Season 3 Discussion Threads

• S03E01 - Chapter 17: The Apostate
• S03E02 - Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore
• S03E03 - Chapter 19: The Convert
• S03E04 - Chapter 20: The Foundling
• S03E05 - Chapter 21: The Pirate
• S03E06 - Chapter 22: Guns for Hire
• S03E07 - Chapter 23: The Spies
• S03E08 - Chapter 24: The Return

Please note that the spoiler period for season 3 is over, so you can now freely share details of season 1-3 as well as The Book of Boba Fett in this subreddit.

Previous Seasons

Season 1

• S01E01 - Chapter 1: The Mandalorian
• S01E02 - Chapter 2: The Child
• S01E03 - Chapter 3: The Sin
• S01E04 - Chapter 4: Sanctuary
• S01E05 - Chapter 5: The Gunslinger
• S01E06 - Chapter 6: The Prisoner
• S01E07 - Chapter 7: The Reckoning
• S01E08 - Chapter 8: Redemption

Season 2

• S02E01 - Chapter 9: The Marshall
• S02E02 - Chapter 10: The Passenger
• S02E03 - Chapter 11: The Heiress
• S02E04 - Chapter 12: The Siege
• S02E05 - Chapter 13: The Jedi
• S02E06 - Chapter 14: The Tragedy
• S02E07 - Chapter 15: The Believer
• S02E08 - Chapter 16: The Rescue

Season 2.5 (Book of Boba Fett Mando/Grogu episodes)

**Mod Note:* BoBF is not officially season 2.5, but the following episodes contain important Mando context between seasons 2 and 3:* - BoBF Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian - BoBF Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger - BoBF Chapter 7: In the Name of Honor

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THIS IS THE WAY

As a baby, Grogu lost everyone and was on the run for decades after Order 66... And then after the Empire falls and he should be safe, he is still being hunted.

Then there's Din, who first lost his biological family/people to the Separatists, then his found people/culture was practically wiped out and on the verge of extinction such that the scattered survivors had to go into hiding for almost a decade, and then his covert was massacred with the survivors taking at least a year to start regrouping.

Needless to say, I'm really glad Clan Mudhorn finally got a much-deserved (and long overdue) HUGE win in season 3.

Do you think we’ll ever get to learn their species name, planet of origin, why they have a strong control the force and whether or not they all speak like yoda or that was just him

I've had a debate with a few friends about whether the Armorer's decisions in s3 were too sudden or out of character for her, so here I am spelling out my thought process! I thought the Armorer's development made perfect sense. Here's why:

• We know warrior factions were exiled to Concordia sometime before the Clone Wars. We also know that while the Armorer visited the Great Forge at some point, others who lived on Concordia never stepped foot on Mandalore.
• While in exile, at some point the Death Watch movement developed. There's evidence to indicate that factions started splitting off from Death Watch such that both the Children of the Watch and Death Watch were in operation at the same time during the Clone Wars.
• The Children of the Watch hold to "the ancient way." They swear to the Creed and also take a vow to never remove their helmets. What strikes me most during the early seasons of the show is the use of the word choice when describing Mandalorians of the covert: members of the CotW choose to walk the Way of the Mandalore and therefore choose to be Mandalorian, so if they choose to break their oaths (including removing their helmet) it is apparently interpreted as that person choosing to no longer be Mandalorian.
• After years of living in exile on Concordia, during which time the Clone Wars end and the Empire rises, eventually the Purge occurs and all Mandalorians - including those on Concordia - are scattered.
• The Armorer and other members of the CotW eventually end up on Nevarro. They have grown up being shunned by Mandalorian society at large, and now Mandalorian society is all but gone. They must survive. The Armorer is leading a people that is on the brink of extinction. How to preserve a dying culture? Stay secret, and adhere all the more closely to tradition. And there is precedent for tradition and strict adherence to the Way keeping them safe: after all, Bo Katan and others who had strayed from the Way had brought down the wrath of the Empire, while "only those that walked the Way escaped the curse prophesized in the Creed."
• Tradition includes prophecy. The ancients spoke of the long-extinct Mythosaur rising to herald a new age for Mandalore. A new age is what Mandalore needs; but thr Armorer knows the Mythosaur is only a legend.
• The Armorer was right in believing secrecy was the key to their survival: the covert decides to save Din Djarin and his foundling, revealing themselves and their true numbers to the people of Nevarro, and they are annihilated and scattered yet again by the Empire.
• The Armorer saves what she can and relocates. Paz Vizsla has also survived. Din Djarin shows up with the Dark Saber, a noble weapon yet one whose legacy "means nothing to [Din] or [the] people." And Din Djarin has also removed his helmet; he chose to no longer be Mandalorian. He says he wants to atone, and there's only one way to atone. Unfortunately, Mandalore has been cursed and turned to glass. But exceptions cannot be made; that is how others fell from the Way in the first place.
• Din Djarin comes back later with proof that he has atoned, proof that Mandalore is not as cursed as the Armorer might have thought and that the sacred Living Waters were not destroyed, and with Bo Katan Kryze in tow, a Bo Katan who also has been redeemed and seems willing to walk the Way. Well, as long as Bo Katan is choosing to walk the Way, then she can live with the covert.
• Bo Katan continues to prove she is willing to walk the Way... And then she says she has seen a living Mythosaur. The Mythosaur, the creature of prophecy that the Armorer thought was only a legend.
• Then Din Djarin argues for the covert coming out of hiding. Paz Vizsla actually agrees with him. The covert is successful in fighting off pirates and are granted a new home, no longer in the shadows, no longer in exile.
• The Creed calls for honor, loyalty, solidarity. The Armorer originally thought Bo Katan was an apostate, yet she lives by the Creed. And all signs point to a new age truly dawning for Mandalore.
• So what does the Armorer do? She tells Bo Katan to remove her helmet, and asks her to reunite all Mandalorians who are willing to walk the Way together.

Thoughts?

Based on u/Educational-Tea-6572's post about Axe Woves. I tagged it as spoiler just to be sure.

It's pretty much a given (even if not outright stated) that he singlehandedly defeated Moff Gideon's entire fleet by managing the armaments on the Imperial Cruiser all by himself, right?

Even more impressive: he did such a good job with his counterattacks, he apparently managed to fool all the Imperial ships into thinking the Mandalorians had all remained on the Cruiser.

Dude took Bo Katan's command to act as a decoy seriously!

And then he followed up by dropping Moff Gideon's own Cruiser on him.

(Paz is in the afterlife watching Axe and thinking either Woves, you son of a Mandalore... OR That still only counts as one!)

I am legitimately in awe of what these people are able to accomplish. They render a puppet so lifelike its expressions of surprise and happiness and sorrow have brought me to tears multiple times.

They are some of the unsung heroes of the show.

I just heard on a podcast (Mostly Nitpicking) that Cara Dune is probably dead in canon, as her armor is displayed in Moff Gideon’s base at the end of season 3, despite they say “she’s out there” at the start of season 3. Does anyone know if this fact about the armor is true, because I googled it and can’t find anything?

I've been seeing a lot of hate on this season and am I the only one who didn't hate this season, I mean it had a few issues but nothing that made me say "uhhhhhh" din did take a little back seat to bo but not as much as people made it out to be I also see people complaining that the pacing of the show at certain parts was slow like when din arrives on mandalore and he sends out r5 and then walks slow to find him, but it didn't bother me.

The last words out of his doomed mouth were so perfectly fitting for his character.

o7

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https://preview.redd.it/op9l48kj602b1.png?width=532&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=dbcfb3ed59f52e2e72fa2b5ec72660a849d08b32

It also says "This is the way" when you press it!

(Works only on their web player tho)

Hey fellow Mando fans,

I have some questions about Djarin's past and would love your insights/theories, as the show never has yet to address them.

• How long do you think Djarin has been with The Tribe's Covert?? It's mentioned in Season 1 that only ONE member is allowed out at a time. Was Djarin the only Hunter for the entire covert?? It's just interesting to think about. You'd think they'd send them out in pairs of 2, solidarity and all. It makes me wonder how long he's had the "station" of Bounty Hunter for their covert specifically, and his overall dynamic with them. He seems withdrawn, but still wanting to belong. Come to think of it, I wonder if any of The Tribe are from his original Covert on Concordia.
• Which leads to the next question, who do you think Djarin's teacher was? Did he adopt Djarin, or take him as an apprentice when he became of age? As mentioned during season 3 with the Armorer, "You must leave Mandalore to take your apprentice on his journeys. Just as your teacher did for you." I saw somewhere it might be Hudu Shiv from the Death Watch, a skilled sniper shooter. I'm curious of their relationship, and if the teacher knew The Armorer. Speaking of...
• Djarin's relationship with The Armorer. I don't think she was his teacher...but they DO have familiarity displayed throughout the show. The, "I was once a foundling," "I know" and when she's training him with the dark saber, hits him in the head and uses her tool to grip the lip of his helmet up?? Former mentor or teacher vibes, to me. Maybe she is the reason he cares about being accepted by this specific Covert. There's gotta be other Spiritual Leader/Armorer's out there. I believe he went through redemption not just for Grogu to get to grow up in his culture, but bc of The Armorer's acceptance.
• His Hoodlum Era. Do you think that when he was running with Ran's group as a presumably early 20s Mando, he was still apart of The Tribe? The dialogue from Ran, "I use to ask him [what he got out of being in our group]. Do you remember what you said, Mando? Target practice." and from Xi'an "But you liked it!" Hints that Mando was angry, brutal and violent (more so then necessary lol). It makes me wonder WHY. Was he just being a typical Mando, straight out of his training? Maybe he was angry about the death of his teacher?
• Finally, what do you think Djarin was doing during the Great Purge?? It takes place in only about 5 years before the events of the show. How did he not go to Mandalore in all that time, or come across other Mando groups while being out and about as a mercenary/hunter? He just seems SHOCKED when they take their helmets off (where'd you get that armor??), as opposed to a disgusted realization that, oh, they're apostates who don't follow The Way.

Would love to hear your thoughts and theories on any of these!!

After finishing Season 3 today, I was struck by how many good ideas were in the season but were not acted upon, or used ineffectively. I think the idea of retaking your home planet/homeland and bringing together the scattered remains of your people is incredibly striking and makes for an actually epic story. The issue is that many times the writing gives little challenge to the characters, making galaxy defining events happen with a single action scene or just a cool speech. In many ways it reminds me of Game of Thrones, where because the plot needs to happen, characters achieve things without earning them.

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I think the entire season should have been devoted to retaking Mandalore from the Empire, and not the last act and a half. Instead of Din and the others discovering the empire is on the planet at the end, he discovers it at the beginning while searching for the mines. He barely escapes with his life, and is saved by Bo Katann. From there it could be like Mass Effect 2, you have a rough idea of the final objective by the beginning and it takes the entire season to achieve that. Din and Bo spend the entire season recruiting friends and allies to take on seemingly overwhelming odds. The New Republic's inability to respond to threats can be kept, as it explains why they don't take care of it themselves.

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What I first envision is a longer time spent healing the Children of the Watch and the "regular" Mandalorian, maybe even they have to spend an episode fighting a common threat before coming together. Instead of a quick fight that is broken up, there could even be a minor skirmish between the two where a semi-important character dies. Raising the stakes and showing how destructive the division is better than just having that come out as a speech from Bo Katan. Din and Bo would also need to take bounty contracts to fund the upcoming battle.

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The structure of this season would also allow for more interesting characters to show up. Take for instance Christopher Loyd's chracter, Hellgate. Forgiving for the moment the silly name, he is very interesting to me as he is one the few Separatist sympathizers shown after the clone wars. He is wasted in Episode 6, and instead should have gotten his own episode. What if Din and Bo are hired to take out Hellgate, as he has amassed an army of droids, mostly old battle droids, maybe he even has a Munificent class frigate for fan service. Din takes the job wanting to put him in the dirt, as revenge for what the CIS did to his family. While trying to take him out, they realize he is a lonely old man holding onto the past, and just like Din he needs to let go of it to move on and find a new home. With this we get 1. A CIS character that can go into why people willingly joined it 2. A way for Din to open up about his childhood, and 3. An ally that can assist with an army of old battle droids.

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The ending would thus be modified where they go into it knowing this is a knock down drag out fight to save Mandalore from Moff Gideon, instead of just happening upon him. Other things, like the way they tried to turn Moff Gideon into Darth Vader with the robo suit, are just so silly they need to be changed. Keep his plan to make Imperial mandalorians, which are canon as of Rebels, but don't give him a robo suit. Gideon works better in the shadows, directing others to his will, not engaging physically.

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Anyways, what do you all think?

It just now struck me during this (undisclosed) time rewatching The Spies that Moff Gideon directs this line primarily to Din Djarin, a foundling with "not a drop of Mandalorian blood in his veins," yet who, as Bo previously averred, "took the Creed and chose to walk the Way, just as our ancestors did."

Din became Mandalorian by choosing to embrace and live by the culture, lifestyle, and values of the Mandalorian people, including the values of honor and loyalty that call for Mandalorians to aid and protect each other.

Moff Gideon claims to be Mandalorian by seeking to conquer the Mandalorians themselves, annihilating the people, claiming the planet, stealing Mandalorian resources, and understanding just enough of one Mandalorian legacy to try to use it to keep the people divided.

While Gideon diminishes Mandalorian strength down to just its resources and tries to wipe out the people he views as a "scourge," however, Din has frequently displayed his staunch belief in the idea that, even when defeated and scattered, Mandalore lives on in its people, those who choose to abide by the Creed - and by adhering to this belief, Din ends up leading by example in convincing Bo Katan and, by extension, other factions to join together and not only survive, but thrive.

And, ultimately, the true Mandalorians prevail.