[Editor’s note: The following containsspoilersthrough the Season 2 finale ofThe Mandalorian, “The Rescue."]
Are you still recovering from the epic, emotional, and very open-ended Season 2 finale ofThe Mandalorian? Yeah, us, too. TheStar WarsDisney+ series concluded its adventure-filled main story, which saw titular Mandalorian Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) say good-bye to his tiny partner and temporary ward,Grogu (a.ka. Baby Yoda), before sending him off to become the Jedi he is meant to be. The finale came aftera fun yet slow Season 2, filled with enough side adventures,some surprising encounters, and new locations to keep fans enticed while laying out a relatively simple plot.
WithThe MandalorianSeason 2 in the rearview mirror, it’s easier to focus on the big things on the horizon in theStar Warsuniverse, too. At Disney Investor Day 2020,Kathleen Kennedyannounced some of the10 new upcomingStar WarsTV shows, including an Ahsoka Tano spinoff, a spinoff titledRangers of the New Republic, a Lando Calrissian show, and new details about the Obi-Wan show. What was not announced at Disney Investor Day 2020 wasThe Book of Boba Fett; that surprise was saved forThe MandalorianSeason 2 credits scene.
Given the timing of the announcement, isThe Book of Boba FettanotherStar WarsDisney+ TV show? Or is it actually the plot ofThe MandalorianSeason 3 by another name? Let’s break it down below.
Update: Disney has confirmed thatThe Book of Boba Fettis its own original series.
What We Know About ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3
The MandalorianSeason 3 was confirmedfor a 2021 release during the Disney Investor Day 2020 event earlier in December. While Season 2 ofThe Mandalorianhas officially wrapped, there are still a lot of directions the next season could go in and it’s unclear what is next. Theemotional Season 2 finalesaw Din Djarin say good-bye to Grogu after it was revealed that a young Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamillwith the help of digital de-aging) had answered the young Jedi’s call made in Episode 6, “The Tragedy.”
In addition to the bittersweet good-bye between adoptive father and son,The MandalorianSeason 2 ended withDin Djarin winning the Darksaberfrom Moff Gideon after battling with him to free Grogu. Because of the ancient lore which, in part, states that the Darksaber must be won in battle in order to get a new owner, Bo-Katan Kryze’s (Katee Sackhoff) plans to regain ownership of the powerful weapon have changed. Additionally, Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) and Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) completed their debt to Din Djarin by helping save Grogu. As such, the pair were able to move on and, as we saw inThe MandalorianSeason 2 credits scene, embark on a new adventure.
Why ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Could Be Season 3
WithThe MandalorianSeason 2 closing out the Grogu/Baby Yoda arc which has served as the primary plot for two seasons, it’s easy to feel as if the show has nowhere to go now. What is the plot ofThe Mandalorian? What new adventure could thisStar Warsshow possibly have in store for viewers?
TheMandalorianSeason 2 credits scene shows Boba Fett and Fennec Shand returning to Jabba the Hutt’s palace on Tattooine. There, the pair find Bib Fortuna, former right-hand man to the late Jabba (who perished early on in 1983’sStar Wars: Episode VI - The Return of the Jedi). Bib Fortuna issurprised to see Boba Fett aliveand well, but doesn’t have much time to talk because Boba Fett immediately kills him. We then see Boba Fett take a seat on Bib’s throne as Fennec grabs a drink and they settle into their new digs.
Currently, we don’t know what is in store forThe Book of Boba Fettwhere the story is concerned. Considering the Hutt Cartel is basically a huge crime syndicate and Boba has now removed the head of that syndicate, Boba Fett and Fennec could be forced to defend what they have now claimed from Bib Fortuna. This meansThe Book of Boba Fettcould tell the story of Boba Fett and Fennec’s lives in a criminal underworld in a galaxy far, far away and their future encounters with members of the Hutt Cartel, the now-resurging Empire, and various other shadowy corners of theStar Warsuniverse. And yes, this meansThe Book of Boba Fettcould stand as its own spin-off, but there is more than enough material here to also have it become the story ofThe MandalorianSeason 3.
As cool as it would be to haveThe Book of Boba Fetttake over whereThe Mandalorianends in Season 3, there is still plenty of Din Djarin’s story to be told. With Grogu now safely handed off to Luke Skywalker for Jedi training, the road is once again wide open for the bounty hunter. However, the emotional final scene between him and Grogu, which sees the once-devout Mandalorian remove his helmet so he can properly say good-bye, indicates he might not go back to his old life.
Instead, it’s quite possible Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze will be locked in conflict in Season 3. Their brief team-up in Season 2, Episode 3, “The Heiress,” revealed Bo-Katan’s laser-focused plan to rebuild Mandalore and reclaim a position of power as a Mandalorian leader.The Mandalorianalso implies she is partially responsible for Din Djarin’s newfound comfort with removing his helmet after she pointed out that he was raised by the Mandalorian extremist group Children of the Watch who, among other codes, swore to never remove their helmets.
The meeting of these two Mandalorians and the revelation of their distinctly different approaches to what it means to be a Mandalorian in a world where others like you are scattered across the galaxy lays the foundation for an intriguing Season 3. It’s quite possibleThe Mandalorian’s next outing in 2021 could see Din Djarin and B0-Katan squaring off against one another as the latterattempts to reclaim the Darksaberfrom the former and reassemble the people of Mandalore under her leadership.
The MandalorianSeasons 1 and 2 are now available to stream on Disney+.The MandalorianSeason 3 is expected to arrive in December 2021.The Book of Boba Fettis also expected in December 2021 — and the two might be the same thing.
