‘Star Wars’ Fans Need to Know These 7 Things for ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2
Details are extremely scarce about Disney+’s second season of The Mandalorian, but certain pieces of Star Wars lore — especially related to the Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels — seem destined to resurface during the sophomore outing.
If Mando (Pedro Pascal) is really going to try to find the Jedi and reunite The Child with his kind, he seems likely to run into several key characters who never showed up in any of the live-action films. With that said, if you’ve only seen the movies, you might be confused as to who these people are and why they matter.
Here are a handful of characters and events you’ll likely need to know about as we head into the second season of The Mandalorian.
The Mandalorian, Season 2 Premiere, Friday, October 30, Disney+
Who is Ahsoka Tano?
Ahsoka was Anakin’s padawan — yep, Anakin Skywalker had a padawan learner! She’s had quite a journey throughout Star Wars lore (which included nearly dying by the hands of Darth Vader, and being resurrected by Jedi Ezra Bridger in the World Between Worlds). Chronologically, 14 years after the Clone Wars concluded, she was trying to find Ezra after he disappeared. It’s rumored that she’ll be showing up this season, and she’ll be played by Rosario Dawson.
What is the Darksaber?
The history of this weapon is as fascinating as its appearance. It was created by the first Mandalorian to become a Jedi, and it was passed down from Mandalorian to Mandalorian for a very, very long time. It ended up in Darth Maul’s hands for a period of time when he took over Mandalore, but it was eventually reclaimed by Sabine Wren, who passed it on to Bo-Katan (more on that later).
Who is Sabine Wren?
Sabine’s not confirmed to appear this season, but plenty of fans believe she’s the character who’ll be played by Sasha Banks. She is a rebel fighter and Mandalorian who helped take back Mandalore from the Empire in Star Wars: Rebels. At the end of the show, she went with Ahsoka on her quest to find Ezra Bridger, so it’s possible they’ll show up together.
Who is Bo-Katan Kryze?
Bo-Katan is another Mandalorian (who doesn’t always wear a helmet, gasp!). When her story concluded in Star Wars: Rebels, Bo-Katan was the leader of Mandalore and had the Darksaber, but clearly, something bad happened to Mandalore and she lost the weapon. Katee Sackhoff will very likely be playing her this season, although Disney hasn’t confirmed her appearance.
Wait, What’s the Deal With Darth Maul?
If you’ve only seen the movies, you’re probably confused as to how Darth Maul could’ve taken over Mandalore after being cut in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) at the end of The Phantom Menace. Well, surprise! Maul didn’t really die there (which is how he showed up via hologram at the end of Solo). Now, he was killed again during the course of the Clone Wars series, but death doesn’t seem to be able to keep this Zabrak down. If he claws his way back to life somehow it’s possible he could make an appearance in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, but nothing’s been confirmed.
What Happened to Mandalore?
Mandalore was the home planet of the Mandalorian people, where inhabitants lived in dome cities after years of civil war rendered most of the planet uninhabitable. For a while, Mandalore was a largely peaceful place — no warriors! — but then, during the Clone Wars, Darth Maul killed its leader, Sabine, and took the planet for himself. This led to another war, but eventually, Bo-Katan and her forces emerged victorious and took the planet back from the Sith Lord. When the Empire was in power, they destroyed Mandalore in the Great Purge and forced the Mandalorians, like Din Djarin, to flee and find homes in different places around the galaxy.
Is Boba Fett Alive?
You might not remember the boots that approached Fennec Shand’s (Ming-Na Wen) body in Season 1, but plenty of Star Wars fans did: they knew — or at least, speculated — that it was Boba Fett, who broke free after being ingested by a Sarlacc in Return of the Jedi. The intergalactic bounty hunter is confirmed to appear in Season 2, and he’ll be played by Temuera Morrison.
