The Mandalorian Season 3 has released its first trailer, and amidst all the excitement and cameos, one thing stood out above all else. Din Djarin and Grogu have a journey ahead of them following all that transpired in Season 2 and The Book Of Boba Fett, and after this latest look, they may not have all the support they once had. Bo-Katan Kryze was somewhat cold to Din in this preview, and almost gave off the energy that she could be a villain in the upcoming episodes.
That statement might be shocking to some Star Wars fans, especially since she has been seen as a more heroic figure in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels. Of course, the situation and circumstances are a bit different in The Mandalorian. Let’s talk it all out below and discuss why those tuning in with their Disney+ subscriptions might see a different side of Bo-Katan Kryze in the upcoming season of the series.
Bo-Katan Kryze And Din Had Some Tension At The End Of Season 2
In The Mandalorian's Season 2 finale, Din finally managed to take down Moff Gideon and saved Grogu from harm. As an unintended consequence, he managed to secure a relic near and dear to the people of Mandalore, the Darksaber. The Darksaber exists as a weapon of great significance in Mandalorian culture and is generally regarded as a symbol of leadership. In beating Moff Gideon in combat, Din inherited a measure of status.
Din had zero idea of what all he took on in winning the Darksaber and tried to offer it to Bo-Katan when he learned of its significance. Bo-Katan, of course, didn’t accept the offer. Perhaps she didn’t accept it out of respect for the custom or because she knew there were witnesses who would see her not observing the custom which would invalidate her claim to the Darksaber. In either case, she declined, though it seemed very clear in the scene that she wanted it.
Star Wars Rebels fans will better understand the significance of Bo-Katan’s want of the Darksaber, as Sabine Wren originally gifted it to her as a way to unite the various Mandalorian tribes. Bo-Katan then lost the Darksaber during the Siege of Mandalore, and somehow it wound up in the hands of Moff Gideon. Bo-Katan fully intended to win the Darksaber back from Gideon and return to her mission of reuniting Mandalore, but obviously Din taking it made it all much more complicated. To get the Darksaber, she’ll have to take it from another Mandalorian, but is that something she wouldn’t be willing to do?
Bo-Katan Alludes To Issues With Din’s Coven
As previously mentioned, the conversation we see between Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze in the trailer for The Mandalorian Season 3 doesn’t sound like a pleasant one. In fact, Bo-Katan says some pretty antagonistic things to Din, even going so far to call his coven a “cult” and blame them for the division of Mandalore. That’s a pretty strong accusation, and one I can’t imagine a loyalist like Din will respond too kindly to.
With that being said, there’s no denying that The Armorer and her people do things a bit differently than Bo-Katan and her Mandalorian followers. The helmets are the most obvious difference The Mandalorian pointed out, and possibly a sign indicating our hero hails from a more radical offshoot of Mandalorian culture (though he's currently on the outs with them, as seen in The Book of Boba Fett). At the very least, it represents a side of Mandalore that Bo-Katan hasn’t honored, and as someone who was originally seen as a leader to Mandalore when she first received the Darksaber, that’s going to be a problem.
Perhaps that is the key to the possible tension between Bo-Katan and Din Djarin in The Mandalorian Season 3. Bo-Katan seems to be in opposition of the type of Mandalore that Din grew up under, which makes it easy to understand why she’s concerned about the Darksaber being in his possession. He has the power to unite and shape their divided people throughout the galaxy, and is already building a resume as a strong and capable warrior.
Bo-Katan is a proud member of House Kryze, which has a storied history to date in leading Mandalore. Her sister Satine served as Duchess of Mandalore under the pacifist government, but was killed when Darth Maul took over. Bo-Katan would later lead Mandalore, but let’s face it, it was not a great reign. Now with the threat of the Empire subsided, it’s clear she wants another shot at leading and now has a person standing in her way. Bo-Katan might not be a terrible person in the classic sense of Star Wars villains like Emperor Palpatine, but one can understand how her want to reclaim the Darksaber could drive her to some extreme methods.
The Mandalorian Presumably Lost Moff Gideon As A Main Villain Following His Capture
The Mandalorian Season 2 saw Moff Gideon captured by the good guys, which might create a bit of a problem for this show. If the main villain is brought to justice and imprisoned, then there’s no immediate replacement for a villain to stand against Din Djarin and try to steal Grogu. I mean, I guess there is a galaxy full of villains who will try and take The Child, but typically there’s a main baddie to serve as the face to that effort.
We do know that Giancarlo Esposito will return in Season 3 as Moff Gideon, but his absence from the latest footage does present questions as to how much he’ll be involved. If Gideon is out of commission, there’s a door open for Bo-Katan to rise up as an antagonist and help usher in a storyline that is more specific to Mandalore and the Mandalorian people.
Of course, I could be completely off base, and The Mandalorian is merely saving its villain reveal for when we actually get into Season 3. Even if Bo-Katan isn’t the main villain, there’s no denying there’s some tension to be resolved between her and Din, and Katee Sackhoff seems really excited about what’s ahead for her character.
The Mandalorian Season 3 will premiere on Disney+ in February 2023. Now is the perfect time to binge the first two seasons, or you can just hold on for the upcoming release of Andor and scratch the Star Wars itch that way.
