Credit: LucasfilmThe Mandalorian (2019) has returned for season three, and judging by the first episode, our titular hero might be going on quite the transformative journey over the next eight episodes. But hey, at least he’ll have Grogu by his side… Let’s unpack what might be coming.
By the end of “The Apostate”, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) has had his reunion with Lady Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff). As a refresher, Bo-Katan has beef, and it all comes back to the Darksaber.
The Darksaber is the only lightsaber ever forged by a Mandalorian Jedi, and is a relic that holds great power and influence for whoever wins it in combat. The holder is destined for respect and victory and most importantly, heralded as a potential savior of Mandalore, the only person capable of potentially rescuing the people and the planet from a disastrous fate.
It has had many owners over the years and even Darth Maul (Sam Witwer in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)) had his hands on it at one point. But in the most recent history, it was in Moff Gideon’s possession (Giancarlo Esposito) before being won from him in single combat by Djarin in the season two finale.
That was a fatal mistake. Having won the saber, Djarin cannot gift it to Bo Katan. She has to take it from him in combat too in order to earn the respect and influence it carries. Having thus far refused to challenge her ally, it has cost her the respect of the Nite Owls, her small unit of fellow Mandalorian warriors (and fellow defectors from terrorist sect Death Watch). They’ve effectively disbanded, becoming mercenaries and leaving Bo-Katan to stew in her castle on her family homeworld of Kalevara.
Related: Recap: ‘The Mandalorian’, “Chapter 17 – The Apostate”
It’s there Djarin and Grogu find her, coming to her for her knowledge of Mandalore as part of Djarin’s quest to seek redemption after breaking the sacred rule of not removing his helmet, part of The Way, the religious creed followed by the Children of the Watch, the fanatical Mandalorian sect who took him in as a child.
In order to atone for his actions, he must bathe in the sacred waters beneath the mines of Mandalore. Part of Djarin’s journey has been realizing that the Way is not the staple of every Mandalorian warrior. His encounter with Bo-Katan and her fellow warriors opened his eyes to this fact in season two.
Part of her frustration with him is his refusal to see how the Children of the Watch contributed to Mandalore’s ultimate collapse, being an element of the fracturing of their people… although this seems a little rich, especially considering her own substantial history with Death Watch. Yes, Djarin is perhaps blinkered by his continued adherence to an ancient creed. But at least he wasn’t a domestic terrorist.
The episode closes with Djarin and Grogu leaving Kalevara with the information they needed. Bo-Katan won’t follow him to Mandalore — she refuses to believe there is anything left there on the planet, after the Imperial Purge bombarded the planet into oblivion — but she did tell him where he needs to go.
Presumably next episode is when we will get to see Djarin make it to the ancient mines, beneath the city of Sundari on Mandalore, and start his atonement. But there’s an edge to their exchange that suggests their clashing beliefs and the ongoing issue with the Darksaber might mean that bitterness turns into resentment, and potentially violence, later in the season.
What do you think will happen between Bo-Katan and Din Djarin? Tell us in the comments below.