Clone Wars Season 7 will have a huge influence on Mandalorian Season 2

In Season 1 of The Mandalorian, we learned two things about the helmeted badasses of a galaxy far, far away: They can't take off their helmets, and they adhere to a strict code called "the Way." When you dip into Mandalorian lore in both Star Wars: Rebels and Clone Wars, you'll find little mention of these requirements. In fact, those Mandos are taking their helmets off all the time, and nobody is talking about the way at all!

Season 7 of Clone Wars hits Disney+ in just a few weeks, and we can expect this latest installment of the Star Wars saga to clear up some of that ambiguity ahead of Mandalorian Season 2.

Entertainment Weekly recently revealed a new image from Season 7, depicting some grim-looking Clone Troopers. It's highly likely this is from an event known as "The Siege of Mandalore," which we glimpsed in flashbacks in Mandalorian Season 1. Essentially, the new season of Clone Wars has to explain why Din Djarin's clan went into hiding on the planet Nevarro.

The upcoming season of Clone Wars takes place 19 years before the Battle of Yavin in A New Hope. Meanwhile, The Mandalorian occurs around 9 ABY, which means 9 years after the events of the original Star Wars. This means Din (Mando) was a little kid during Clone Wars when he was taken in by the Mandalorians, but is a thirtysomething around the time of Return of the Jedi. It also means that most adults around his age in the timeframe of Mandalorian have experienced two major galaxy-wide wars and three different central governments since they were children. Sucks to live in Star Wars!

Anyway, we don't know if Din and his clan were living on Mandalore during the Siege, but we do know that the Empire took over the planet once the Republic fell. Basically, Order 66 was the problem. The slaughter of the Jedi is directly responsible for Mandalore's fall, because the Empire only exists because the Clone Wars ended in betrayal. Though the Droid Army of the Separatists killed Mando's parents, he should really be mad at the Empire. The Clone Wars was the long con that allowed Palpatine to come to power.

Then again, it's possible Mando's specific clan was doing the "don't take off your helmet" thing before the Siege of Mandalore. The bottom line is: we don't know yet! But Season 7 of Clone Wars is happening right when all of these changes are occurring, so it's fair to expect it'll connect a few dots.

It's a stretch, but Clone Wars might have another major connection to Mando Season 2.If you can have an ex-Jedi like Ahsoka Tano return to the fold, and even help fight Darth Maul on Mandalore, then surely you could reveal if Ahsoka knows about another certain someone who can use the Force and was born about couple decades before the Clone Wars began. (Clue: his name starts with "Baby" and ends with "Yoda.")

That's right, The Clone Wars season 7 could "introduce" Baby Yoda. Who, let's face it, because he'll be so much younger, we'll have to call "Baby-ier Yoda."

Clone Wars Season 7 comes to Disney+ February 21.