The wait has been long, but The Mandalorian Season 2 is finally set to arrive on Disney+ this week. The footage we’ve seen has been nothing short of incredible, as the scope seems wider than the first season, which is really saying something. While fans are more than anxious to see what awaits Mando (Din Djarin) and the always adorable Baby Yoda (or The Child), now is the time to reflect. The first season of The Mandalorian featured a number of key developments that will likely play into the second season in a major way, and some may be in need of a refresher.
In only eight episodes, The Mandalorian Season 1 covered quite a bit of ground, so it may have been easy to miss certain things. And if you haven’t watched the episodes since the season ended last fall, no one would blame you if you’ve forgotten anything. There may also be those who haven’t wanted the first season but are just hoping to do some quick research before the new episodes begin. Well, whatever brings you here, we’ve got you covered! So let’s dive in and look at a few things viewers should remember before The Mandalorian Season 2 starts.
The Mandalorian Was Trying To Keep The Child Safe, And Now He’s Looking For Jedi
This may seem obvious but, after Mando first rescued the Child from The Client on Nevarro, his only goal was to find any safe place for him and, while he came close, he was unsuccessful. His plans changed, however, when he returned to the Mandalorian enclave on Nevarro during the season finale. It was there that The Armorer explained to him that The Child’s abilities are similar to that of the Jedi, who are also ancient enemies of the Mandalorians.
Despite this, she adopted the Child into the Mandalorian culture as a foundling (like Djarin) and tasked Mando with caring for him and returning him to his own people. Where this path leads the “clan of two” is anyone’s guess at this point, yet it seems there’s a good chance they’ll at least run into one notable Force-user in the form of Ahsoka Tano, who could have strong ties to the infant.
Mando Was Part Of A Tribe That Has Now Been Killed Or Scattered
When we meet Din Djarin at the start of the series, he’s part of a Mandalorian group known only as “The Tribe,” which resided on the planet of Nevarro. Survivors of The Great Purge of Mandalore, the group remained hidden, to the point where they only allowed one person to leave the enclave at a time. This all changed with the show’s third episode, during which they revealed themselves to aid Mando in escaping with the Child. Unfortunately, this would come at a price.
The season finale would reveal that Imperials eventually discovered their hideout and killed many of them, leaving only discarded armor in the aftermath. Despite this, the Armorer, the sole person left at the enclave, expressed her hope that some survived. She also stated that she would remain on Nevarro, presumably to meet anyone who returned. With this, it’s definitely possible that Mando could cross paths with her or any other Mandalorian comrades during the events of Season 2 – and he may even meet some who weren’t members of his tribe.
Other Bounty Hunters Were Looking For The Child And Probably Still Are
Although Mando may have been the one to succeed in locating the Child and bringing him to the mysterious Client, he was far from the only bounty hunter to receive a tracking fob. Plenty of other members of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild were also searching for tiny alien, yet none succeeded. But when the Mandalorian went back to save the Child, it reactivated the fobs and, as previously mentioned, he needed help from his comrades to escape the onslaught of mercenaries.
Travelling with the Child would come with its fair share of dangers, as bounty hunters would begin tracking them wherever they went. In “Chapter 4: Sanctuary,” one hunter tried to kill the Child on the planet Sorgan and, in “Chapter 5: The Gunslinger,” a young bounty hunter would also attempt to claim him. It would be safe to assume that others are still trying to cash in on the Child by the time we get to Season 2, and that could draw an array of interesting faces.
Mando Has Two Key Allies In Cara Dune And Greef Karga
Our hero crossed paths with a few friendly faces in Season 1 (including two that will be discussed later) but, here, we'll highlight Cara Dune and Greef Karga. Karga was originally an agent for the Bounty Hunters’ Guild on Nevarro and would assign Mando missions, ultimately leading him to the assignment that would land him the Child. The two would come to blows when Mando broke the Guild’s code by rescuing the baby and was angered when he escaped the planet. During his time on the run, Mando met ex-Shock Trooper Carasynthia Dune, who was laying low on Sorgan. Together, they would team up and help a village of farmers defend their land, cementing their friendship.
All three would work together in the season’s final two episodes to fight off Imperial forces. Despite a planned betrayal by Karga, the trio became firm allies. By the end of the season, Karga continued his duties with the Guild and took Cara on as his personal enforcer. We know that they’re set to return to fight by Mando’s side and, with their skills and knowledge, there’s a chance they will have gained quite a bit of influence on Nevarro by the time we see them again. This could end up being invaluable for Mando in the long run.
Both Kuiil And IG-11 Sacrificed Themselves To Help The Child
As alluded to, the Mandalorian met other allies during his journey: the Ugnaught vapor farmer Kuiil and bounty hunter droid IG-11. Mando met Kuiil while seeking out The Child on Arvala-7, where the kind-hearted being assisted Mando in locating the Child and helped him bargain with Jawas after they stripped the bounty hunter’s ship. Din Djarin also crossed paths with IG-11 on Arvala-7, and the two would team up against a group of guards to claim the Child. But before IG-11 could kill the infant, Mando shot the droid. When Kuiil returns in “Chapter 7: The Reckoning,” it’s revealed that he found, repaired and reformed IG-11 into a nurse droid and tasks him with protecting the Child.
These two, voiced by Nick Nolte and Taika Waititi, quickly became fan favorites, which made their ultimate fates that much more tragic. While Mando, Cara and the others were pinned down by Imperials, Kuiil was tasked with taking the Child to Mando’s ship and locking it down, but he would be shot and killed by Scout Troopers on speeder bikes.
IG-11 would later sacrifice himself by activating his self-detonation to take out a Stormtrooper squadron at the end of the sewer tunnel the group escaped to. The loss of both characters devastated Mando, and, in the season’s final moments, he buried Kuiil before departing Nevarro. It is a bit sad going into Season 2 without these two, but their impacts on the show will not be forgotten by fans.
The Mandalorian Faced Off With Bounty Hunter Fennec Shand, And She Could Return
Season 1 pitted the Mandalorian against plenty of the galaxy’s most dangerous outlaws, including the skilled and elusive Fennec Shand, played by the amazing Ming-Na Wen. The seasoned mercenary got on Mando’s radar after he teamed up with young bounty hunter Toro Calican on Tatooine. Together, the two sought out and captured Shand, but she would later be able to convince the overly ambitious Calican to turn on Mando. But Calican, knowing she would betray him if he frees her, opted to shoot her and left her body.
Interestingly, in the episode’s final scene, Shand’s body can be seen lying in the desert when a mysterious figure walks up to it. It’s hard to say what this could mean, but there’s clearly a purpose for it. Could this person find a way to revive Shand? There’s a good chance this could be the case. I personally think the person who retrieves her body will turn out to be a certain bounty hunter who was once also thought to be dead on Tatooine.
Moff Gideon Knows Who The Mandalorian Is, And He Wants The Child Badly
The final two episodes of The Mandalorian Season 1 introduced audiences to Moff Gideon, who is played by the one and only Giancarlo Esposito. In the penultimate episode, he arrived on Nevarro to retrieve the Child after being contacted by fellow Imperial agent the Client. While he had Mando and his allies pinned down in a cantina with the Client, he revealed that he knows all about them. He ends up leading an assault that leaves the Client dead, though the others manage to escape. He later attacks the group alone with his TIE Fighter, but Mando manages to shoot him down with the help of the jetpack he received from the Armorer.
But if there’s anything fans will remember about Season 1, it’s that final shot, which shows Gideon carving his way out of his fallen TIE Fighter with the help of the Darksaber, an ancient Mandalorian weapon. Esposito has teased that we’ll learn more about Gideon in Season 2 and has even hinted to him having some “old school” connections. While we can only speculate on those connections right now, one thing that’s for sure is that he’s going to be coming after both Din Djarin and the Child with a vengeance.
So are you ready to jump back into Disney+’s The Mandalorian for Season 2? Are there any other moments from Season 1 that stood out to you? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to check out the new season when it premieres this Friday, October 30 on Disney+! And keep it tuned to CinemaBlend for more news from the world of TV and movies.
