The Mandalorian 3: what has changed from the previous season?
The Mandalorian 3
The awaited return of the Mando on Disney Plus has finally materialized with The Apostate, the first episode of The Mandalorian 3 in which the Mandalorian bounty hunter most loved by Star Wars fans embarks on a new adventure. Going beyond what was seen in the previous seasons and in his rapid but central appearance in The Book of Boba Fett , the new narrative arc dedicated to Din Djarin and little Grogu seems to want to move towards a new narrative dimension, which apparently seems to be in contrast with what seen in the Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian. An aspect that could confuse casual viewers of the Star Wars series, who by not following every product of the franchise, could perceive a certain dissonance compared to what was seen in the last episode of the previous season. Indeed, The Mandalorian 3 radically changes the ending of the previous season.
In the finale of the second season of The Mandalorian , after Grogu had been kidnapped by Moff Gideon, Din Djarin succeeded, thanks to the support of a team of comrades composed of refined fighters ( Boba Fett , Fennec Shand, Bo-Katan Kryze, Cara Dune), to free his little friend. Facing Moff Gideon, Din Djarin came into possession of the legendary Darksaber, a symbol of Mandalorian power long sought by Bo-Katan, but this conquest was followed by a painful separation: Grogu was taken away by Luke Skywalker to be trained as a Jedi.
The Mandalorian 3 changes the ending of the previous season: what to know if you haven't seen The Book of Boba Fett
Why, then, does The Mandalorian 3 change the ending of the previous season? A question that should actually be interpreted from the more complex perspective of the Star Wars Canon. Being a highly structured franchise, Star Wars has set a narrative context in which different productions contribute to the creation of a unicum, in which the characters move with extreme freedom. As happened for Din Djarin, who after the conclusion of the second season of The Mandalorian appeared in The Book of Boba Fett, a series dedicated to the first Mandalorian of the saga where we witnessed a central moment in the evolution of the Mando's life.However, one cannot help but remember how the second season of The Mandalorian was a real turning point for what we can define as the MandoVerse of Star Wars, considering that from this season the seeds for what became The Book of Boba Fett and the future Ahsoka series.
The return of Grogu The fate of Bo-Katan Kryze The importance of Mandalore
The return of Grogu
First of all, what had seemed like a farewell between Grogu and Din Djarin turned out to be a simple goodbye. For two seasons, Din was the protector of the little alien, protecting him from the interests of some remnants of the Empire (in the first season) and finally trying to lead the little one to the Jedi (in the second season). At the end of the second season, after meeting Ahsoka Tano, none other than Luke Skywalker entered the scene, who we know in this post-Return of the Jedi period is recreating the Jedi Order. Apparently, with this farewell our Mando was free to follow his Mandalorian heritage. So why does Grogu appear again alongside the Mandalorian?(L-R): Grogu and Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) in Lucasfilm's THE MANDALORIAN, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ..2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved. The answer is in The Book of Boba Fett , where we discover that little Grogu has chosen not to undergo Jedi training with Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano , missing Din Djarin. Faced with the choice of following Din or exploring the ways of the Force, the little alien, receiving a small beskar armor as a gift from Mando, borrowed Luke's X-Wing, piloted by R2-D2, to arrive on Tattooine, where Mando was summoned by Boba Fett to help him take over the planet's criminal life.
The fate of Bo-Katan Kryze
Since her first appearance in the Star Wars Canon, which took place in The Clone Wars , Bo-Katan Kryze has been presented to us as a strong figure, perfect interpreter of Mandalorian culture. At the end of Rebels, Bo-Katan obtained the Darksaber from Sabine Wren, thus becoming the leader of the Mandalorians, but in The Mandalorian, however, we discover that he is looking for Moff Gideon to get the Darksaber back. To help her in this search are the Nite Owls, her clan, which we have seen in action both in the animated series and in the second season of The Mandalorian. However, now that we see her again in the first episode of the new season of The Mandalorian, Bo-Katan has taken refuge in her clan's fortress on Kalevala, where she appears to us as a defeated leader. Consequence, apparently, of the events of the previous season's finale, where the loss of the Darksaber seems to have broken Bo-Katan's soul, who no longer believes she is the legitimate heir to the leading role of the Mandalorians.Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) in Lucasfilm's THE MANDALORIAN, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ..2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved. In the previous months, on several occasions it was speculated that precisely because of the possession of the Darksaber Din Djarin could have become a target of Bo-Katan, making her the villain of the third season. The Apostate, on the other hand, showed us a profoundly different Bo-Katan, almost detached from his Mandalorian soul, but perhaps it will be Din Djarin's need to strengthen his adherence to the Creed that will give the heir of the Kryze clan a new motivation.
The importance of Mandalore
In previous seasons, Din djarin's Mandalorian heritage has not been particularly valued, making it a secondary aspect compared to the predominance of the relationship with Grogu. By contrast, Season 3 focuses on the importance of the Creed and the Way, especially now that, as we saw in The Book of Boba Fett, Din Djarin is no longer regarded as part of the Death Watch, having betrayed the law of no never show his face, taking off his helmet.The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal, third from left) in Lucasfilm's THE MANDALORIAN, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ..2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved. During the series dedicated to Boba Fett, in the episode dedicated to the Mando we discover that this violation of his is sanctioned by the Gunsmith, who trusts that to remedy this deficiency he will have to purify himself by immersing himself in the sacred waters under the mines of Mandalore. However, the planet was devastated by the Empire during the Great Purge, where through relentless bombardment the planet was vitrified, making it impossible to reach these groundwaters.
