Bo-Katan's Awkward Throne Pose In The Mandalorian Season 3 Has A Deeper Meaning
This post contains spoilers for "The Mandalorian" season 3
"The Mandalorian" season 3 has been a pretty big departure from previous seasons for a variety of reasons. One of the biggest changes has been shifting the focus heavily to Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), who has been a part of "Star Wars" for a long time, with the character first appearing in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," as well as "Star Wars Rebels." Once the heir apparent to the throne of Mandalore, Bo-Katan starts out this season as a bit of a broken woman. When we first see her, she's sitting on a throne in a way not typically befitting royalty. Turns out, that was by design.
As fans may recall, in the season 3 premiere, Mando goes to visit Bo-Katan on her home planet of Kalevala. When we first see her, she's sitting on the throne in a relaxed, no f***s given manner. Speaking with StarWars.com, the actress explained that she actually worked with writer/executive producer Jon Favreau for some time to get that right.
"That was a really big thing for Jon and I. He kept having me sit, and then walk back, and sit, and walk back. He wanted it to seem...slightly disrespectful [laughs]. It's not the way that you would normally see royalty sit on a throne. I think that may be a sort of metaphor for part of her issues."
"The Mandalorian" season 2 finale saw Din Djarin take control of the Darksaber, which cut Bo-Katan to her core as she had aimed to get the weapon back from Moff Gideon. It was an important step on her quest to take back Mandalore. With that not working out, it clearly hit her hard, and that pose on the throne tells us a lot about where her head was at.
Bo-Katan, the rightful leader of Mandalore
For a long time, Bo-Katan has been positioned as the rightful heir to the throne of Mandalore. While "The Mandalorian" season 2 upended that, what we've seen unfold in the third season has been a shift within the Mandalorians and their culture. With the Mandalorians looking to band their various clans together, Bo-Katan has once again been put in a position to unite her people and take back their planet. Speaking a bit further in that same interview, Sackhoff discussed a bit of her character's arc thus far leading up to this season.
"She's always done what she thought was right for the Mandalorian people...And she's made a lot of mistakes in the process. I think that she wears all of that and there's so much guilt and so much turmoil. That plays itself out a little bit this season. For her to not take the Darksaber [in Season 2 is] such a huge moment. Something's different, you know? There's a reason why she didn't, and I think it lends itself to who she has become and where she's going."
If all goes well for Bo-Katan, she'll have more to sit on than her throne on Kalevala, and she'll probably have reason to sit a little more proudly. But it also seems increasingly like she's going to have a bigger role in this corner of the universe for the forseeable future.
Bo-Katan takes center stage in The Mandalorian
With the way that "The Mandalorian" season 3 has unfolded, given the added focus on not only Bo-Katan, but the other Mandalorians as well, it has sort of changed the meaning of the show entirely. Originally, it truly was a singular journey about Din Djarin – the lone Mandalorian – on his journey across the galaxy with Grogu. In season 3 and beyond? That's not really the case. Speaking with IGN, director and executive producer Rick Famuyiwa addressed that topic, saying the following:
"I think that's been interesting as we've been on the journey of the show, and now that we're at this point, is that, what does that title mean? I think now with Bo possessing the Darksaber, I know that there was a lot of expectations that might have shifted both in terms of what it meant for Din Djarin, but also for Bo and what does it mean? Who is the Mandalorian at this point? And so I think it could be anyone. And I think that's what they're trying to define in many ways, is what does that mean to be Mandalorian?"
Indeed, with Din Djarin's clan and The Armorer being accepting of Bo-Katan's ways, taking her helmet off and not adhering to the old ways as much, we are starting to redefine what it means to be a Mandalorian at this point in the galaxy. The idea is that a united front is the only way to take back Mandalore and save their way for the future — and Bo-Katan is the best chance they have at a bright future for their people.
"The Mandalorian" is streaming on Disney+.