The Force Is Strong Between The Mandalorian & Rebels – One Star Wars Story May Complete The Other
For those who assumed that the name of the titular character in “The Mandalorian” is, um, the Mandalorian, you may be excused because we all thought the same at some point. Diehard fans, on the other hand, will correct you. They will state that the man behind the mask is played by Pedro Pascal who in turn plays the character Din Djarin.
Season 2 just premiered, and episode 1 took us back to Tatooine. The plot involved a certain ‘dragon’, and we will not scatter any spoilers beyond this point. The core plotline of the show, however, has strong connections to a 3D animated series called “Star Wars: Rebels” set well within the franchise’s universe.
‘The Child’, aka Baby Yoda, is on a destined path to be reunited with his kind, namely other Jedi. In “The Mandalorian” storyline, the Jedi are still relatively unknown and are referred to as “an order of sorcerers” owing in large part to their ability to wield ‘the Force’.
There’s More Than One Important Jedi In The Galaxy
Luke Skywalker is not the only powerhouse Jedi in the Star Wars universe. Bear in mind, that this order was so powerful that Darth Vader and Sith Lord Palpatine together focused entire missions and plans on driving them into extinction.
There’s a high chance that one such ‘important Jedi’ is going to be found as season 2 of “The Mandalorian” progresses. Nerdist (the website) made some wonderful connections in this regard, even going so far as to say how our very own Mando may end up discovering our very own Ezra Bridger.
Ezra’s Jedi-journey bloomed exquisitely in “Star Wars: Rebels”. We saw how much pain and training, sacrifice and focus, were needed for someone ‘strong in the Force’ to actually become one with it. Episode 1 of season 2 saw Din Djarin, aka the Mandalorian, saying, “If I can locate other Mandalorians, they can guide me…” To another Jedi, that’s the open implication here.
Din has absolutely no experience or know-how of the Jedi. On the other hand, Jedi and Mandos have worked together, which in itself has strong ties to the “Rebels” storyline in which they actually teamed up against the Empire and the Dark Side.
There is one valuable warrior (not a Jedi) whose name has come up in this connection. Bo-Katan Kryze is one such character who has worked with Mandalorians in a couple of animated series, namely “Rebels” and “Clone Wars”. She’s a pure-blood Mandalorian herself, and former leader of ‘Death Watch’. She was the one who claimed the Darksaber, which we saw Giancarlo Esposito wield in season one of “Mandalorian” where he played Moff Gideon.
Bo-Katan Kryze, according to Star Wars lore, ruled Mandalore with the Darksaber. “Rebels” made distinct mentions about how the one who earns the Darksaber also receives the right to rule Mandalorians, owing to a tradition that goes back in time. If all goes well, Katee Sackhoff who lent her voice to Bo-Katan in the animated series may reprise her role in “The Mandalorian”.
Nothing has been confirmed yet, and Lucasfilm seems to have gone radio-silent on the matter. Fans feel that Moff Gideon even wielding the Darksaber demands a ‘backstory’ of sorts as to how he got it from Bo-Katan Kryze in the first place.
Bo-Katan’s entry could prove crucial in the ongoing season of “The Mandalorian”. She has not been killed off, as far as we know, which means she is duty-bound to hunt for the Darksaber that Moff Gideon most probably stole from her.
Bo-Katan knows a lot about the Jedi, as her interactions with them in “Rebels” have proven. She may even be in touch with one or more Jedi. Therefore, her crossing paths with Din Djarin could mean Baby Yoda getting a step closer to finding his own kind.
The Most Important Animated Character in ‘Star Wars’ History
This title belongs to none other than the outstanding Ahsoka Tano, a former ‘Padawan’ (or apprentice) of Anakin Skywalker (who would in time become the feared Darth Vader). A Jedi in her own right, she is yet to make the long-anticipated shift into live-action that fans are hungry to see happen in their lifetime.
Could “The Mandalorian” make fan-dreams come true by roping in the beloved ‘survivor Jedi’ (our words) Ahsoka Tano? Lucasfilm has once again been mum on this, which could hint at all sorts of possibilities.
Rosario Dawson has already been tapped to play Ahsoka in a live-action version featuring the multi-talented Jedi warrior. We may have to wait a while to see if future episodes of “The Mandalorian” reveal anything substantial about this.
The bad news is that Din even finding Ahsoka may not call a halt to his self-appointed mission to return Baby Yoda to his kind. Fans of “The Clone Wars” have seen how Ahsoka faced enough injustice while serving the Republic as a Jedi that it made her actually quit the order. It is therefore unlikely that our Mando would just hand The Child over to a Jedi who no longer considers herself one, and bid adieu.
Wanted: Ezra Bridger
The series finale of “Rebels” saw Ezra going missing. Ahsoka Tano along with reputed Mandalorian warrior Sabine Wren team up to go find him again. The last everyone heard of Bridger he was in some unknown location in the galaxy, along with Thrawn (Grand Admiral | blue-skinned, red-eyed bad guy | strong with the Dark Side).
Where is Ezra Bridger? This is the greatest current mystery in the Star Wars universe, a mystery that may be solved in “The Mandalorian” season 2. Fans are themselves seeking answers, and the theories surrounding Ezra’s situation are too manifold to go into here.
A curious parallel can be found in Dave Filoni who voiced Chopper in “Rebels” as well as the bounty hunter Embo and the droid CH-33P (“Cheep”) in “The Clone Wars”. He is now executive-producing and directing some of the episodes in “The Mandalorian”, marking his debut milestone into live-action.
Introducing Ezra Bridger will definitively tie up both live-action and animation for the future of Star Wars through the plotline of “The Mandalorian”. This is no small deal. Imagine Bridger getting his own Padawan to train. Jedi can live to be as old as 850 years, if not more, which could mean a ‘grand reboot’ of sorts for the future of Star Wars shows and movies. And there is every chance for this future to be connected to the legendary Skywalker saga.
“The Mandalorian Season 2” does not absolutely have to introduce Ezra Bridger. It can use the eight confirmed episodes in its second season to set the stage for a season 3 reveal of the missing Jedi. Finding Ezra will bring closure to plenty of fans of the franchise, and simultaneously solve the cliff-hanger mystery that was left gaping in the “Star Wars: Rebels” finale.