By Josh Bate and George Bate
After months of waiting, Star Wars fans finally have the first trailer of the highly anticipated second season of The Mandalorian to feast on. While the trailer for the hit Disney+ series doesn’t reveal too much, instead opting to save the surprises for when the episodes air, there are plenty of interesting details for fans to speculate on.
The trailer begins with the Razorcrest flying towards a sand planet, most likely Tatoonine, a location in the first season of the show and appears later on in this trailer. Mando is definitely going back to what is arguably the most iconic location in Star Wars.
The voice of The Armorer, played by Emily Swallow, can be heard as Mando and the Child walk down a deserted, presumably crime ridden ally. The dialogue, which comes from the final episode of the first season, tells of the past conflicts between Mandalore and the Jedi. The Armorer instructs the Mandalorian, aka Din Djarin, to bring the Child to the Jedi. Although Djarin questions this, he agrees, exclaiming “This is the way.”
During this exchange, Djarin is seen wandering a dock filled with Quarrens. He and the Child are also seen on a boat, prompting theories that they could be traveling to Mon Calamari, the home planet of Admiral Ackbar, Admiral Raddus, and more that was previously seen in The Clone Wars and Charles Soule’s Darth Vader comic.
A mysterious woman is also seen watching Mando and the Child. Played by Sasha Banks, a WWE Wrestler, many have speculated that this is Sabine Wren, the iconic Mandalorian who appeared in Star Wars Rebels. Some have even suggested that the sound of the Darksaber can be heard when Banks’ character appears on screen. In Rebels, Wren wielded the saber in some of the series’ best arcs.
A pair of Rebel X-Wings are then seen flying close to the Razorcrest, before chasing Mando in the clouds on an unknown planet. From this, it’s safe to presume that the New Republic notice the Mandalorian at some point during the season and make it a priority to seek him out for one reason or another. If this is the case, then the pair would have both the burgeoning Resistance and the remnants of the Empire after them.
A speeder bike can be seen soaring through the desert of Tatooine. At first glance, it’s easy to dismiss this as a quick shot of Djarin or another individual. However, when looking closely at this brief shot, fans can see what may appear to be Boba Fett’s helmet on the side of the bike, along with his jet pack. With Temuera Morrison reportedly back as the iconic bounty hunter, it’s a possibility that this is him, or at least his armor. Given that Timothy Olyphant is reportedly playing Cob Vanth, a local Tatooine sheriff who inherits Fett’s armor as seen in Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath, it’s also possible that this is the law enforcement officer of Freetown.
Cara Dune and Greef Karga, seen sporting some pretty neat new outfits, are seen walking on what is presumably Nevarro. Meanwhile, a group of Stormtroopers dash through an Imperial facility and Scout Troopers ride on speeder bikes chasing after something. Mando is also seen attempting to get out of a sewer and flying with his jet pack, before shooting out a light in a fight with an unknown assailant in a dark alley.
“Wherever I go, he goes” exclaims the Mandalorian when told that it’s not safe for a child. He carries the Child through an ice planet, seen briefly earlier in the trailer. The look of the location greatly resembles Illum, the planet sacred to the Jedi and pivotal to the training of new Padawans, as this is the location in which they undertake a trial before getting their Kyber crystal for their lightsaber (as seen in an arc of The Clone Wars). Djarin could be visiting Ilum on his quest to find Jedi as part of the quest given to him by the Armorer. If he’s looking for Baby Yoda’s people, Illum isn’t a bad place to go, given its significance to the Jedi Order. Could this be the planet where he meets Ahsoka? Or, as some have theorized, is Ilum the home planet of Yoda’s species?
In the build up to season one of the show, Jon Favreau mentioned that The Mandalorian would explore the origins of the First Order, something that wasn’t too prevalent in the first season.
If this planet is indeed Ilum, then fans could see the origins of the Starkiller Base, the planet destroying weapon seen in The Force Awakens. This could be an opportunity for fans to see exactly how Ilum was turned into the base after being seen in Jedi: Fallen Order, Moreover, given Moff Gideon’s seemingly heavy involvement in the second season, it’s possible that he may have a direct hand in creating the Starkiller Base, along with the First Order in general.
Mando and the Child, along with an alien that sounds suspiciously like Jon Favreau, are then seen watching a Gamorrean boxing match before a group of armed individuals put blasters at their heads. Mando proceeds to activate a weapon on his arm, giving Baby Yoda the signal to hide in his enclosed pod.
The screen turns black as Djarin battles the group, before fans see him shoot an arrow into the last one. The final moment of the trailer sees the camera panning towards as he exclaims “This is the way.”
Fans didn’t get to see Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, or Bo-Katan Kryze in this trailer, three characters who are all set to appear in the season. However, there’s still plenty of mystery and intrigue packed into this trailer. Is Sasha Banks playing Sabine Wren? Is that Boba Fett riding the speeder on Tatooine, or his helmet and jet pack at least? Will the origins of the First Order be explored as Mando and the Child visit what appears to be Ilum? Will we finally get to find out more about the Child’s species? Fans will begin to find out the answers to these questions when The Mandalorian Season Two begins streaming on October 30.
Images courtesy of Lucasfilm and Disney+