The Mandalorian Season 3 launches tomorrow, March 1st 2023. It’s been a long ride and a few years since the last Mandalorian season so we thought it would be a good time to do a quick refresher on our favourite intergalactic father-son duo. The Mandalorian stars lone wolf Din Djarin aka Mando and Grogu on Last of Us-esque space adventure.
What started as a simple bounty mission, eventually ended up with a run from the Empire, more bounty hunters and giant space creatures. There are even some cameos from our favourite Star Wars characters Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka and Boba Fett. In this article, we’re going to briefly recap everything that’s happened in The Mandalorian Season 1 and 2, as well as The Book of Boba Fett.
– – – Spoiler Warning – – –
Season 1 – Mando Meets Grogu
The Mandalorian Season 1 mostly revolve around Din Djarin and Grogu meeting. As a bounty hunter, Djarin often gets sent around the planet to fetch, eliminate or capture people/things. This time he’s been tasked with returning a ‘Child’ to the Imperials on Nevarro. The reward? Enough Beskar to forge a new armour.
Beskar is one of the strongest alloys known to the galaxy. But after the genocide of the Mandalorians by the Galactic Empire, is almost impossible to get. Mando in this case was unable to refuse such a prize, but he didn’t feel good about handing Grogu over to the Empire.
Racked with guilt Djarin is unable to just leave the ‘Child’ in Imperial hands and eventually rescues him from the Empire. Unfortunately, this makes him an enemy of the Empire, who want Grogu for the high midichlorian count in his blood. Breaking his contract as well earns Mando an exile from the Bounty Hunter’s Guild.
With nowhere to go Mando and Grogu set out on the run to hide out somewhere in space.
Moff Gideon Lives
Moff Gideon, played by Giancarlo Esposito is an Imperial officer of the Empire and proves to be the big bad of Seasons 1 (and 2). Desperate to recapture Grogu he takes over the Bounty Hunter’s Guild and tries to offer a truce to obtain him. Surprise surprise this was all an elaborate set-up to get Grogu out in the open. An amazing battle ensues with Moff Gideon almost burning down all of Nevarro to reclaim Grogu.
The battle ends with Djarin taking down Moff Gideon’s TIE fighter. Believing that he’s dead, he and Grogu are finally safe from the Empire.
Starring the wreckage of Gideon’s TIE fighter at the end of Season 1, we see that he is alive and frees himself from the wreckage with the Darksaber!
In the final scene of season 1, we learn Gideon has possession of the Darksaber, an ancient blade traditionally wielded by the leader of the Mandalorian people. This is going to turn out to be very important later because this black-bladed lightsaber would show who would eventually lead all Mandalorians.
Season 2 – Returning Grogu To The Jedis
Season 2 is all about returning Grogu to the Jedis. After learning of his force powers it is deemed that Grogu’s rightful place. According to the Armorer of his Mandalorian clan, it is Djarin’s duty to accept Grogu as a foundling and reunite him with his own kind.
The Other Mandalorians And Bo-Katan
Bo-Katan of House Kryze is the commanding officer of the Nite Owls and part of the Mandalore Resistance. The resistance or ‘Death Watch’ was formed at the beginning of the Mandalorian civil war during the Clone Wars. It was created to oppose Darth Maul’s claim to the throne of Mandalore.
Bo-Katan wants to wield the Darksaber that Moff Gideon possesses. Because according to Mandalorian lore, whoever wields the Darksaber has a rightful claim to the throne of Mandalore. But only if they win ownership of the sabre through combat. Djarin is the one to defeat Gideon in combat, unknowingly becoming the rightful owner of the Darksaber.
Unfortunately for her, Djarin is the one to defeat Gideon in combat, unknowingly becoming the rightful owner of the Darksaber.
Grogu’s Past
On Corvus, we meet Ahsoka who learns more about Grogu’s past. It turns out that Grogu was training at the Jedi temple before Order 66 and only barely survived the Purge.
At first, Ahsoka is apprehensive about training Grogu because of his emotional attachment to Djarin. Ahsoka refuses to train Grogu herself because as the former padawan of Anakin Skywalker, she’s seen what strong emotional connections can do to powerful Jedi. Instead, she gives the magistrate’s beskar spear to Djarin and tells him of an ancient seeing stone on the planet Tython that will allow Grogu to use the Force to call out to any Jedi willing to train him.
Things don’t go as planned unfortunately and Grogu is once again captured by Moff Gideon.
Grogu Leaves Mando
The rescue of Grogu is an exciting laser-filled battle that stars none other than the computer-generated Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker. He takes out the Dark Troopers with ease before offering to train Grogu at his new Jedi academy. Grogu is apprehensive at first, not wanting to leave Mando behind, but Djarin agrees that this is the best thing for him. In the last touching scene, Djarin removes his helmet in front of Grogu so they can see each other for the first time face to face.
The Book of Boba Fett (aka The Mandalorian 2.5)
After helping Djarin rescue Grogu from Gideon in season 2 of The Mandalorian, Boba Fett has returned to Tatooine to take over Jabba the Hutt’s empire. Meanwhile, Djarin finds the remaining members of his clan on the Glavis Ringworld space station.
But not all is well with the Mandalorian tribe, as he has broken a cardinal rule of his order. The religion that Djarin is a part of is known as the ‘Children of the Watch’, they have strict rules that include not removing their helmets. Labelled an “apostate” by the Armorer, the only way he can be welcomed back into the clan is by bathing in the “living waters beneath the mines of Mandalore.” An important task we foresee for The Mandalorian Season 3.
Mando Reunites With Grogu
Grogu is training with Luke on the Jedi planet Ossus. He wants to see Grogu but Ahsoka explains that Grogu has come a long way in his training and seeing Djarin again will likely just make their separation harder for the Child. Mando sadly agrees but insists on leaving a little beskar chainmail for Grogu if he wants it.
Upon seeing the armour Grogu is conflicted and Luke gives him a choice. Accept the armour and return to Djarin for good, or take Yoda’s lightsaber and continue his training. Grogu chooses the armour and is sent to Tatooine to reunite with Mando.
Djarin and Grogu are finally reunited during the battle in Mos Espa, where Grogu uses his newly honed Force abilities to take out a Scorpenek droid and to put Fett’s raging Rancor to sleep after they win the fight.
The father and son duo end the series flying off on the N-1, ready to explore the galaxy together. Next stop: Mandalore!
The Mandalorian Season 3
Based on everything that has happened we can see that The Mandalorian Season 3 will likely take place on Mandalore. We have a couple of things to tie up there. Including Mando cleansing himself in the ‘living waters’ in order to be able to return to the Children of the Watch. Potentially ruling the people of Mandalore now that he wields the Darksaber? And of course, dealing with Moff Gideon. Let’s break it down.
The planet Mandalore is home to the Mandalorians. Both the planet and the people are ruled by a leader called the Mand’alor. At the end of Season 2, Djarin becomes the rightful owner of the Darksaber. Winning the Darksaber in combat is how Mandalorians have traditionally handled the succession of Mand’alors on their planet.
However, after the Galactic Empire destroyed Mandalore, the few surviving Mandalorians fled to other parts of the galaxy, leaving them without a homeland and without a leader. Because Mando’s got the Darksaber now, he’s the rightful Mand’alor, even though Mandalore is currently uninhabited and the Mandalorian people are fractured.
However, the Armorer tells him that he’s no longer a Mandalorian because he broke the creed of the Children Of The Watch and removed his helmet. The only way to atone, the Armorer says, is to be “redeemed in the living waters beneath the mines of Mandalore”.
That about wraps up everything you need to know about The Mandalorian Season 3, before it drops tomorrow. To check out our other Season 3 predictions check out this article here.