Climb into your Naboo starfighter—we’re heading into Season 3 of The Mandalorian. It’s been a minute since we saw Din Djarin and his adorably wrinkly adoptive son Grogu (aka Baby Yoda). More than two years after Season 2 of the series premiered on Disney+, the next installment in the Star Wars saga continues.
So, what have Mando and Baby Yoda been up to? What’s going down in Season 3? And what else do we expect to happen on this side of the galaxy? Buckle up, kids. Here’s what you need to know before the March 1 premiere of The Mandalorian Season 3.
The last time we saw Mando and Grogu was actually in the season finale of The Book of Boba Fett, which aired in February 2022. Din Djarin, Grogu, and company were in a bit of a scuffle in Mos Espa. The Mandalorian was helping out former bounty-hunter-turned-Daimyo Boba Fett ward off the Pyke Syndicate and reclaim the city. Things were not looking great for Din Djarin, wielder of the Darksaber (more on that later). Thankfully, Grogu—wearing his fancy Beskar shirt from his old man, no less—reunited with Mando in the heat of battle, forsaking the teachings of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker in favor of being with his daddy.
After using the force to bring a rampaging Rancor to nap time (NBD), Grogu and Mando flew off into the galaxy at hyperspeed in a refurbished Naboo starfighter. Where are Grogu and Din Djarin headed? By the looks of a few Season 3 trailers, Mando and Grogu are on their way to Mandalore, in the hope that Din can be forgiven for his transgressions: removing his helmet and letting other living beings see his face. Previous journeys for this galactic pair haven’t been easy. And we have a feeling Mando and Grogu will face a few more obstacles this season.
What else can we expect from this new batch of episodes? Let’s get into the biggest questions Season 3 of The Mandalorian should answer.
What will we learn about Grogu’s past?
Trailers for Season 3 seem to indicate that we’re going to get more of Grogu’s backstory in the upcoming installment of the series. From what we can tell, it looks like there’s going to be a flashback to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant during the Great Jedi Purge. We already know Grogu survived the purge and was hidden away from the empire before falling into Din Djarin’s care. But who rescued our sweet baby bright eyes? Given that we know a flashback is coming, we’re hopeful that Season 3 will fill out a little more of Grogu’s story. After all, we’ve got roughly 50 years of this young foundling’s history to learn about.
Grogu and Din Djarin.
Lucasfilm Ltd.What will Din find on Mandalore?
The Empire practically decimated Mandalore during the Age of the Empire. Even Boba Fett says during The Mandalorian Season 2 that “the empire turned that planet to glass,” as a result of the Great Purge of Mandalore. Mandalorian cities and its citizenry were wiped out in an act of genocide, referred to as the Night of a Thousand Tears.
The Mines of Mandalore were also destroyed, which presents a problem for Din Djarin. In order to have his Mandalorian status restored, Din must travel to Mandalore and visit the mines in an act of absolution for revealing his face to others.
A group of Mandalorians including Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), center.
Lucasfilm Ltd.Early looks at Season 3 of The Mandalorian feature quite a few shots of what appears to be Mandalore. We’ll likely see what’s become of the planet in the years since the Great Purge. But as far as what else lies in wait for Din Djarin and any other Mandalorians, we’re just going to have to wait and see. This is the way, as they say.
Are we headed for a Mandalorian showdown?
All signs absolutely point to yes on this one. Throughout the trailers for this upcoming season, there are a lot of, well, Mandalorians. Among them is Bo-Katan Kryze, the heir apparent of Mandalore. We first met Bo-Katan in Season 2, when Din Djarin helps her and her crew take over an imperial ship. At the time, Bo-Katan was in search of the Darksaber, held by Moff Gideon. In the Season 2 finale, Din is the one who disarms Gideon, winning the Darksaber in combat. This all but throws a blaster gun in Bo-Katan’s plans to reclaim Mandalore. Whoever wields the saber may rule the once-revered planet.
It’s safe to say Bo-Katan may have a bit of beef with Din Djarin. “Your cult fractured our people,” Bo-Katan says in voiceover during one of the trailers for the upcoming season. Remember: Din Djarin is a child of the watch, part of a subsect of Mandalorian society that has broken away from mainstream Mandalorians in favor of the ancient ways.
Even if there isn’t an all-out Mandalorian civil war, Bo-Katan and Din Djarin still have some unfinished business, and we have a feeling there’ll be some combat involving the two, or their respective forces.
Jedi in a scene from season three of The Mandalorian.
Lucasfilm Ltd.How will future Star Wars series integrate into this season of The Mandalorian?
Disney has a lot more Star Wars on the way. What can we say? It’s a big galaxy with plenty of stories to tell. With the slate of content coming down the line, we can only imagine the forces behind The Mandalorian may use an episode or two of the upcoming season to introduce yet another series.
Front-of-mind for us is Ahsoka. Ahsoka Tano (played by Rosario Dawson in the live-action series) has been a major character in the Star Wars saga for well over a decade—dating as far back to her appearance in the 2008 animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Remember, she’s a friend of the Skywalker family and Anakin Skywalker’s one-time padawan.
We last saw Ahsoka as she offered Luke counsel and watched him train Grogu in The Book of Boba Fett. But as far as live action goes, she first appeared in The Mandalorian Season 2; she has enough of a familiarity with Din Djarin and Grogu at this point that popping up in the next installment of The Mandalorian doesn’t seem so far-fetched to us, especially considering the first season of Ahsoka is slated to come out later this year. Will this season of The Mandalorian be the bridge to Ahsoka?
Will Grogu say his first word(s)?
This is purely self-serving. What will Grogu’s first word be? “Jedi?” No. “Mandalorian?” Too many letters. “Daddy?” Honestly, ideal for the Pedro Pascal of it all. *Werner Herzog voice* I want to hear the baby speak!
