The Mandalorian has always filled in the blanks of the Star Wars universe. What happened to the galaxy after the original trilogy? Were there any more Empire officers kicking around? Where are Ahsoka and Boba Fett? All those questions were answered over the flagship Disney+ series’ first two seasons.
Now, as we count down the final months before The Mandalorian Season 3, we’re getting our first clues as to just what questions will be answered, and how they’ll finally reveal a key piece missing from the sequel trilogy.
Star Wars News Net acquired a list of Disney’s 2023 Star Wars TV shows, including The Mandalorian Season 3, which is currently scheduled for a March 1 release. Its synopsis reads:
“The journeys of the Mandalorian through the Star Wars galaxy continue. Once a lone bounty hunter, Din Djarin has reunited with Grogu. Meanwhile, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history. The Mandalorian will cross paths with old allies and make new enemies as he and Grogu continue their journey together.”
All of this follows what we’ve seen in the teaser trailer. Din and Grogu are back together, but there’s something going on involving Bo-Katan (and presumedly the Darksaber), and a journey to Mandalore to find the “living waters” and be reconciled as a Child of the Watch.
But there’s one sentence that doesn’t exactly match the others. The Mandalorian has flirted with the idea of taking on galaxy-wide politics in the way the Star Wars movies (and, more recently, Andor) have, but in the end it’s always kept its scope focused on the singular Mandalorian making his way through the galaxy.
Season 3, however, will apparently explore the New Republic, the government that led the galaxy between the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy, when it falls to the First Order. In canon, we’ve seen this government during its collapse, but not during its rise.
At the point in the timeline where The Mandalorian takes place, Mon Mothma is presumably ruling over the galaxy as Chancellor. Could we see her again, less than a year after her appearance in Andor, as the Empire’s remnants continue to rear their ugly heads? What exactly is happening that’s prompting officials to “lead the galaxy away from its dark history”?
The Mandalorian has always been lauded for its straightforward storytelling about an individual’s adventures, but the series may have outgrown that model. Perhaps zooming out to macro-politics is the best way to keep moving, and evolve The Mandalorian from a sliver of the Star Wars story to a grand epic.
The Mandalorian Season 3 premieres on Disney+ March 1, 2023.
