After the release of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” “Star Wars” has entirely shifted to the small screen, something that sounds like a sin but is the way. As a result of that, we’ve got new seasons of “The Clone Wars” and “Resistance” and new shows like “The Bad Batch,” “Visions,” “Tales of the Jedi,” “The Book of Boba Fett,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” “Andor,” and “The Mandalorian.” Your thoughts about all those shows can range from bad to good, but the overall consensus on the first season of the Pedro Pascal-led show was overwhelmingly positive. And the reason was pretty obvious: it deviated from the Skywalker saga and forged a new path for two new characters and had an adorable father-son dynamic between Din Djarin and Grogu. But when Season 2 rolled out, they were seemingly bogged down by the pressure to crossover with other “popular” characters from the franchise, thereby undermining its freshness. Now, “The Mandalorian” Season 3 is set to arrive on March 1, 2023, on Disney+ Hotstar, and the first trailer is here to give us a glimpse at whether it’s going to do more of what it did back in Season 1, or whether it’s going to go down the dark path established by Season 2 and “Boba Fett.”
What Happens In Season 3 Trailer Of ‘The Mandalorian’?
The trailer opens with Din Djarin saying that his people are scattered over the galaxy, and they need to unite them to understand who they are and what they stand for. And as he says that, we see Din standing among a bunch of Mandalorians. If you remember, the Mandalorians were hidden underneath the sewers of Nevarro because they refused to engage with the Empire and avoid losing more of their kind (which they already had during the Siege of Mandalore). But when Din took a stand against the Dark Side—to be specific, Moff Gideon—all the Mandalorians rose to the surface to help him and then apparently went their separate ways. However, by the looks of it, Din is now bringing the band back together for a new mission of sorts. Next, we see Din and Grogu in his modified N-1 starfighter hurtling through hyperspace while Din tells the kid that being a Mandalorian isn’t just about learning how to fight. They also need to learn how to navigate the galaxy, as that will prevent them from getting lost.
We see Din and Grogu arriving on Nevarro and meeting with Greef Karga, who seems to have improved the town even more. When Din and Greef shake hands, you can even see a piece of artwork made over a frozen Stormtrooper helmet. That’s followed by two shots of Din flying the starfighter through rainy skies with the armorer as Din says that he’s going back to Mandalore to seek forgiveness for his transgressions. The Armorer was last seen in “The Book of Boba Fett,” when Din met her and Paz Vizsla with the Darksaber, which led to a pitched battle between Din and Paz over the Darksaber’s possession. Because the sword originally belonged to an ancestor of the Vizsla. Also, as per the rule, one could only wield the Darksaber if one won it in battle, and owning it meant ruling over Mandalore. Possessing it without winning a battle meant putting a curse on Mandalore and the Mandalorians. After winning the Darksaber from Gideon, Din not only refused to rule over Mandalore but was also willing to give up the Darksaber to Bo-Katan (because she wanted it more than he did). But that issue remained unsolved because Luke Skywalker dropped in out of nowhere, and the episode shifted its focus on Din and Grogu’s separation (which was all reversed in “Boba Fett”). That means Din and Bo-Katan still don’t see eye-to-eye in terms of the possession of the Darksaber and their foothold on Mandalore. So, it’s possible that in this season, Din is going to Mandalore to confront Bo-Katan and make sure that they aren’t on opposite sides of the spectrum.
Like every other season of “The Mandalorian,” it’s evident that Peli Motto is going to make an appearance, probably to fix Din’s ship and equip it with a new droid unit. We see Dr. Pershing either traveling through Coruscant or a planet that looks just like it. He’s the one who wanted to acquire Grogu for “the client” and then perform all kinds of experiments on him. Later on, he did help Din with rescuing Grogu from Gideon. It seems like Pershing is going to play a key role in Season 3’s plot. Captain Carson Teva also makes an appearance in the trailer, as he warns Din about the rise of something big. Those are followed by some ominous shots of a cave, Grogu, a rotting Mandalorian helmet, and (as far as I can say) moments from the execution of Order 66, where a group of Jedi looks at someone tearing through their temple door. Since “The Mandalorian” takes place between the original and the sequel trilogy, I’m guessing this is a hint towards the rise of the First Order (the successor of the Galactic Empire).
In the closing minutes of the trailer, Din is chased down by a bunch of TIE Fighters. Who is flying them in the absence of the Empire? I am willing to bet that it’s Gideon and his minions who have escaped justice and are now back at it again to get their revenge against Din. We see a bunch of battle droids and Bo-Katan’s troops descending on Nevarro and laying siege to the town. Why do I think it’s Nevarro? Because you can see the same Stormtrooper helmet-themed architecture in the shot of multiple Mandalorians taking over the town. I am willing to say that there was a brief moment involving Boba Fett pulling at something. But, going by the body type and movements, it can also be Cobb Vanth, who has survived his altercation with Cad Bane, and, as per Bane’s warning, he is wearing the Fett armor again. Nevarro is also apparently home to the Anzellan species. So, no, that’s probably not Babu Frik (the breakout Anzellan star from “The Rise of Skywalker”). And the trailer ends with Grogu Force pushing an alien creature out of that ominous cave, with Din saying for the umpteenth time, “This is the way.”
Thoughts and Expectations From ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3
If I can be honest, I didn’t really feel anything while watching this trailer. What does that say about my expectations from the show? Well, nothing exactly. Because I had watched so much “Star Wars” over the last couple of years, I had a similar reaction to the trailers for “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and “Andor.” And while “Andor” ended up being the best TV show I had watched in a long time, “Obi-Wan Kenobi” turned out to be the worst thing that my eyes had witnessed. So, going by this track record, the third season of “The Mandalorian” can go either way. I am cautiously optimistic because, after the weird and complete reversal of the arc where Grogu would stay away from Din and train to be a Jedi, it looks like Jon Favreau is actually doubling down on their dynamic. Maybe he’s afraid that keeping them apart will tank the show. However, because of that reason, we’re likely going to see Din train Grogu to become a Mandalorian. He has all the Jedi skills that he needs. But by learning “the way,” he’s going to be more adept at handling this cruel, brutal world.
I’m assuming the show is also going to focus on Din Djarin’s Mandalorian roots. We don’t see much of her in this trailer, but Bo-Katan can be seen sitting on the throne of Mandalore in the teaser trailer that was released on September 10, 2022. As mentioned before, Din and Bo-Katan have some bad blood between them. Bo-Katan has clearly taken over Mandalore without the Darksaber and is also going after Din’s friends in Navarro, i.e., Greef, to make Din engage her in battle so that she can win the saber fair and square. Din, despite being supremely skilled with all kinds of weapons, is a pacifist at the end of the day. So, he’s going to talk her out of this demented plan. If that doesn’t work out, he’ll probably lead a civil war. In doing so, we’ll get to know more about the difference between the free-minded Mandalorians (who are okay with opening their helmets) and the more close-minded ones (who aren’t okay with opening their helmets). The episodes will be directed by those who have previously been at the helm of this franchise, along with some new faces, and if they aren’t too busy making us point at the screen to look at some piece of “Star Wars” Easter Egg, I’m sure we’re going to get a fine season of “The Mandalorian.”
