Xi'an, hailing from Ryloth, was a female Twi'lek who operated as a mercenary. She once collaborated with Din Djarin, the Mandalorian bounty hunter. Their paths crossed again when both were hired by Ranzar Malk for a mission: to rescue Qin, Xi'an's twin brother, who was being imprisoned aboard the Bothan-5, a New Republic Correctional Transport. The team's plan involved double-crossing Djarin and leaving him to die, but Djarin outsmarted them, trapping the team members within a cell of the transport.
Xi'an embarked on a career as a mercenary, and at some point, she teamed up with her twin brother Qin, the mercenary Ranzar Malk, and Din Djarin, the Mandalorian bounty hunter. One particular assignment she undertook with Djarin took place on Alzoc III. In the past, Xi'an and Djarin were romantically involved, but Djarin's actions led to the group's eventual split.
Around 9 ABY, Malk assembled a team of mercenaries, including Xi'an, Migs Mayfeld the human, Burg the Devaronian, and Q9-0 "Zero" the droid, with the goal of rescuing Qin. Malk also enlisted the Mandalorian, needing his ship, the Razor Crest, because it predated the Imperial Era and was not registered on the Galactic Empire or New Republic networks. As Djarin met the rest of the team, Xi'an greeted him, brandishing a dagger. The team then began strategizing their infiltration of the Bothan-5, a New Republic Correctional Transport holding Qin captive. Djarin voiced concerns about repercussions from the New Republic, but Xi'an assured him that the prison ship was staffed by droids, knowing that the bounty hunter harbored a strong dislike for droids.
Once their plan was set, the mercenaries started their journey to the prison ship aboard the Razor Crest, with Zero piloting. The rest of the team occupied the cargo hold, where Djarin and Burg engaged in a dispute. Burg and Mayfeld discussed Mandalorians, and when Mayfeld brought up Xi'an's history with them, she challenged Djarin to recount the events of Alzoc III to the pair. When Burg attempted to remove Djarin's helmet, the bounty hunter defended himself, and the Devaronian inadvertently opened a door, revealing Grogu. Mayfeld inquired if Xi'an and Djarin had conceived the child, and Xi'an questioned if Djarin had become sentimental when he referred to Grogu as a pet.
Zero informed the team that the Razor Crest was nearing the prison ship, initiating maneuvers to land on the transport undetected. Xi'an expressed her annoyance at the droid's lack of a countdown. After overcoming a contingent of N5 sentry droids, Xi'an and the team entered a control room where Lant Davan, a human, was on duty. He turned and aimed his blaster pistol at the group as Djarin voiced his surprise at encountering a living worker on the ship. Djarin's refusal to kill Davan led to a standoff with the rest of the team. While Djarin and Mayfeld debated the matter, Xi'an ended Davan's life by throwing a knife into his chest.
Upon reaching Qin's cell, Burg shoved Djarin inside and locked the door. However, the Mandalorian managed to break free, locking the blast doors throughout the prison ship. He subdued Xi'an and the other gang members, imprisoning them in a cell, and eliminated Zero. Djarin then returned to Malk with Qin, collecting the bounty reward, but shortly after, Malk and Qin were attacked by three X-wing starfighters that had tracked a tracking beacon Djarin had planted on Qin.
Xi'an, a purple-skinned female Twi'lek with blue eyes who came from Ryloth, demonstrated great skill with bladed weapons. She possessed a quirky personality and asserted her ability to move past past issues and maintain a professional relationship with a personal adversary. Xi'an showed no hesitation in murdering Davan and conspired to betray Djarin alongside the rest of the team.
Xi'an made her debut in Chapter 6 of the 2019 television series The Mandalorian, which aired on December 13, 2019. She was played by Natalia Tena, with Katherine O'Donovan performing the stunt work. The character's initial reveal occurred in a trailer released on August 23, 2019, in anticipation of the show's premiere. Xi'an shares her name with the Chinese city famous for housing the tomb of Emperor Qin.