Kevin Pantoja, also from "Screen Rant", said the character "immediately feels like a major threat" upon his introduction to the show. Stephanie Dube Dwilson of "Heavy.com" said the character "strikes the perfect mix of potentially crazy and very powerful". "SyFy" writer Matthew Jackson said though Gideon's appearance in the first season was brief, it was also impactful, writing: "The character quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with." Brian Silliman, also of "SyFy", called Moff Gideon a "formidable" villain. "IGN" writer Laura Prudom said the first season ends with Moff Gideon positioned as "a worthy adversary" for the Mandalorian and his allies. Ben Pearson of /Film said the character "made a big impact" in the season finale. Caitlin Gallagher of "Bustle" noted that immediately after "Chapter 7: The Reckoning" aired, many fans expressed "outrage, sadness, and anxiety" about Moff Gideon, particularly on social media websites, due to his role in the death of the character Kuiil and the kidnapping of the Child at the end of that episode. Moff Gideon ranked second on a "Screen Rant" list of the most interesting characters from the first season of "The Mandalorian", third on a separate list of the ten best characters from the show, and his costume was ranked seventh on a list of the ten best costumes in the first season.