This is the way – or, at least, it is for now.
The Mandalorian has been on a hiatus ever since Season 2 premiered in 2020, and now, finally, Season 3 is right around the corner, premiering on March 1st as part of the 2023 TV premiere schedule. We’ve waited years to see Din Djarin again and his adventures across the galaxy.
But it’s been some time since we’ve seen everyone – and because of that, you might not remember everything that happened. You also might not have seen the spinoff series, The Book of Boba Fett, which introduced several story components that will most certainly impact Season 3 of The Mandalorian. So, if you want a reminder of what's happening before you watch The Mandalorian Season 3, or don't plan to get caught up on Seasons 1 and 2 (available on Disney+ now), as well as The Book of Boba Fett (also streaming on Disney+) before Season 3, -- here's what to know... (And as you can imagine, major spoilers from both series' previously aired episodes are in play).
Grogu Was Taken To Jedi Training – But He’s Back With Din Now
The bombshell that dropped during The Mandalorian Season 2 finale was that Grogu – otherwise known as “Baby Yoda” to pop culture or “The Child” to everyone in the show – went off with Luke Skywalker in order to complete his Jedi training. Throughout the show so far, we’ve seen Grogu show that he does indeed have force capabilities, but no formal training on how to control or hone them, and in Season 2, Luke decided to take up teaching him.
However, in The Book of Boba Fett, that’s basically thrown out the window because Grogu misses Din way too much, and Luke can sense that it is affecting his training. So Luke gives Grogu a choice – to stay and continue his training, or to abandon his training and join Din once again – and Grogu chose Din. I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Mando Got A New Ship In Book Of Boba Fett
I think all of us were a little sad when Din’s ship, Razor Crest, ended up exploding in Season 2 of The Mandalorian thanks to the fights he came across with Imperial Remnants. We’ve been on some crazy adventures with that ship. But in order for him to travel across the galaxy, he needs a new ship – and thankfully, The Book of Boba Fett provided him with that.
In the spinoff series, we revisited everyone’s favorite desert planet, Tatooine, where Din met up with Peli Motto (who has slowly become one of my favorite side characters) once again and got a brand new ship from her – well, not technically brand-new, but a really freaking cool N-1 starfighter that -- after a lot of time spent fixing it up -- has all the glitz and glamour you can expect it to have.
He Also Has The Darksaber Now, So That’s Cool
We all remember that Moff Gideon was actually the owner of the Darksaber – and to be honest, Giancarlo Esposito looked amazing using it. But Din and Moff ended up having the ultimate face-off in the Season 2 finale, and once Din won the fight, he took Darksaber.
We also see him attempting to use the Darksaber in The Book of Boba Fett for a little bit, but doesn’t have quite the handle on how it works just yet. He still looks badass holding it, though. I expect epic fight seasons in Season 3 – no, I demand it.
And He’s Also Not Technically A Mandalorian Anymore In The Eyes Of The Children Of The Watch
This is a big one, and I’m sure it’s going to play deeply into Season 3 of The Mandalorian – the fact that Din isn’t really a Mandalorian right now.
Well, technically. Only in the eyes of his tribe, “The Children of the Watch,” is he really not a Mandalorian anymore. If you recall, he removed his helmet not once, but twice during the timeframe of the show. Once for a mission and the other because he wanted Grogu to see his face when he said goodbye.
Once his tribe discovered this, he was banished as a Mandalorian, and it's not super easy to get that title back. According to The Armorer in The Book of Boba Fett during the episode that featured Din, they informed him that the only way in which he can redeem himself is to bathe in the waters of Mandalore, which might be quite difficult considering Bo-Katan is also intending to take back Mandalore.
However, we still see him with the helmet on in the trailer for Season 3, so I doubt he’s really going to give up the title that easily – and it also helps that other people who are Mandalorians, such as Bo-Katan, don’t really care about the whole “keep identity a secret” thing, so it’s certainly going to cause some trouble.
Boba Fett Is Still Alive – And Could End Up Appearing In Season 3
The Book of Boba Fett was a fun time in my eyes – could just be the Star Wars fangirl in me from the original trilogy, but I enjoyed watching him a lot – and guess what? The man is still very much alive.
After the events of The Book of Boba Fett, both Fett and his partner, Fennec, are in Mos Espa after their battle with Bane and the Pykes. While I’m not sure if that means he’s ruling over that area or not, what it does mean is that Fett is still around – and he could end up popping up in some way as much as Mando popped up in The Book of Boba Fett.
Moff Gideon Has Been Captured
For the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, the main bad guy that we were all rooting against was Moff Gideon, a leader who guides a remnant of the Galactic Empire and looked to capture Grogu to use for their own advantage, but with the help of his allies, Gideon is defeated in the Season 2 finale, and is captured.
What this exactly means for the character going forward, I’m not entirely sure. I know that Gideon is still very much a threat, but if he’s captured, and his main weapon has been taken away, I don’t believe he’ll play a huge role in Season 3, but it’s good to remember that he’s been taken care of as of the Season 2 finale.
But Bo-Katan Is Still Out There
The real antagonist of Season 3 is going to be Bo-Katan and I am here for it.
Alright, well, it’s not official but it would make sense. Bo-Katan came to the small screen in live-action form in Season 2 with a singular goal – to reunite the people of Mandalore and rebuild the plant, claiming the throne as her own. The only issue is that she needs Darksaber in order to do that.
Who has Darksaber? Mando.
The only way for her to claim the Darksaber is through combat, which could bode badly for Mando in the upcoming season, as it might mean Bo-Katan is coming for him. And from the trailer, she is most certainly still out there.
What are you looking forward to the most with The Mandalorian Season 3? I just need to be able to soar across the galaxy again because I miss being with Din and Grogu on adventures. Can March 1st get here any sooner? I have so many questions that need to be answered.
