Fans are counting down the days until the highly anticipated release of The Mandalorian season three dropping on Disney+ next week. With hints of it being the most ambitious season yet and introducing us to more Mandalorians, the stakes are high. Let’s break down key moments from the past two seasons and talk a bit more about what we can expect next.
Recapping The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2
The first two seasons of The Mandalorian are some of the most successful Star Wars projects to date. With crazy unexpected cameos and heart-wrenching emotional punches, the show has a lot to offer. From the get-go, viewers are swooning over Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin and rooting for our favourite galaxy gunslinger whilst obsessing over his Jedi junior Grogu. The pair endure many adventures, both together and apart, and fans are anxiously waiting for the next chapter in their story to unfold.
Mando meets with Grogu in the show’s pilot after receiving a bounty for the Yoda look-alike sent by The Client, who gets wind of the child’s abilities and wants to use them to his advantage. Back then, we were unaware that the power Grogu wields is indeed The Force, and it isn’t until his appearance in The Book of Boba Fett that we learn he was a student at the Jedi Temple, and witnessed Order 66.
After delivering Grogu as a bounty and discovering The Client’s plans, The Mandalorian, being the big softy we all know he is, takes pity and rescues him from the harsh hands that hold him. From this point forward, Din becomes the so-called “adopted father” of the little green gremlin child, a common trait amongst Pascal’s characters.
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer
The pair encounter many friends and foes on their travels. In chapter five The Gunslinger, for example, we are introduced to Ming-Na Wen’s Fennec Shand, who starts out as a problem for our bounty hunter. Later, however, she and Boba Fett team up with Mando and Grogu, forming quite the ensemble. They have a fair few appearances in the show.
Peli Motto is another loyal companion we meet along the way. She runs a hangar in Mos Eisley, where Mando stops to repair his former ship, the Razor Crest. Din trusts Peli deeply and often leaves Grogu in her care when off on more dangerous missions.
In The Book of Boba Fett, we are introduced to a BD unit, a model which fans of Jedi: Fallen Order will recognise. He is in the care of Motto alongside other adorable droids. Our Mandalorian displays empathetic character development as he moves from despising droids to being quite fond of them. These interactions between him and the machines offer many comedic moments throughout the series.
Friend or foe?
There are countless other characters who help Mando along on his journey. Frog Lady, Cara Dune, Greef Karga… but one, in particular, is expected to most impact the upcoming season; Bo-Katan. This Mandalorian first appears in Chapter Eleven “The Heiress” alongside Koska Reeves and Axe Woves (though viewers of the animated Clone Wars and Rebels series’ will already be familiar with the character).
The trio save Grogu’s life after an encounter with some ruffians, and Mando is surprised when every one of them removes their helmet. Din Djarin adheres to the Mandalorian creed known as The Way—a strict code of ethics devised by a radical faction of Mandalorians known as Death Watch—which states a Mandalorian must never remove their helmet. Bo-Katan and Din Djarin work together a handful of times throughout the show, but Bo has greater relevance than Din could ever know.
The Moff
The Mandalorian’s “big bad” is Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon. Gideon is an ex Imperial Security Bureau officer and the leader of an army of Galactic Empire fighters. He wants to capture Grogu in order to study and utilize his Force abilities, probably for use in cloning. Throughout many encounters with Mando, Gideon asserts his dominance and proves his relentless power, especially when wielding the Darksaber.
The legendary weapon is forged by the first Mandalorian, Tarre Vizsla, and serves as a symbol of leadership for the creed. Bo-Katan’s mission in the season two finale is to obtain the Saber from Moff Gideon and rule the now-destroyed planet of Mandalore.
The only way to obtain the Darksaber is by winning it in battle, which she planned to do whilst facing Gideon. Her plans for the weapon were not revealed, however, until Mando defeated Moff in a battle to retrieve Grogu. When he returns to Bo-Katan and the crew, Darksaber in hand, she is visibly confused.
After Mando offers to yield and sacrifice the weapon to Bo-Katan, Gideon explains she cannot take it and would become a fraud without rightfully earning it. This storyline is central to the ending of season two, and the conflict between them is sure to be explored in season three.
A Mandalorian, no more
The next time we see our favourite bounty hunter is in 2021’s The Book of Boba Fett, whilst on a mission to reunite with Grogu after their separation in The Mandalorian season two finale. After removing his helmet and disobeying The Way, he hopes to redeem himself for his transgressions.
The Armorer returns to explain his sin means he is no longer a Mandalorian, but may be able to make amends by returning to Mandalore and seeking forgiveness in the living waters. His journey of redemption to the abandoned planet is the main focus of season three.
Star Wars legend Luke Skywalker plays a large part in Grogu’s journey. Fans lost their mind over Mark Hamill returning in his iconic role for a surprise appearance in Chapter 16 “The Rescue.” The Jedi offers to take Grogu and train him in The Force, but it means leaving Mando behind. In the most emotional scene of the show, the father-son duo go their separate ways.
Luke and Grogu return in Boba Fett, and we get an adorable montage of the child trying his best to master his abilities. However, when given the choice between The Force or his daddy, Grogu happily reunites with Mando. The two fly off in their new ship, the N-1 Starfighter, provided by Peli Motto. It is implied their journey in season three will pick up where this moment left off.
Favourite moments from The Mandalorian
I asked fans on Twitter for their favourite moments from the previous seasons as we await the release of chapter seventeen next week:
We love the pain
Without a doubt, the moment that Din and Grogu’s eyes meet for the very first (and what we assumed to be the last time) is incredibly moving. Pedro’s emotion in this scene is phenomenal.
Is that…?
The cameos in this show are incredible and create unmatched hype amongst fans. Seeing characters like Ahsoka Tano and Luke Skywalker on screen make for unforgettable moments.
Take It Off! Take It Off!
Pedro Pascal always talks about his amusement when meeting fans of The Mandalorian. They of course recognise the shiny armour and deep voice, but there are nowhere near enough appearances of that gorgeous face. This is something I would love to see more of in season three.
What’s coming in The Mandalorian season three?
The first trailer confirms the return of a few familiar characters from previous projects, including the leader of the Bounty Hunter’s Guild, Greef Karga, and The Rise Of The Skywalker’s Babu Frik. It also gives us a taste of some new additions to the Mandalorian family, and of course, fans are speculating about whom they could be. Of course, it’s likely they are brand-new characters, however, some are anticipating the return of Cobb Vanth after we learned he survived his injuries in The Book of Boba Fett.
The main plot point of this season is Din’s journey to Mandalore. The planet suffered heavily during The Night Of A Thousand Tears, and millions of Mandalorians were killed. After the destruction, the remaining Mandalorians scattered throughout the galaxy, attempting to live a normal life.
Following the execution of Order 66, The Empire sieged Mandalore and their planet was lost. With Bo-Katan’s plot to revive her world and Din’s assumed conflict with her, it’s possible the Mandalorians return to fight alongside him and perhaps support his efforts in dethroning Bo-Katan. Seeing an army of Mandalorians is going to be epic, no matter the scenario.
All most of us care about, however, is seeing Mando and Grogu together after their time apart. We know he’s happy to have his kid back. In the newer trailers, it sounds as if Mando is giving Grogu a sort of pep-talk, as if he is teaching him the way of a Mandalorian. Din was raised as a Mandalorian foundling, and he is raising Grogu the same.
Where to keep up to date with The Mandalorian
We will be breaking down the new episodes week to week on the Fandom Academy Podcast, which you can find on all podcast platforms. Hit me up on Twitter to chat more about your favourite shiny space dad!
The Mandalorian season three premieres on Disney+ on March 1, and releases on Wednesdays subsequently thereafter.
