Mandalore has a tragic history.
Warning: Spoilers for The Mandalorian season 3 episode 2 ahead.
It’s finally happened – season 3 episode 2 of The Mandalorian saw Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu arrive on Mandalore.
Despite taking the Creed, Djarin had never actually been to Mandalore before, instead growing up on the nearby Concordia as a foundling of the Children of the Watch.
Djarin had been told that Mandalore was “cursed” and “poisoned” but when he and Grogu arrived, he was surprised to discover the air was breathable.
But, to people who grew up there, like Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), the place is unrecognisable.
So, what happened to Mandalore and what do we find out in season 2 episode 3 of the Disney Plus show?
What happened to Mandalore?
As Bo-Katan explains, Mandalore was once a thriving society. When Bo-Katan became ruler after wielding the Darksaber, shortly after the Empire rose to power, she and a united Mandalore announced independence from the Empire – something that, predictably, did not go down too well.
The Empire attacked Mandalore with full force – an attack referred to as The Great Purge. While some individual Mandalorians survived, including Bo-Katan, the majority of them were wiped out and their culture was all but gone in just one night.
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Some believed the planet to be cursed but either way, millions of Mandalorians were killed. From then on, the Mandalorians were forced to operate in secrecy.
In The Mandalorian season 3, we see what’s left of Mandalore, including some creatures (such as Alamites and the epic Mythosaur) that clearly survived the Great Purge.
Djarin and Bo-Katan also visit the Living Waters of Mandalore, which are preserved in the ruins.
Bo-Katan tells Djarin about the history of Mandalore, saying: “It wasn’t that long ago. You’d never know it looking at all this destruction.”
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Djarin establishes that it “looks like it’s been centuries”, with Bo-Katan adding: “The Empire set out to punish us, to wipe away our memory.”
“It must pain you to see it like this after witnessing its beauty,” Djarin tells her, with Bo-Katan calling for the unification of the Mandalorians and saying: “What pains me is seeing our own kind fight one another time and time again, killing each other for reasons too confusing to explain. It made us weak. We had no hope to resist being smashed by the fist of the Empire.”
The episode ends with the reveal that the Mythosaur, the legendary creature of Mandalore, is not just the stuff of myths, but alive and real.
The shock ending could mean a few different things for the future of Mandalore. First off, fans are very hopeful that we’re going to see Djarin ride the Mythosaur like the ancient Mandalorians used to. But it could also mean a hopeful future for Mandalore. Clearly Bo-Katan still dreams of reuniting the Mandalorians – could it eventually become a reality?
New episodes of The Mandalorian season 3 are available to stream on Disney Plus every Wednesday, while seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream now. Sign up to Disney+ now for £7.99 per month or £79.90 for a full year and check out our list of the best movies on Disney Plus and best shows on Disney Plus.
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