The Biggest Questions The Mandalorian Season 3 Needs To Answer
The following article contains spoilers for "The Mandalorian" through season 2 and "The Book of Boba Fett."
"The Mandalorian" season 3 premiere is only days away. It's been over two years since season 2 wrapped up and a year since little Grogu was reunited with his Papa Mando (Pedro Pascal) in the final episodes of "The Book of Boba Fett." Why they chose to put such a powerful moment in a show that isn't "The Mandalorian" is a question I'd like answered, but here we are.
The clan of two is together again, and as we've seen from the trailers, they're off on further adventures. We know from a recently released clip that Din Djarin pays a visit to the former leader of the Bounty Hunters Guild, now-Magistrate of Nevarro, Greef Karga (Carl Weathers), who offers him a parcel of land, which he turns down. We know that Grogu really likes little orange candies and spinning in a giant chair. We know that Din has to head back to Mandalore to lift his apostate status after removing his helmet. We will see Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) again and Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris). That said, there are still a lot of questions that remain unanswered after season 2 and the "Boba Fett" episodes that could be considered season 2.5. Here are the ones we want to learn the answers to the most.
How much Jedi training did Grogu get, and will there be more?
At the end of the second season, Din and Grogu part ways (my entire heart is breaking just thinking about it). A young version of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) shows up to take Grogu for Jedi training, which, considering the lifespan of the little dude's species, means they'd likely never have seen each other again. Of course, during the final episodes of "The Book of Boba Fett," we learned that Grogu chose to return to his Papa instead of continuing as a Padawan.
In the trailer, however, we see him using some impressive Force skills against a creature. He's used them before to save Din and already had a lot of power. What does this mean regarding how much training he got from Luke? Could the Jedi have given Grogu some Force homework? I'm mostly kidding about that, but it will be interesting to see how much his power has increased. Is he more powerful when his Dad is under some sort of fire?
Jedi have a very strict training regimen and are supposed to eschew attachment. Obviously, that won't work with Grogu, but with most of the Jedi gone after Order 66 (more on that later), perhaps someone could relax the rules a little bit. Is there any way another Force-sensitive being — maybe Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) will give him some lessons before she heads off to her own show? Maybe someone else survived that we haven't heard about yet?
How did Grogu survive Order 66?
When Order 66 came down, it spelled the doom (at least for a number of years) of the Jedi. We know that Grogu was studying at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant when it happened. Ahsoka read his mind and learned that his memory went dark just before the rescue. We saw some Jedi protecting him while he hid in flashbacks. There were even people who spotted the symbol of Barriss Offee, who you may remember as the person who betrayed Ahsoka in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." Some have speculated that she was the one who saved him.
The rescue was teased in both earlier episodes and the season 3 trailer, leading me to think at least part of this mystery will be solved this season. I certainly hope so. If it is, what could that change for Grogu? He appears to have blocked the memory from himself or been unconscious at the time. Could that lead us to another cameo? Could it introduce a character we haven't met yet? Will the answer lead him back to Jedi training eventually or cement his decision to follow Din on adventures?
Will we see more familiar characters?
Seeing a young Luke Skywalker at the end of "The Mandalorian" made water come out of my eyes in the best way. He showed up to retrieve Grogu from Din and take him for training. Later, we saw him give Grogu a choice between a lightsaber and the little package that his Papa had left him. He chose to return to the little clan of two, but that doesn't have to mean we won't see more training or guides from Force-sensitive beings. Perhaps more Jedi or Padawan survived than we thought? Could Luke return to help out? (The visual effects would be expensive to do, so if he does reappear, it would likely be a short cameo.)
There may be other familiar characters, though. Mando pretty much took over the final three episodes of "The Book of Boba Fett," and it would hardly be a shock to see Boba (Temuera Morrison) or Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen). They both showed up in seasons 1 and 2 of "The Mandalorian" before their own show, so they could absolutely pop up here.
Perhaps we'll get a cameo from Leia or even Mandalorian Sabine Wren from "Star Wars Rebels," who will be played by Natasha Liu Bordizzo in the upcoming "Ahsoka" series.
Who rules Mandalore now?
As you'll recall, the holder of the Darksaber rules Mandalore. Back in "Star Wars Rebels," Sabine Wren defeated Gar Saxon, and that meant it was now hers. She could have been the leader of Mandalore ... however, she gave it to Bo-Katan. Bo-Katan, however, knew that you had to win it in battle, not receive it as a gift if you really had a claim. Doing so would curse the planet and make the recipient's claim null and void. The same issue came up when Din tried to give it to her.
Though we know she lost the Darksaber to Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), it would be nice to know how. She'd likely be a good leader, despite her temper. She's Mandalorian through and through and the sister of the late Duchess Satine Kryze, who ruled before the Empire destroyed everything on what was called the Night of a Thousand Tears.
Moff lost the saber to Din Djarin, and Bo-Katan likely wants it back in the right way (in her mind and "Mandalorian" lore, at least). That means we'll probably see a battle between them so she can win it fair and square. Does he have to die? Will he fight her? Where is Moff in all this, because we know he's alive and will be back this season. What does it all mean for Mandalore's future?
Will Din Djarin lose his apostate status?
Din Djarin is in trouble with the Children of the Watch, the sect of the Mandalorian he was adopted into as a foundling. He's removed his helmet and let others see his face. That means he is no longer a Mandalorian, according to the Armorer (Emily Swallow). Of course, if he bathes in the living waters beneath the mines of Mandalore, he can erase his apostate status.
That's where he's headed, according to the trailer for season 3. We can see a shot of him removing a buried Mandalorian helmet and a shot of the ruined planet. He wasn't born there, so he'll discover it with us, but will he be forgiven? After all, not all Mandalorians adhere to rules like this. Bo-Katan doesn't, and we know we're going to see a number of others, going by the helmets in the trailers.
Narratively it might make sense for him to continue to wear his helmet and redeem himself in the eyes of the Armorer and the rest of the Watch. However, he's got a little kid to think of now. Will he change his mind once he learns more about Mandalore itself? Will Bo-Katan (or Sabine if she shows up) change his mind?
How will this season tie into the Ahsoka series?
In a recent interview, "The Mandalorian" creator Jon Favreau revealed that he's already got season 4 written. He said that part of the reason was the interconnectedness of this show with the upcoming "Ahsoka" series starring Rosario Dawson. That certainly could leave the possibility open for her to return in "The Mandalorian" season 3. She might show up to help out with Grogu's further training or to reveal her thoughts on him leaving Luke Skywalker. Perhaps we'll even get to meet Sabine Wren as I mentioned, or even Ezra Bridger, who will be played by Eman Esfandi in "Ahsoka."
We met Ahsoka (originally voiced by Ashley Eckstein) in the animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" (and the film that comprised the first episodes). When she appeared in "The Mandalorian," we saw her battle Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) to get the whereabouts of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Will he figure into season 3 at all? Will we get a glimpse of her hunt for him? There are only eight episodes on the way right now, and so many queries to address!
Finally, here are a few stray questions that are consuming my brain. What's going on at the droid cantina in the trailer? What are those little candies that Grogu is eating in the clip? How is it possible to make him any cuter? Will he ever say "Papa?" I won't survive the moment he first speaks, but I want to see it anyway.
"The Mandalorian" season 3 will begin streaming on Disney+ on March 1, 2023. May the Force be with you.