‘Mandalorian’ Season 3 theory: An ancient artifact will fix the show’s biggest problem

The Mandalorian Season 3 has a lot on its plate.

After two seasons of Din Djarin tracking down a bounty named Grogu (neé Baby Yoda) and more of his Force-using kind, the wandering bounty hunter let his young clanmate go train with an upstart new Jedi Knight known as Luke Skywalker.

Unfortunately, Din’s troubles are far from over. After winning a duel with Moff Gideon, he’s become the rightful owner of the Darksaber — and therefore holds the throne of Mandalore.

However, a new fan theory suggests there’s yet another ancient Mandalorian artifact that could bring Din into contact with an equally powerful rival.

What if Mandalorian Season 3 takes a deep dive into Mandalorian history, just as Clone Wars and Rebels have in the past? But this time, more secrets will be explained, courtesy of Star Wars Legends. That’s the theory suggested by Redditor Earthmine52.

Though the Darksaber is the symbol of the Mandalorian leader, the Mandalore, in Legends the symbol that serves this function is something entirely different: The Mask of Mandalore. Each leader would don the mask and shed their old identity, therefore creating the illusion of one true leader whose identity is inherited through the ages.

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

Din Djarin didn’t recognize the Darksaber as a Mandalorian artifact when he first saw it, meaning the Children of the Watch cult/sect he belongs to likely does not recognize it as a symbol of power. Could they revere the Mask of Mandalore instead? This certainly would explain their fascination with their own face coverings.

But what could have happened to the Mask of Mandalore? In Legends, it was found thousands of years before the events of The Mandalorian by Canderous Ordo, otherwise known as Mandalore the Preserver. However, its fate is unknown after that, and the fate of Mandalore the planet as a whole is still an unanswered question in The Mandalorian.

If Bo-Katan Kryze gets her hands on the Mask, it would put her and Din Djarin on equal footing. While Din Djarin, a person she doesn’t even consider a true Mandalorian at all, is now the owner of the Darksaber, she could find the Mask of Mandalore and become the rightful leader of the Mandalores in the eyes of the Children of the Watch.

Hopefully, from there, a peaceful transfer of power could take place, with Din becoming the leader of his sect of Mandalorians and Bo-Katan the leader of hers. Alternatively, this second artifact could be the issue that sparks yet another Mandalorian Civil War — albeit one that won’t take place on Mandalore at all.

The Mandalorian is now streaming on Disney+.