'Mandalorian' Season 3 theory: Forgotten war reveal a shocking new villain

For the latest Star Wars property, The Mandalorian has a lot of stars, but not a lot of war. Because of its episodic nature and setting after the fall of the Empire, most of the conflict is limited to isolated battles and skirmishes with anything from a Krayt Dragon to a Jedi.

That could all change very soon, and very tragically.

The Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian set up a possible villain who isn’t with the Empire at all — in fact, it’s much worse. Here’s how Mandalorian history sets up this new faceoff.

The Mandalorian Season 2 hinges on the Darksaber. Following its introduction in the very last shot of Season 1, the sacred weapon becomes a great equalizer to balance Din Djarin’s head-to-toe beskar armor.

But the Darksaber’s importance extends far beyond its place on the battlefield. After Din wins the Darksaber from Moff Gideon in combat, he becomes the rightful ruler of not just the ancient Mandalorian weapon, but the Mandalorian people writ large.

Meanwhile, Bo-Katan Kryze has basically formed an entire personality around being the heir to the Mandalorian throne. Even her introductory episode is entitled “The Heiress.” When Mando picks up the Darksaber, she realizes what has to be done.

The only thing standing between Bo-Katan and her destiny — her birthright — is Din Djarin. Incoming conflict, start your engines.

Lost Legends is an Inverse series about the forgotten lore of our favorite stories.

Pitting Mandalorians against each other is not a new thing. Besides the Mandalorian Civil War depicted in Star Wars: Rebels, there was yet another Civil War about 40 years earlier. This war, depicted in the non-canon comic series Jango Fett: Open Seasons pitted super-commando Jaster Mereel, who believed in a strict code of honor among Mandalorians, and Tor Viszla and the Death Watch, who believed in Mandalorian supremacy across the universe.

There are actually a lot of similarities between the different sides of that war and the possible opposition between Mando and Bo-Katan. Firstly, they each have different definitions of the word “Mandalorian.” Jaster Mereel, much like Mando, isn’t a Mandalorian by birth the way Tor Viszla and Bo-Katan are. Mereel and Mando live by a strict code of rules, while Viszla and Bo-Katan just want to return glory to Mandalore.

The Mandalorian Civil War may already be canon, with new elements are still unfolding. For instance, when Boba Fett reveals his father’s origin to Din, held in hologram within his Mandalorian armor, the text translates to say “Concord Dawn” and “Mentor Jaster.” This suggests one side of the war could play a huge role in The Mandalorian’s future.

At its core, The Mandalorian is the story of a foundling making his way across the universe. A flashback to the beginnings of these “foundlings” and their fight to be considered Mandalorians would make that story all the more powerful — especially if The Mandalorian is getting ready to unleash a new internal struggle of its own between Din and Bo-Katan.

The Mandalorian is now streaming on Disney+.