The Mandalorian Season 3 will pick up after the events of The Book of Boba Fett (2021), during which we were treated to a surprise return of Din Djarin/The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal), in what can only be described as the first episode of the upcoming season. After giving Grogu over to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) at the end of The Mandalorian Season 2, we find Din Djarin meeting with the Armorer (Emily Swallow) to learn about Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), and the Darksaber, which he won from Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) in combat. Before we delve any deeper, you can check out the official trailer for The Mandalorian Season 3 below:
As teased in both The Mandalorian Season 2 finale “Chapter 16: The Rescue” and The Book of Boba Fett’s “The Return of the Mandalorian”, the trailer teases a return to Din Djarin’s home planet of Mandalore. There, he must prove himself worthy of becoming a true Mandalorian once more, having disgraced his people by removing his helmet on a number of occasions. But obviously, it won’t be that easy. Bo-Katan Kryze will be returning, and we know that she’s after the Darksaber, which can only be won from Din Djarin through combat. But whether or not she’s willing to use Grogu to her advantage remains to be seen.
However, it’s reasonable to assume that Bo-Katan will be at least one of the main antagonists of The Mandalorian Season 3. After all, she’s after something Din Djarin is in possession of, and we know that he can’t simply hand it over. We also know that there’s some deeper conflict when it comes to what it means to be a true Mandalorian. Din Djarin returns to Mandalore to prove himself worthy, but we also know that Bo-Katan doesn’t see him as one. Needless to say, these two things alone will provoke some conflict between these two characters. Perhaps even Grogu too, whom Bo-Katan helped Din Djarin deliver to Luke Skywalker, a plan that has since been wasted.
This wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen Bo-Katan wear a more villainous helmet (pun intended), as the first time we meet her in the animated show Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), she’s part of a terrorist cell known as Deathwatch. While she develops a stronger moral fibre towards the end of the show, it’s plain to see that Bo-Katan always holds what it means to be a true Mandalorian close to her heart, and is evidently willing to do anything to claim the throne. However, there will of course be other villains in The Mandalorian Season 3. Omid Abtahi will be reprising his role as Dr. Pershing, which likely means that Imperial forces will once again have their eyes set on capturing Grogu.
And then of course there’s Moff Gideon. While he was placed under New Republic arrest at the end of the second season, it has long since been confirmed that Giancarlo Esposito will be reprising his role. Whomever the main antagonist turns out to be, it looks like Din Djarin has his work cut out for him. Perhaps taking Grogu back wasn’t such a good idea after all. But it’s likely that this decision will factor into the show somehow. Regardless of the fact that bringing Grogu back into the fold between Season 2 and Season 3 is just terrible storytelling, abandoning his Jedi training will undoubtedly play a significant role in the upcoming season.
The Mandalorian Season 3 stars Pedro Pascal (Din Djarin/The Mandalorian), Giancarlo Esposito (Moff Gideon), Carl Weathers (Greef Karga), Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan Kryze), Emily Swallow (The Armorer), Omid Abtahi (Dr. Pershing), Amy Sedaris (Peli Motto), and Tim Meadows and Christopher Lloyd in undisclosed roles. The Mandalorian Season 3 will premiere on Disney+ in February 2023. Other live-action Star Wars shows such as The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022), the first two seasons of The Mandalorian (2019), and the brand-new series Andor are currently available to stream on Disney+.
