(Photo by Disney+)
Now that The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) has a name and a new mission, the stars would literally seem to be the limit for The Mandalorian. A second season has been in production for some time and it seems the characters have a clear objective. Or do they? As many have been saying since The Child first appeared in the floating crib and was dubbed “Baby Yoda” by fans, the show has a certain Lone Wolf & Cub vibe — particularly as it spent most of its first season wandering the galaxy without a seeming endgame in mind. But what does the future hold for series as Din Djarin (The Mandalorian’s true name) and the unnamed child search the galaxy for the latter’s homeland? Let’s take a look at five possible directions The Mandalorian could take in its second season.
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While some found The Mandalorian‘s format a little too episodic, it allowed for several episodes to be Star Wars short films handled by directors like Bryce Dallas Howard, Deborah Chow, and Rick Famuyiwa. And, honestly, we wouldn’t mind if the show kept that format a little longer. It honors the nature of the Lone Wolf & Cub manga while giving talented filmmakers the chance to examine seldom-seen corners of the Star Wars Galaxy. Who knew we needed its take on Seven Samurai before “The Sanctuary”? And who knew a fight between a Mando and a Jawa sandcrawler would be so essential before Famuyiwa put it to screen? These stories needed the self-contained format to flourish. As creator Jon Favreau said from the get-go, the show was meant to highlight new aliens and new characters, and it definitely did that while still feeling part of the Star Wars milieu by letting Djarin roam.
And with Favreau and occasional star Carl Weathers joining the directors’ ranks in season 2, it seems that self-contained stories will continue into the show’s future.
That said, it seems unlikely that Djarin’s wandering will be as directionless as it was this season. With Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) at his back and that gang of thieves from “The Prisoner” looking for revenge — provided they escape the prison barge in quick order — it is possible The Mandalorian and his foundling son will face the past a lot more often.
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Considering both Weathers and Gina Carano will return as Greef Carga and Cara Dune, the continued defense of the planet Navarro will be a recurring theme. For one thing, the Mandalorian Armorer’s (Emily Swallow) refusal to leave the culvert means the planet will still be a meeting spot for wayward Mandos. For another, the disposal of the Imperial Remnant on the planet makes it a prime target for other former Imps looking to become warlords. It also, oddly enough, becomes a world the New Republic can approach to extend its sphere of influence into the Outer Rim. And even if we know the Republic’s fate 25 years later, there is story to tell in its potential failure to bring peace and justice to the Outer Rim, just like the Empire and Old Republic before it.
On a more personal scale, the arrival of another Imperial faction or a New Republic contingent could shed more light on Carga and Dune’s pasts. Gideon offered tantalizing details like Dune’s Alderaan ancestry and Carga’s history as a disgraced magistrate. Was he an Imp himself?
We have to admit, there’s a lot of story to mine in survivors from Alderaan. Are they as dispersed as the Mandalorians or did they center around Leia Organa and remain core members of the Alliance and the New Republic? And if the latter is the case, why was Dune unable to hold onto that sense of community? Was her homeworld already a distant memory before it was destroyed?
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With the Darksaber making its first live-action appearance and references to both Mandalore the Great and the Jedi/Mando conflict which led to Darth Revan’s attempt to control the galaxy, it almost seems like a visit to the planet Mandalore is inevitable.
The world offers so many mysteries in terms of the lore. For one thing: The Way of Djarin’s tribe is different from the Mandalorian clans seen in both Star Wars: Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Something changed during the Galactic Civil War that led the surviving Mandos to adopt the policy about their helmets — or reclaim an older belief about their warrior religion. But as this change (and the Great Purge) occurred in Djarin’s lifetime, there may be Mandalorians still alive who do not adhere to the Way.
Which leads us to Sabine Wren and the final moments of Rebels — not that we’re expecting Favreau to follow up on that scene’s promise. She is, nevertheless, a wrinkle in The Mandalorian’s story, because she has no problem taking of her helmet after the Battle of Endor and once held the Darksaber in her hands. And now that we’ve seen the Darksaber in Gideon’s possession, certain questions come into play. Add to this the continued presence of Rebels creator Dave Filoni as Favreau’s key collaborator, and it seems obvious Djarin will have to face the history of his adopted culture.
Then there’s that seemingly deleted scene in which Fennec (Ming-Na Wen) told The Mandalorian that he could become a legend. Is it possible he will take possession of the Darksaber and attempt to unite the clans, like Bo-Katan Kryze before him?
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Now that The Child is a foundling, Djarin has a duty to find his rightful home or train the creature in accordance with the Way. This would presumably fuel the wandering in season 2 as he looks for some information regarding The Child’s species and planet of origin. To which, we say, good luck!
Yoda’s species is one of the few remaining mysteries in Star Wars’s incredibly rich lore. Prior to Djarin finding the child, only five other members of species had been seen in Star Wars material: Yoda, Yaddle in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace, Vandar Tokare in the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic games, Oteg in the Star Wars: The Old Republic Massive Multiplayer Online game, and Minch in the short story “Heart of Darkness.” Each are small in stature, but great in power, as they were all greatly attuned to the Force and became Jedis.
According to Wookiepedia, creator George Lucas declined to create any detail history for Yoda or his species, simply referring to him as a frog or joking he was the illegitimate son of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. Considering the way just about every other Star Wars alien and character has been fleshed out in Expanded Universe or Legends material, this omission would seem very deliberate. At one time, rumors indicated Lucas was developing a Yoda-centered Star Wars film, but all of that fell away when he sold Lucasfilm to Disney. The omission offers Favreau (and Filoni for that matter) the chance to generate some concrete details about the species.
Well, that’s assuming they really want to get specific. Singling out Yoda’s species as something enigmatic maintains the mystery he initially held in The Empire Strikes Back. And as we’ve learned over the years, sometimes Star Wars mysteries should remain unsolved.
Curiously, the Wookiepedia also refers to Yoda attaining the rank of Jedi Master at age 100, which suggests The Child may become more hearty and capable of learning the Way sooner than Djarin thinks.
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While no longer the galactic capital — the New Republic would choose to move the Senate and executive seat on a rotating basis — Coruscant could easily be one of the places Djarin visits in his search for answers. Presumably, records still exist there and even the ruins of the old Jedi Temple may offer some hints as to The Child’s origins. But beyond plot details, visiting Coruscant in The Mandalorian’s era may prove more interesting than his short stay on Tatooine. Is it still a world on the go? Does it still have spectacular night life and a heavy death-stick trade? Or did the Empire make it a silent planet of Sith worshipers?
In terms of established canon following the Battle of Endor, it should be an occupied world, with Gran Vizier Mas Amedda (the blue alien who shouted “order!” during Senate sessions in the prequels) acting as a puppet governor on behalf of the New Republic. That in itself offers some intriguing story possibilities, as Djarin must eventually confront the Republic in his travels. Will the representatives of the new government turn out to be as corrupt and/or incompetent as the Imps?
But really, Coruscant represents any previously seen Star Wars world Favreau and his collaborators may want to visit. Now that the show has proved it can expand the universe with new characters and locales, it be afforded a certain license to feature places like Nar Shaddaa, Nal Hutta, Dantooine, Lothal, Crait, and Mandalore.
If the show adopts a tighter narrative in its search for The Child’s origins, a blend of worlds both new and old — or some only featured in games, cartoons, and comics — will continue The Mandalorian’s expert mix of established Star Wars elements and fantastic new ideas. What more could anyone want from a Star Wars television show?
The Mandalorian season 1 is available to stream in its entirety on Disney+.
