Kuiil — the Mandalorian's ally, friend, and lifesaver — is voiced by Oscar-nominated actor Nick Nolte, who brings his specific irascibility and world-weary style of acting to the loner Ugnaught. But really, Kuiil doesn't have to work alone if he doesn't want to.
See, after they've escaped a whole lot of trouble in the second episode of the series, Mando suggests making their relationship a bit more permanent. He offers Kuiil a well-paid spot on his crew, but Kuiil respectfully rejects it out of hand. "I am honored, but I have worked a lifetime to finally be free of servitude," he explains. And then he's gone. That's a weighty statement, but his reasoning can be traced back to The Empire Strikes Back. During a visit to Cloud City, Ugnaughts were depicted, ever so briefly, as the backbone of that civilization — the ones responsible for the hard labor.
In Chapter 7, Kuiil sheds a little more light on his own backstory, revealing that he once lived a life of indentured servitude to the Empire. Whether or not his life has intersected with those of Cloud City's Ugnaughts, this certainly lends even more weight to the value he places on his own freedom.
