It’s been a bit since the final episode of The Mandalorian dropped several revelations, and we’ve been thinking about the implications they’ve brought to the future of the Disney+ series.
Note: There are spoilers ahead for the finale of The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Star Wars: Rebels
The biggest revelations came in the form of Moff Gideon, played by Giancarlo Espisito (shout out to the casting team for that). He not only monologues quite a bit of exposition pertaining to the Mandalorians, (and triggers flashbacks for Mando, revealing his saviors: Death Watch) but he pulls out a very important weapon, the Darksaber, at the very end of the episode.
These two big reveals, the Darksaber and Death Watch, are actually rooted in two Star Wars animated series, The Clone Wars and Rebels. I’d like to explain the importance of these two shows, and I’ve also included a list of episodes pertaining to the Mandalorian at the end of this article so you can learn for yourself. Both shows are on Disney+ in their entirety!
(Note: For the sanity of anyone who isn’t versed in the deeper lore of Star Wars, I’ll link to the official StarWars.com page for more info on specific people, locations, etc.)
Death Watch
While we’ve seen parts of Din Djarin’s (aka The Mandalorian) tragic backstory before, the complete flashback shown in episode eight shows two important things: his world was attacked by the Separatist Droid Army (which gives us a time-frame), and the Mandalorians that come to save him wear the symbol of Death Watch.
What is Death Watch?
Boiled down, Death Watch is basically a Mandalorian radical extremist group. They sought to bring back the traditional warrior past of Mandalore, and thus opposed the government of Mandalore (which had become pacifist). This group primarily operates during The Clone Wars but is important later on in Rebels due to a split brought on by Maul (yeah, surprise, Darth Maul didn’t die in Episode I).
Connecting to The Mandalorian
The implication in the finale is that Mando trained and ran with Death Watch for a time. The time-frame sets his rescue sometime before we’re even introduced to Death Watch in The Clone Wars. So the intriguing part is how much of the death and destruction in the Clone Wars was Mando included in?
The Darksaber
So what’s up with that black-bladed saber that Moff Gideon uses to cut his way out of his crashed TIE? This is the Darksaber, which was originally created by the first Mandalorian Jedi, Tarre Vizsla. Sometime after Tarre’s death, it was stolen from the Jedi temple. The saber became a symbol of leadership, being passed on to new generations of the political faction known as House Vizsla.
The (Known) Timeline of the Darksaber
The first time we see the Darksaber is in The Clone Wars series where the leader of Death Watch, Pre Vizsla wields it (fun fact, he was voiced by the Mandalorian showrunner Jon Favreau). It trades hands with Maul, but ends up on Dathomir (the original home of Maul) by the time of Rebels. Sabine Wren, a main character in Rebels, uses it to rouse a resistance against the Mandalorians who sided with the Empire. Afterward, she gave it to Bo-Katan, sister of former Mandalorian leader Duchess Satine, who becomes the leader of the Mandalore rebellion against the Empire.
That was the last place we saw it, the symbolic gesture that the saber was with the true leadership of Mandalore again. But now Moff Gideon, the remnant of the Empire on Nevarro has it. Whoops.
The Darksaber, the symbol of Mandalorian leadership, has traded hands a lot – but now a member of the Empire has it. Cue symbolic meaning.
So What Happens Next?
It’s hinted that Mando knows who Moff Gideon is and there’s probably a good reason for that, one that we’ll soon find out. If Gideon has the Darksaber, that means he somehow took it from its previous owner. Knowing Bo-Katan in Rebels, she probably wouldn’t want to give up the symbol of her leadership so easily.
It also implies Gideon played a part in the Great Purge, an event the Armorer alluded to in which the Empire hunted down and murdered most of the Mandalorians. I’d assume Mando is still touchy about that. The Mandalorian creators have made a villain who is not just an evil dude, but potentially an evil dude that the titular character has a personal beef with.
I should note that The Great Purge will likely be integrated into The Clone Wars Season 7, coming exclusively to Disney+ in February. It will have a focus on ousting Maul in what will be called the Siege of Mandalore and will show more of the tragic Order 66. As if the show’s material isn’t heavy enough, they’re going to cover the Empire’s genocide of the Jedi and the Mandalorians. Still think the animated series are for kids?
As for Mando’s involvement with Death Watch? I’m not certain, but considering he doesn’t know who the Jedi are and Obi-Wan and Maul were very involved with Death Watch and Mandalore, I’m assuming he split sometime before the events in The Clone Wars.
Still, their teachings are very radical and could reveal some interesting character development, particularly considering his decision to take in The Child. Maybe he didn’t always have a big heart? Maybe he got involved with the Mandalorian sect of the Rebellion from the Rebels series?
It seems like tying Dave Filoni into this show and resurrecting his previous show The Clone Wars wasn’t a coincidence. The rumors that there will be a follow-up series to Rebels means we might also see what he was up to during the time of the Original Trilogy.
For More Mandalorians, Watch These Episodes!
If you’re looking for something to fill the void The Mandalorian has left, now that the first season is over, we’ve got just what you need. Here’s a list of episodes from Clone Wars and Rebels pertaining to Mandalore and its people, which helps fill-in more of the backstory of The Mandalorian.
Clone Wars:
- Season 2, Episodes 12-14
- Season 4, Episode 14
- Season 5, Episodes 14-16.
- Season 7, coming February 2020
Rebels:
- Season 2, Episode 13
- Season 3, Episode 7
- Season 3, Episodes 15-16
- Season 4, Episodes 1-2
MiceChat Anniversary & Gumball Rally
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Gumball Rally Tickets and Information HERE
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Let’s Hear From You
What do you think? Was the Mandalorian originally a bad guy? Will we see more of him in The Clone Wars? Did Gideon murder Bo-Katan? Will Baby Yoda ever stop being cute? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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