga movies, which were all scored by John Williams, there have been several Star Wars projects across multiple mediums by some great composers. To name just a few, John Powell's Solo: A Star Wars Story and Michael Giacchino's Rogue One are fairly strong, and the same goes for Kevin Kiner's work on the animated Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels series.

However, almost none have reached the same status as Williams' classic themes. Despite having some fairly strong concepts of their own, each have reused or woven Williams' classic motifs in some fashion. While that's not a bad thing per se, it does keep those scores firmly within and under his justifiably long shadow and legacy (and less unique as a result).

The Mandalorian Theme Is Star Wars' Best Music In Years

Image via Lucasfilm

Across the board, it's pretty easy to argue that Ludwig Göransson has managed to create the most unique musical Star Wars identity with The Mandalorian franchise. Rather than reusing motifs from Williams, Ludwig created one of the most unique and memorable Star Wars scores in the modern era for The Mandalorian series on Disney+.

Despite sounding completely new and unlike anything heard before in the franchise, it still fits perfectly for the galaxy far, far away, and has since become memorable and instantly recognizable, particularly with Göransson's main theme for the series. The theme has become synonymous with Din Djarin, just like Darth Vader and Williams' "The Imperial March." It very much succeeded as a new sound for a new era with the franchise's first-ever live-action series (but Göransson didn't stop there).

The Mandalorian & Grogu Takes Its Music To New Heights

Most recently, Göransson's score for the new Mandalorian & Grogu movie absolutely takes things to the next level, expanding the musical identity of The Mandalorian franchise within the greater Star Wars galaxy even further.

"Shakari" is one of the most impressive examples from the movie score, as is the new theme for Rotta the Hutt when we first meet the son of Jabba fighting in a large arena. That said, the entire soundtrack feels new and fresh, while still feeling quintessentially Star Wars at the same time.

Ultimately, this is what makes Göransson such an exciting figure when considering Star Wars' musical future. His not attempting to replace John Williams or recreate his sound. Instead, he's clearly committed to creating a unique sound and identity that can stand on its own, which in and of itself feels like the best way to honor Williams' impressive Star Wars legacy. Here's hoping Göransson's work thus far in the galaxy far, far away is just the beginning.

The Mandalorian & Grogu is now streaming on Disney+ from Lucasfilm.

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  The Mandalorian

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  Rotta (voice)

Din Djarin and Grogu take their clan of two routine to the big screen, with the New Republic hiring the legendary bounty hunter and his young apprentice to handle threats left behind after the Empire's fall.