Things to Remember Before Watching The Mandalorian Season 3
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re going over everything to remember before The Mandalorian Season 3. For this video, we’re recapping the major story arcs in “The Mandalorian’s” previous seasons, as well as in “The Book of Boba Fett”. What are you excited to see in “The Mandalorian’s” third season? Tell us in the comments!
The Supporting Players
“The Mandalorian” has significantly expanded the Star Wars universe, following characters new and old after the Empire’s fall. We last saw Mandalorian leader Bo-Katan with her Nite Owls as she sought to reunite her people and reclaim their home planet. The problem was, Din Djarin had unwittingly won the Darksaber, symbol of Mandalorian rule, in combat. In “The Book of Boba Fett”, it was revealed that Moff Gideon, the Darksaber’s previous owner, was now in New Republic custody. The eponymous Boba was running a cartel on Tatooine, with Fennec Shand and Black Krrsantan at his side. Luke Skywalker was building his temple on Ossus, where he briefly trained Grogu, and was visited by former Jedi Ahsoka. We won’t see Cara Dune in season 3, as Disney let actress Gina Carano go, but expect to see Greef Karga, now magistrate of Nevarro; mechanic Pelo Motto, and clone engineer Doctor Pershing, who had been captured and turned informant. Reportedly, Christopher Lloyd and Tim Meadows will also be joining the cast.
The Larger Mystery
The show began with a mystery: why was the Empire after ‘the Child’? We received a partial answer in season two. Clone engineer Doctor Pershing had been injecting Grogu’s blood into ‘volunteers’ - with catastrophic results. He referenced Grogu’s high midi-chlorian count, so it seems possible he was trying to transfer Force potential. But what's the endgame of these experiments? Is Pershing trying to build an army of Force wielders? Or does this tie into the Imperial cloning program that leads to the Emperor’s resurrection, and the creation of artificial ‘Strand-Casts’ such as Supreme Leader Snoke and Rey’s father? There are still a lot of gaps left to fill, as well as questions about Grogu’s past - like how did he escape Order 66?
Din Djarin Is on a Quest
When Mando met Bo-Katan, she casually dropped a shocking revelation. As a Foundling, Din had been taught that his Tribe represented the ‘true’ Mandalorian Way. In fact, they belong to a radical religious group, the Children of the Watch, presumably an offshoot of terrorist group Death Watch from the animated “Clone Wars” series. The ‘Way’ that Din was taught is really just a Way. Nonetheless, in “The Book of Boba Fett”, he sought redemption for having broken faith. From the Tribe’s new covert on Glavis Ringworld, the Armorer gave him a quest … This means that Mando is bound for Mandalore, whose ruined capital Sundari we’ve seen in the trailers. Given Bo-Katan’s intention of reclaiming the war-scarred planet, they're sure to cross paths … and maybe cross ‘swords’ too.
Grogu Is Back with Mando
Season 2 ended with a moving farewell, as Din relinquished Grogu to none other than Luke Skywalker. Unable to train Grogu in the Force, he felt that Luke would make a better caretaker. In “The Book of Boba Fett”, Grogu stood at a crossroads: would he choose the path of a Jedi, or a Mandalorian? Fortunately for us, and the show, he chose the latter, donning the beskar chain mail tunic that Din had gifted him. After saving Mando from a rampaging rancor on Tatooine, Grogu flew off with Din in his new Naboo Starfighter, which replaced the Razor Crest. Based on the trailer for season 3, Din will be teaching his protege new skills, like how to navigate the stars.
Crossover City
“The Mandalorian” is part of a much larger plan. In December 2020, Disney announced three spin-off shows set within the same timeframe, which would culminate in a “climactic story event”: “The Book of Boba Fett”, “Ahsoka”, and “Rangers of the New Republic”. It was speculated that “Rangers” would feature Cara Dune, but that series seems to be canceled; according to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, elements will be incorporated into “The Mandalorian”. Subsequently, a new series was announced, “Skeleton Crew”, which will star Jude Law and tell a classic coming-of-age story. All this is to say, expect crossovers and an interconnected story in coming seasons of “The Mandalorian”. Showrunner Jon Favreau has said that his experience within the MCU informed his outlook. We may see Boba and Ahsoka again, and maybe even “Star Wars Rebels” characters like Sabine Wren.
