# The Mandalorian Pinball — The Best Star Wars Pinball Machine Ever Made

**Source:** The Skill Shot  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2026-07-16  
**Duration:** 10m 58s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdiY4XfoVeU

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## Analysis

Ryan from The Skill Shot reviews The Mandalorian pinball machine (2021, Stern, designed by Brian Eddy), praising it as one of the best modern Stern releases and the strongest Star Wars pinball machine ever made. The game features Emmy-winning composer Ludwig Göransson's original music, original voice work from Carl Weathers (his final major project before passing in February 2024), and an innovative rotating encounter mini-playfield on Premium/LE editions. The machine has aged well with mature code, strong secondary market values ($6k-$13k depending on edition), and remains ranked in Pinsider's top 30, earning a flip score of 88/100.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] The Mandalorian was designed by Brian Eddy, who also designed Attack from Mars (1995) and Medieval Madness (1997) — _Ryan, The Skill Shot video_
- [HIGH] Carl Weathers recorded original voice work specifically for this pinball machine, and it was one of his last projects before passing in February 2024 — _Ryan, The Skill Shot video_
- [HIGH] Ludwig Göransson, Oscar and Emmy-winning composer of Black Panther and Oppenheimer, also composed the Emmy-winning music for The The Mandalorian show and pinball machine — _Ryan, The Skill Shot video_
- [HIGH] 750 LE units sold out fast, Pros and Premiums shipped in heavy numbers throughout 2021-2022 — _Ryan, The Skill Shot video_
- [HIGH] The Mandalorian is currently ranked in the top 30 on Pinsider's top 100 five years after release — _Ryan, The Skill Shot video_
- [HIGH] Secondary market values: Pro trades $6-7k, Premium $8.5-10k, LE $11-13k, with stable values since launch — _Ryan, The Skill Shot video_
- [MEDIUM] The Mandalorian has the best pop culture timing of any Star Wars pinball machine ever made — _Ryan, The Skill Shot video - opinion/assessment_

### Notable Quotes

> "Two pins that are routinely ranked in Pinsider's top 10 of all time."
> — **Ryan**, ~1:20
> _Establishes Brian Eddy's legendary design pedigree with Attack from Mars and Medieval Madness_

> "Carl Carl Weathers passed in February of 2024, and the voice work on this pinball machine was one of his last projects."
> — **Ryan**, ~4:15
> _Poignant context elevating the significance of Weathers' voice performance on the machine_

> "When that iconic slow-rising horn theme kicks in through the cabinet speakers, you're listening to a pure Emmy winning masterpiece."
> — **Ryan**, ~5:00
> _Emphasizes the prestige and quality of Göransson's music licensing_

> "This could be the only moment in pinball where just slamming the flippers repeatedly is the best strategy."
> — **Ryan**, ~6:45
> _Describes the unique gameplay mechanic of the rotating encounter mini-playfield_

> "The 2017 Star Wars pin exists, the 1992 Data East pin exists, but this one, built around the show that revitalized the franchise on Disney Plus, has the best pop culture timing of any Star Wars pinball machine ever made."
> — **Ryan**, ~9:30
> _Comparative positioning of The Mandalorian among all Star Wars pinball machines; acknowledges historical context_

> "If you're a Star Wars fan, this is the way. If you're not a Star Wars fan, but you love great pinball, this is also the way."
> — **Ryan**, ~27:00
> _Final verdict positioning the machine as excellent for both themed fans and pinball enthusiasts_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| The Mandalorian | game | 2021 Stern pinball machine designed by Brian Eddy featuring the Disney Plus show IP, rotating encounter mini-playfield, Carl Weathers voice work, Ludwig Göransson music |
| Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer of The Mandalorian pinball machine; major pinball manufacturer experiencing industry resurgence in early 2020s |
| Brian Eddy | person | Legendary pinball designer, designed Attack from Mars (1995), Medieval Madness (1997), Stranger Things (2019), and The Mandalorian (2021) |
| Carl Weathers | person | Actor who played Apollo Creed (Rocky), Chubbs (Happy Gilmore), and character roles in Arrested Development and The Mandalorian TV series. Recorded original voice work for The Mandalorian pinball machine, died February 2024 |
| Ludwig Göransson | person | Oscar and Emmy-winning composer of Black Panther and Oppenheimer; composed Emmy-winning music for The Mandalorian TV show and the pinball machine adaptation |
| Attack from Mars | game | 1995 Williams pinball machine designed by Brian Eddy, ranked in Pinsider's top 10 of all time |
| Medieval Madness | game | 1997 Bally/Williams pinball machine designed by Brian Eddy, ranked in Pinsider's top 10 of all time |
| Stranger Things | game | 2019 Stern pinball machine designed by Brian Eddy, based on Netflix show; first machine Eddy designed after 20-year hiatus from pinball |
| Star Wars (2017 Stern) | game | Earlier Star Wars pinball machine by Stern, referenced as comparison point to The Mandalorian |
| Star Wars (1992 Data East) | game | Vintage Star Wars pinball machine by Data East, referenced as historical comparison to The Mandalorian |
| The Skill Shot | content | YouTube channel/video series hosted by Ryan reviewing and analyzing pinball machines |
| Ryan | person | Host of The Skill Shot YouTube channel; pinball reviewer and analyst |
| Pinside | organization | Pinball community forum and ranking platform that maintains 'top 100' and 'top 10' rankings of pinball machines |
| [name withheld pending review] | company | Streaming platform that released The Mandalorian TV series, described as its first signature hit |
| Spike 2 | product | Hardware platform used in The Mandalorian pinball machine; reliable and sturdy modern Stern platform |
| Stern Insider Connected | product | Stern's connected software service that allows continuous code updates to The Mandalorian and other modern Stern machines |
| Grogu | product | Baby Yoda character toy featured on The Mandalorian playfield; cute but described as not highly interactive mechanically |
| The Mandalorian (TV series) | product | Disney Plus television show premiered November 2019, revitalized Star Wars franchise on streaming, seasons 1-3 referenced in pinball machine |
| Grogu/Baby Yoda | product | Character from The Mandalorian TV series that became cultural phenomenon; featured as toy on pinball playfield |

### Signals

- **[gameplay_signal]** The rotating encounter mini-playfield on Premium/LE editions introduces unique upper playfield rotation mechanic that changes angle through game levels, creating an uncommon gameplay dynamic where aggressive flipper slamming is optimal strategy (confidence: high) — Ryan describes the rotating upper playfield with two flippers and six targets that 'physically rotate while you play' and notes 'just slamming the flippers repeatedly is the best strategy'
- **[design_innovation]** Comprehensive IP integration including original voice acting from series character actor, Emmy-winning composer's music, authentic video clips from show seasons, character sculpture, and thematic mode naming ('This Is the Way') (confidence: high) — Ryan states 'This is what theme integration looks like when Disney opens up the vault to you' and details original Carl Weathers recordings, Ludwig Göransson's Emmy-winning score, video clips from seasons 1-2
- **[product_strategy]** Three-tier edition strategy (Pro/Premium/LE) with Pro positioned as 90% experience at accessible price point, Premium and LE featuring rotating encounter mechanism as differentiator (confidence: high) — Ryan notes Pro doesn't have rotating Mando helmet, Premium/LE have full encounter experience, and Pro is 'most accessible price point and still gets you 90% of what makes this machine great'
- **[market_signal]** Stable secondary market values across 5-year lifecycle: Pro $6-7k, Premium $8.5-10k, LE $11-13k, indicating strong demand stability and collector confidence in the title (confidence: high) — Ryan provides specific pricing ranges and states 'The values have been stable since launch' with 18/20 resale value score
- **[product_concern]** Grogu toy on playfield criticized for being decorative rather than interactive; does not mechanically engage with ball despite character loving metal balls in show canon (confidence: high) — Ryan notes 'Grogu toy just kind of sits there rather than interacting with the ball because he really likes metal balls in the series' but concedes 'there are some fun sound effects when you get the ball in the right place'
- **[product_launch]** The Mandalorian was a massive commercial success with 750 LE units selling out quickly and heavy Pro/Premium shipments throughout 2021-2022 (confidence: high) — Ryan states 'The Mandalorian was a massive commercial success when it launched. The 750 LE units sold out fast. Pros and premiums shipped in heavy numbers throughout '21 and '22'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Carl Weathers' passing in February 2024 retroactively elevated the significance and emotional weight of his voice work on the machine, transforming it into a memorial artifact (confidence: high) — Ryan frames voice work as 'one of his last projects' and states 'The voice acting from Carl Carl Weathers has only become more meaningful since his passing'
- **[content_signal]** Comprehensive video review by established pinball content creator The Skill Shot, includes detailed mechanical breakdown, gameplay demonstration, flip score methodology (88/100), and comparative positioning vs. other Star Wars pins (confidence: high) — Ryan's structured review covers shots (17/20), code/depth (19/20), theme (19/20), build quality (17/20), resale value (18/20) with total flip score of 88/100
- **[competitive_signal]** The Mandalorian ranked in Pinsider's top 30 five years post-launch with mature, stable code supporting repeat play through wizard mode 'This Is the Way' and continuous Stern Insider code updates (confidence: high) — Ryan states 'It's currently ranked in the top 30 on Pinside's top 100' and describes deep code with missions, encounters, Beskar spending system, wizard mode
- **[personnel_signal]** Brian Eddy's return from 20-year hiatus to design Stranger Things (2019) and The Mandalorian (2021) positions him as elder statesman designer working on premium licensed IP (confidence: high) — Ryan details Eddy's absence from pinball after Medieval Madness (1997), 20-year gap working on video games, return in 2019 with Stranger Things, followed by The Mandalorian as 'his second machine after returning'
- **[historical_signal]** The Mandalorian positioned as superior to all prior Star Wars pinball machines (1992 Data East, 2017 Stern) due to optimal pop culture timing relative to show's franchise revitalization on Disney Plus (confidence: high) — Ryan argues The Mandalorian 'has the best pop culture timing of any Star Wars pinball machine ever made' because it 'built around the show that revitalized the franchise on Disney Plus'

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## Transcript

In November 2019, Disney Plus dropped a show called The Mandalorian. It was set in the Star Wars universe, but it wasn't about the Skywalkers. And we didn't see the main character's face until episode 8. But nobody minded because we had this little green creature to look at. And by the end of season 1, Baby Yoda was everywhere. Disney Plus had found its first signature hit. Two years later, Stern released the pinball machine. A custom Grogu toy on the playfield, Emmy-winning theme song from the show's composer, and original voice work from one of the most beloved character actors of his generation. I'm Ryan. This is The Skillshot, and today we're talking about The Mandalorian. By the early 2020s, Stern was no longer the only major pinball manufacturer left standing. Pinball was making a comeback. The industry that nearly died in the '90s was experiencing a new golden age. They were releasing three new cornerstone games every year. Each one in three editions, Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition. The Mandalorian was one of the biggest releases of 2021. The game was designed by Brian Eddy, the same guy who designed Attack from Mars in '95 and Medieval Madness in 1997. Two pins that are routinely ranked in Pinsider's top 10 of all time. After designing those games, he disappeared from pinball for almost 20 years to work on video games. But he came back in 2019 to design Stranger Things for Stern. The Mandalorian was his second machine after returning to pinball. Carl Carl Weathers does the call-outs in this game. If you grew up in the '80s, you know him as Apollo Creed. If you're from the '90s, he was Chubbs from Happy Gilmore. If you watched my all-time favorite TV show Arrested Development, he was a version of himself who taught Tobias how to stretch a chicken into a free meal. [laughter] Is there any meat left on that bone? Yeah. All right. I'm never going to get through this now. If you grew up in the '80s If you shut up over there. He [laughter] free meal. [laughter] taught I can't do it. free meal. In The Mandalorian, he played Greef Karga, the bounty hunter guild leader who hires Mando in the first episode. A recurring character across all three seasons. When Stern was developing this pinball machine, they brought Carl Carl Weathers into a studio and had him record original dialogue specifically for the game. Brand new call-outs that he recorded just for pinball. Carl Carl Weathers passed in February of 2024, and the voice work on this pinball machine was one of his last projects. This machine features one of the most decorated music credits in pinball history. Oscar and Emmy winning composer Ludwig Ludwig Göransson, known for his legendary scores on Black Panther and Oppenheimer. Ludwig Göransson also composed the music for Disney Plus's show The Mandalorian. When that iconic slow-rising horn theme kicks in through the cabinet speakers, you're listening to a pure Emmy winning masterpiece. This machine has Grogu on it, and other than being really cute, he doesn't do much. I have heard some complaints that the Grogu toy just kind of sits there rather than interacting with the ball because he really likes metal balls in the series. But, there are some fun sound effects when you get the ball in the right place. The major mechanism on this machine is the encounter mini playfield. On the premium and LE editions of this machine, there's a rotating upper playfield, a small additional playfield with two flippers, six stand-up targets, and the ability to physically rotate while you play. When the encounter mode activates, the upper playfield changes its angle through the levels. It's really challenging to keep the ball up there. This could be the only moment in pinball where just slamming the flippers repeatedly is the best strategy. The pro version of this pin doesn't have the rotating Mando helmet. It's just flat on the playfield. If you want the full encounter experience, the premium and LE are where you go. But, the pro is the most accessible price point and still gets you 90% of what makes this machine great. To rack up points in this game, you need missions, multiballs, and flamethrowers. Missions are the story-based modes that follow specific arcs from the show. You're hunting a bounty, you're rescuing Grogu, you're escaping the Imperial Remnant. The encounter mode is where the upper playfield comes into play on the premium and LE. You can also earn Beskar, which can be spent on different items at the foundry. These items change the strategy of the game. The wizard mode is called "This Is the Way". You unlock it by completing mission pass and earning your Mandalorian signet. It's deep code and it rewards repeat play. Let's talk about where this machine stands today. The Mandalorian was a massive commercial success when it launched. The 750 LE units sold out fast. Pros and premiums shipped in heavy numbers throughout '21 and '22. It's currently ranked in the top 30 on Pinside's top 100. This machine has aged well. Five years after release, the code is mature and stable. The voice acting from Carl Carl Weathers has only become more meaningful since his passing. The Ludwig Ludwig Göransson music remains some of the most iconic film scoring in the modern era. For Star Wars fans, this is a great pinball machine. The 2017 Star Wars pin exists, the 1992 Data East pin exists, but this one, built around the show that revitalized the franchise on Disney Plus, has the best pop culture timing of any Star Wars pinball machine ever made. So, that's the rundown on The Mandalorian. Now, let's play a few balls and then we'll give it a flip score. There are three skill shots on this and if you can nail them all, it is one of the most satisfying things I've ever done in pinball. To get them, hold down the left flipper and you give it a full plunge and then we're going to try and hit this inverted scoop. Missed. Can't backhand this left ramp, but it's pretty tricky. Get it once in a while. Scoop is lit. We We earned some beskar from that last shot, so now we're in the foundry. We can choose one of these many things to upgrade our game with. Some of them are offensive. This adds to the ball save. This gives us a mission smart bomb when we start a mission. This is a mystery one and if you pick this enough times, an Easter egg happens where everything is lit, you get a multiball and it says dank ferrik every time you hit the switch. Let's try it. Let's try random. Maybe we'll get the dank ferrik if we get really lucky. Could show you guys that. Amban blaster. So, once we get a three-ball multiball going and I lose a ball, I'll remember to bash this and uh keep my ball save going on a little bit longer. So, we do have a mission started now. And since we have that, what we want next is the multiball. Okay, we got the multiball going. All right, check it out. Now, to get extra points, we're going to hold down this action button and Mando is going to do his flamethrower and light up all the shots. And everything will be worth double points. It's going to kick in another ball. I just use my blaster. All right, boom. My multiball going a little bit longer. Lit a jackpot. Get enough shots. Oh, we almost had it. All right, all right, all right. Backhanded the jackpot. Boo-ya. Super jackpot of 56 million. Jackpot is still lit. And that's the game. Terrible first ball, amazing second ball, everything went my way. Mandalorian is a super fun game to play. Now, let's give it a flip score. Five categories, 20 points each, 100 max. On shots, there's four flippers, clean ramp returns, many can be backhanded. The encounter mini play field on the premium and LE adds in a tire dimension to play and it gets a 17 out of 20. On code and depth, missions, encounters, spending your best guard to help with missions, plus a wizard mode, plus continuous code updates through the Stern through Stern Insider connected, this is one of the deeper modern Stern rule sets Theme is where the Mandalorian shines. Carl Carl Weathers original voice work and the winning score, authentic video clips from season 1 and 2 on the LCD, a Grogu, a mini Razor Crest. This is what theme integration looks like when Disney opens up the vault to you. 19 out of 20. Moving on to build quality, standard modern Stern construction, Spike 2 hardware platform is reliable, cabinets are sturdy, mechanisms are tight. These machines run hard on location and hold up well. No major quality concerns. 17 out of 20. On resale value, a pro trades between 6 and $7,000. A premium trades between 85 and 10,000, and LE trades between 11,000 and 13,000 dollars depending on number and condition. The values have been stable since launch. 18 out of 20 for a total flip score of 88 out of 100, a strong A. This is one of the best modern Stern releases in the past 5 years. The Mandalorian is what happens when a legendary designer comes out of retirement to work on a top-tier license at the peak of its cultural moment. It has Brian Eddy's geometry, Carl Carl Weathers' last major voice performance, Ludwig Ludwig Göransson's Emmy-winning music, and a Grogu sculpture that makes you smile every time you walk into the room. If you're a Star Wars fan, this is the way. If you're not a Star Wars fan, but you love great pinball, this is also the way. It's still one of the best games in the modern Stern catalog. Subscribe so you don't miss next week's episode of The Skill Shot.

_(Acquisition: youtube_auto_sub, Enrichment: v5)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-08-04 | Item ID: 623e5a10-b807-4570-9357-a6ca19b3df2b*