The Mandalorian was the most pirated series of 2020, ending Game of Thrones’s seven-year reign

Star Wars spin-off has decrowned HBO’s fantasy epic

The Mandalorian was the most pirated series of 2020, a new study has revealed.

According to research by TorrentFreak, the Star Wars spin-off topped the global ranking of the most-torrented shows last year.

The list, which is “based on several sources, including statistics reported by public BitTorrent trackers”, has historically been led by HBO’s Game of Thrones.

The fantasy epic from George RR Martin has occupied the top spot for the past seven years, but was unlikely to lead the list for an eighth time after coming to an end in May 2019.

Stepping in to take its place is The Mandalorian. The Disney+ original series – that is set in the Star Wars universe and stars Pedro Pascal as lone bounty hunter Din Djarin – has proved hugely popular among critics and fans since its debut in 2019.

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Its first season was the third most-torrented show of 2019, according to TorrentFreak.

Prime Video’s superhero series The Boys was 2020’s second most-torrented series, with HBO’s Westworld following behind in third place.

Other contenders for the top spots included Vikings, Rick and Morty, The Walking Dead, and Star Trek: Picard.

It should be noted that TorrentFreak’s analysis only accounts for BitTorrent traffic, which makes up only a part of online piracy.

The Mandalorian concluded its critically acclaimed second season on 18 December. 

Following on from the show’s success, a second Star Wars spinoff series – titled The Book of Boba Fett – has been announced for 2021.