Credit: LucasfilmThe Mandalorian Season 3 is just a couple of weeks from premiering on Disney+. Though we’ve been treated to a number of Star Wars shows since Season 2 ended — both animated and live action — nothing has quite satisfied fans like The Mandalorian (2019).
Season 2, in particular, will be forever etched into our memories, as it featured a jaw-dropping cameo from Jedi Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), while also bringing beloved characters from Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) to life in live action.
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One of those characters is Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), who’s getting her own live-action series later this year. The other is Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), who helped Din Djarin/the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) in Season 2, but is now set to become a villain.
If you’re familiar with Bo-Katan’s history in Star Wars, looking specifically to The Clone Wars (in which Sackhoff voices the character, and also returned in Star Wars: Rebels), you’ll know that she is an incredibly complex character.
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In The Clone Wars, Bo-Katan is introduced as a member of Mandalorian terrorist cell Death Watch, however, towards the end of the series, she winds up becoming an ally of Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein), even helping her to incarcerate Maul (Sam Witwer).
In The Mandalorian Season 2, it’s clear that Bo-Katan holds certain views about other Mandalorians, particularly of the Din Djarin-kind. For starters, the former extremist believes Din Djarin — who, unlike her, refuses to remove his helmet — to be part of a cult.
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She also views Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison), who is essentially a clone in Mandalorian armor just like his father Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison), to be a disgrace to the Beskar armor he wears, telling him his voice is one she has “heard a thousand times”.
Though The Mandalorian Season 2 finale was focused primarily on rescuing Grogu from Imperial forces, a cliff-hanger came in the form of unfinished business between Din Djarin and Bo-Katan, with the titular bounty hunter having acquired the Darksaber.
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Now, as we move into Season 3, and as the trailers have already revealed, Bo-Katan wants the Darksaber back so that she can reclaim the Mandalorian throne. However, as we know, the Darksaber must be won through combat, which means the two will have to fight it out.
In a recent interview with Empire, Katee Sackhoff went into detail about her Star Wars character, talking about the similarities she shares with her on-screen persona.
Here’s what she said:
“I’ve lived in this woman’s skin for a long time now. One of the things that Jon and I focus on is where she is in the moment, what peppers her experience. Jon and Rick, every single day, defer to me, which is a crazy experience, to have these masters asking me what I feel. It respects the craft, and the years that I have put in. I really do know her — her pain is my pain. When she experiences something, I really feel it.”
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Sackhoff also explained how five different women ended up wearing her Mandalorian armor in Season 3, however, this doesn’t mean that Sackhoff, who has a history in playing strong characters, hasn’t been able to demonstrate her own fighting abilites:
“If one person has a better skill-set than the other, well, that person needs to put the suit on that day. That being said, I have a wicked knee-slide. I’ve been practicing my knee-slides on my mum’s kitchen with dish rags since I was five years old, so when that knee-slide comes up, you’ll know: that’s me. There are holes in my suit because I had to do that so many times. I came home with so many bruises on my knees. But I love that. If I came home with bruises, it was a good day!”
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It comes as no surprise to learn that it isn’t just Sackhoff in the armor, given how action-heavy her role is going to be in the upcoming season. That’s not to say she didn’t get to demonstrate her abilities in Season 2, but now that she’s set to go up against the Mandalorian himself, we’re likely to see her up her game. Although we’re not sure how Mando will fare against five different Bo-Katans!
Check out the official trailer for The Mandalorian Season 3 below:
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As per Disney+, here’s the official synopsis for The Mandalorian Season 3:
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.
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+ on March 1, 2023.
Do you think Bo-Katan will win the Darksaber back in The Mandalorian Season 3? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!