'The Mandalorian' Kills Off Major Character, Shocking Fans

Warning – This article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian “Chapter 23: The Spies.”

Season 3 of The Mandalorian might be winding down, but showrunners still have plenty of surprises in store. In the latest episode, fans were shocked to see a fan-favorite character killed off, which may have some significant implications for the future of the “Mandoverse.”

This season of The Mandalorian has been jam-packed with twists and turns, from Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) discovering the planet Mandalore is not, in fact, poisoned, to Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) escaping from his New Republic War Tribunal mid-transit, to Bo-Katan reclaiming the Darksaber from Din.

And in its penultimate episode, The Mandalorian Season 3 delivered one of its most shocking twists yet—killing off one of the most formidable warriors in the Children of the Watch.

With only one episode remaining, fans finally got a taste of what Gideon has been up to in “Chapter 23: The Spies.” Aided by the nefarious Shadow Council and an army of battle droids, Gideon ambushed Din, Bo-Katan, and the rest of the landing party after the newly-united Mandalorians set out on an expedition to reclaim their homeworld—only to find that the Empire had already settled there.

While fighting against Gideon’s forces, Paz Vizsla (Tait Fletcher)—a core Children of the Watch member since Season 1—sacrificed his life to give Bo-Katan and the other Mandalorians a chance to escape. He didn’t go down without a fight, either; Paz plowed down a group of Dark Troopers with his favored heavy blaster canon and stood his own until he was sadly defeated by Gideon’s Praetorian Guards—the same red armor-clad warriors seen in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017).

Although it’s heart-wrenching enough to lose one of the original Mandalorians audiences were first introduced to back in Season 1, Paz’s death is made all the more tragic by the knowledge that his son Ragnar (Wesley Kimmel) is waiting for him back on Nevarro. We’ve seen snippets of Ragnar throughout the season, from his initiation into the Children of the Watch to his capture and eventual rescue from a large raptor in “Chapter 20: The Foundling.”

What will become of Ragnar now that his father is dead? With the fate of the Children of the Watch and the galaxy as a whole very much unknown, we may get to see his reaction play out in the Season 3 finale.

Perhaps, Ragnar will try to avenge his father’s death, either now or somewhere down the line. Or maybe, out of a desire to continue his father’s legacy, Ragnar will attempt to reclaim the Darksaber in the future, as Clan Vizsla are descendants of Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian Jedi. After all, Paz did challenge Din for ownership of the Darksaber in Episode 5 of The Book of Boba Fett, so it wouldn’t be unusual for his son to follow suit. Either way, it seems unlikely that The Mandalorian would introduce this character only not to have him appear in future projects.

Ultimately, Paz died a warrior’s death, and his sacrifice and dedication to his fellow Mandalorians will surely be celebrated. He proved himself a hero, and fans can only hope that his death will be avenged in the Season 3 finale, which arrives on Disney+ on April 19.

Were you sad to see Paz Vizsla lay down his life for his covert in the latest episode of The Mandalorian? Let us know in the comments below.