By George Bate & Josh Bate
The Mandalorian’s third season is right around the corner, and speculation about the new adventures of Mando and Grogu will entail is rampant. Check out our 5 predictions for The Mandalorian Season 3 below.
Prediction 1: Bo-Katan will be the main villain.
The first two seasons of The Mandalorian nicely rounded out an arc about Din Djarin’s protection of Grogu. Throughout these seasons, the Mandalorian was tasked with protecting Grogu, which entailed finding a way to return him to his people. The season 2 finale saw Mando hand Grogu off to Luke Skywalker, who briefly trained the young Jedi in The Book of Boba Fett.
From what Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have said about the new season though, it appears season 3 will see The Mandalorian turn a corner. The Book of Boba Fett saw The Armorer reject Din Djarin as a Mandalorian as he revealed his face to Grogu. Meanwhile, Bo-Katan Kryze’s pursuit of ruling Mandalore has been derailed as a result of Mando claiming the darksaber from Moff Gideon.
The trailers so far see Bo-Katan and Mando on a collision course. Mando wants to be forgiven for his transgressions, while Bo-Katan wants the darksaber from Mando and will only accept winning it in combat. Katee Sackhoff’s character was an ally in The Mandalorian’s second season, but looks to be the lead villain here.
Prediction 2: Connections to The Bad Batch and The Rise of Skywalker will be revealed.
Despite the presence of Bo-Katan as a villain, The Mandalorian’s third season will undoubtedly address many of the lingering mysteries from its previous seasons. Why did Moff Gideon want Grogu? What experiments are Doctor Pershing and his team conducting? And what was up with that creature in the lab seen last season?
Previously, we’ve hypothesized that The Mandalorian will connect to The Bad Batch and The Rise of Skywalker in further exploring cloning technology and its implications for restarting the Empire and resurrecting Emperor Palpatine.
Prediction 3: Mando’s pursuit of regaining favor among Mandalorians will end with him redefining what it means to be a Mandalorian.
The Children of the Watch have rejected Din Djarin on account of his actions. But was he wrong to show his face to his loving son? Amidst other things, The Mandalorian so far has explored what it means to be a Mandalorian and how Din Djarin sees himself. Slowly but surely, the hardened front he has put up is fading away, as he has become a warm father figure for a young foundling. The conclusion The Mandalorian seems to be heading toward is that Mandalorians are not defined by their warrior ways or their rigid adherence to old protocols, like always wearing a helmet, but, instead, are defined by their kinship.
Prediction 4: The season will set up the upcoming Ahsoka series (in more ways than one).
Ahsoka Tano made her live-action debut in The Mandalorian Season 2 before appearing in The Book of Boba Fett as well. 2023 will see the release of an Ahsoka-led series, meaning it’s very plausible Ahsoka shows up again in this season of The Mandalorian.
Kathleen Kennedy previously teased a Mandalorian crossover event, which we predict will draw inspiration from Timothy Zahn’s iconic Heir to the Empire novel. This implies we may see the likes of Ahsoka, Sabine Wren, or even Grand Admiral Thrawn this season in The Mandalorian, albeit for a brief cameo.
Prediction 5: Grogu’s origins will be revealed.
Grogu’s abilities grew significantly with his brief time under Luke’’s training. The latest trailer for The Mandalorian Season 3 sees Grogu swiftly dispatch a villain, teasing what’s likely to come from the young Jedi. As Grogu continues to develop, it makes sense that his connection to the Force will strengthen.
But, where did Grogu come from? Who saved him from the Jedi Temple? The trailer for the new season hints that answers to these questions are ahead.