Credit: History Channel/LucasfilmThe Mandalorian meets Vikings?
Star Wars has hosted many cultures and people that remind audiences of their own. George Lucas related the Jedi to Samurai, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Din Djarin/Mando (Pedro Pascal) are definite old west gunslingers, and there are even space pirates, as fans learned in this season of The Mandalorian. Could one more huge culture be making its way to the Galaxy Far, Far Away?
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Integrating elements of world history and culture is no new thing to Star Wars, and it actually makes for compelling storytelling. When audiences see or hear something familiar to them, it helps them relate better to the characters and their situations better and really brings them into the story. It also lends a bit more authenticity to a genre that is built in a completely fictional setting.
In series like Andor and The Mandalorian, fans have seen great examples of design that incorporates tradition from world history and culture. The upper-crust, for example, people like Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) and her family, tend to dress in styles reminiscent of feudal Japan, while those in the rebellion have actually incorporated elements of uniforms from World War II, just like they did in the Original Star Wars Trilogy.
When it comes to something like the space pirates in The Mandalorian Season 3, the leap was only natural. If a story has spaceships, and shipping in space, it would only stand to reason that there would be some group somewhere that would want to take advantage of and steal those shipments. It does beg the question: what other cultural and historical elements might only be natural in the future of The Mandalorian and Star Wars?
If this new development hints at anything, it may well be Vikings! The Latest episode of The Mandalorian brought a lot of surprises for fans, including an amazing cameo by Jar-Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best, revealing his key role in the franchise moving forward. That wasn’t the only surprise, however. Though technically revealed in casting earlier, fans heard Paz Vizsla (Tait Fletcher) calling out his son’s name: Ragnar (Wesley Kimmel). While a cool-sounding name on its own, history buffs and fans of the Vikings series recognized it right off!
Based on stories from actual Norse Sagas, Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) was the main character for the first four seasons of the Vikings tv series on the History Channel. The popular Norse hero of legend rose from obscurity to be a warrior, a king, and the father of the leaders who would eventually conquer large swaths of England. In a way, the culture from which he arose is not all that dissimilar from the Mandalorians.
Both cultures placed a high value on being warriors early on, both voyaged far from home, making settlements where they could, and both have had a heavy influence on the cultures around them. It’s easy to see why a name like Ragnar would fit right in with the Mandalorians, and fans only hope they can see more since the young warrior was rescued in this last episode. If not, Baby Yoda/Grogu (Himself) is well on his way!
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The Mandalorian Season 3 is currently streaming on Disney+, with new episodes every Wednesday. The series stars Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin, The Mandalorian, Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan Kryze, Carl Weathers as Greef Karga, Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon, and Emily Swallow as The Armorer. According to the official logline of this Star Wars story, “The Mandalorian will cross paths with old allies and make new enemies as he and Grogu continue their journey together.”
What do you think about this Viking reference? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!