The Mandalorian Season 2 Ending & All Twists Explained

The Mandalorian season 2’s ending set up the future of the Star Wars spinoff – with both Baby Yoda and Din Djarin finding themselves walking unexpected new paths. The Mandalorian season 2 has answered a lot of questions. It has revealed why the Empire wanted Baby Yoda so badly; Moff Gideon’s scientists, such as Dr. Pershing, are attempting to find a way to extract the Child’s midi-chlorians and thus implant Force-sensitivity within anyone they choose. This would essentially allow the Empire to create an army of Force-sensitive super-soldiers.

Moff Gideon successfully recaptured Grogu in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 6, but he made the mistake of allowing Din Djarin to live. Consequently, in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 7, Mando and his allies discovered the location of Moff Gideon’s Imperial cruiser. They made what seems to be one critical error, however; they sent him a holographic transmission warning they were coming. As a result, The Mandalorian season 2 finale is as much a battle of wits as it is a gunfight, with Moff Gideon and Din Djarin pitted against one another. It’s worth noting Moff Gideon would have triumphed if not for the unexpected addition of a new rogue element he could never have predicted.

Lucasfilm recently announced they are launching two spinoffs set in the same time-period as The Mandalorian, five years after the events of Return of the Jedi. Given that’s the case, everything that happens in this season should really be seen as setup for a tremendously exciting future.

Moff Gideon’s Plan In The Mandalorian Season 2 Finale

The Mandalorian season 2’s finale opens with Mando putting the Dejarik pieces in place to attempt to outmaneuver Moff Gideon. He successfully captures an Imperial Lambda shuttle carrying Dr. Pershing, the Clone Engineer who has been studying Baby Yoda’s blood. It’s unclear whether Mando was actually attempting to catch Pershing, or whether his focus was instead on obtaining the shuttle. That ship is key to Din Djarin’s plan to get on board Moff Gideon’s light cruiser.

Unfortunately, Mando had made the mistake of warning Moff Gideon he was coming to get the Child. Gideon saw through this strategy, immediately recognizing this was actually a boarding party. A former member of the Imperial Security Bureau, Moff Gideon is ruthlessly intelligent, and he appears to have personal access to all his ship’s internal surveillance systems. He abandons the bridge, confident that will confuse Bo-Katan, and instead waits for Din Djarin in Grogu’s cell. In truth, Moff Gideon is simply playing for time, willing to sacrifice even his bridge crew in order to stay alive. He knows he has assets in play that can defeat the strike force with ease; his platoon of Dark Troopers.

Third-Generation Dark Troopers Explained

The Dark Troopers hail from the old Star Wars Expanded Universe, which has now been branded non-canon (or “Legends”) by Lucasfilm. They are heavily armed and armored battle droids, and in Legends there were three generations of Dark Trooper; a fast-moving Phase I, a heavily armored Phase II, and the hulking Phase III. It looks as though The Mandalorian is playing this idea straight, because according to Moff Gideon his platoon of Dark Troopers are all Phase III – more dangerous than any prior incarnation.

It seems these Dark Troopers consume a lot of power, however. Consequently, they are kept in a powered-down state, and their reactivation cycle takes quite some time. This leads Din Djarin and his allies to initially believe they have a chance against the Dark Troopers, because their launch bay is on the way to Grogu’s cell. Mando’s job is to cancel the reactivation cycle while on his way to get Baby Yoda. Unfortunately he is too late, barely surviving a battle with one Dark Trooper, and instead ejecting the others into space. Given these are droids made for launch in space and in atmosphere, that should be considered a delaying tactic at best.

How Din Djarin Beat Moff Gideon

Moff Gideon initially tells Mando he will allow him to take the Child now he has what he needs – Baby Yoda’s blood. It is a trick, however, and Gideon triggers the Darksaber and attempts to cut Mando down while his back is turned. Fortunately Din Djarin’s armor incorporates a significant amount of beskar, which is resistant to a lightsaber blade, and he is armed with a beskar spear he was given in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5. Mando is able to use this spear to defeat Moff Gideon, disarming him. It’s interesting to note Moff Gideon appears to understand the basics of lightsaber combat, but his form is quite crude, suggesting he has not received any training from any Force-sensitives.

Darksaber Rules Explained & Star Wars Rebels Retcon

The Darksaber is a weapon of enormous cultural significance to the Mandalorians, and as a result it stands at the center of Mandalorian tradition. The season 2 finale adds a new element to this, revealing the Darksaber cannot be given from one person to another – it can only be won in combat. This is actually quite a surprising twist, because at first glance it contradicts a major plot in Star Wars Rebels season 4, where Sabine Wren actually gave the Darksaber to Bo-Katan in the first place. Regardless, as far as The Mandalorian is concerned this tradition means Din Djarin – having defeated Moff Gideon in a duel – is now the rightful owner of the Darksaber.

Why Din Djarin Is The New Mandalorian Ruler

The Darksaber is far more than just an ancient black lightsaber. It was forged over a thousand years ago by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian ever inducted into the Jedi Order, and it became a symbol of Mandalorian unity. Whoever holds the Darksaber is the rightful ruler of Mandalore. This is why Bo-Katan needed the Darksaber; with it, she could unify the scattered Mandalorians and attempt to resettle Mandalore. Now, however, Din Djarin is the one who wields the Darksaber, and as a result he is officially the ruler of all Mandalorians. A character who was originally on the fringes of his own people has suddenly been thrust to the center.

Luke Skywalker’s Return In The Mandalorian Season 2 Finale

Din Djarin and his team manage to capture the Imperial cruiser with surprising ease, but they soon find themselves trapped on the bridge as Dark Troopers pound on the blast doors. Moff Gideon may have been captured, but his attempt to play for time has been a success, and the group are badly outgunned. Fortunately they receive unexpected help from a single New Republic X-Wing, which docks with the cruiser; it turns out to be Luke Skywalker himself, played by a de-aged Mark Hamill. Luke plows through the Dark Troopers with effortless ease. Presumably Luke sensed Baby Yoda’s call in the Force back in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 6, and has come to rescue the little one.

The battle between Luke and the Dark Troopers will certainly delight fans, confirming just how powerful Luke really is in the Force. The action scenes contrast markedly with Ahsoka Tano’s in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5, and you never once get the sense the Dark Troopers are any threat to Luke. He defeats them as easily as his father cut through the Rebel Alliance crew in the final scenes of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Ironically, Luke’s appearance does suggest Din Djarin’s entire rescue mission was probably unnecessary; given Luke’s power, he would have been able to save Baby Yoda from the Empire had the cruiser been fully manned and operational.

Why Grogu & R2-D2 Were So Excited To See One Another

Luke heads straight to the bridge of Moff Gideon’s cruiser. While he and Mando talk, there is a fascinating scene between Grogu and Artoo-Detoo, with the two seeming particularly excited to see one another. It’s possible the two met while Baby Yoda was a Youngling in the Jedi Temple decades ago, and that they recognized each other. The connection could be even more important than that, though; Artoo’s actions during the first phase of Order 66 are currently unknown. It could be that Artoo was the one who saved Baby Yoda from Anakin Skywalker’s blade, getting the Child out of the Temple. If so, it adds a new example of heroism to Artoo’s record, given he would have been quietly defying Anakin in doing so.

Baby Yoda’s Future: Jedi Or Mandalorian?

Baby Yoda was previously unwilling to go with the Jedi, none too impressed with Ahsoka and even making rude sounds every time Mando mentioned the Jedi in episode 6. It seems he has changed his mind, however, because he is clearly drawn to Luke, and wishes to be trained by him. The interesting question is whether or not this desire is due to the light side of the Force or the dark; it could well be he simply doesn’t want to be a victim ever again, and that is not a good reason to train as a Jedi. Fortunately Luke Skywalker understands attachment and emotions rather better than Ahsoka, having proved they can be redemptive when love led his father to betray the Emperor on the Second Death Star. He should be a far better mentor for Grogu than Ahsoka.

Although Baby Yoda goes with Luke, it’s reasonable to assume there will yet be more twists in the tale. Viewers know Luke’s attempt to rebuild the Jedi is doomed to end in failure, with his nephew Ben Solo falling to the dark side and his Jedi Temple destroyed by Palpatine. Lucasfilm is unlikely to want Baby Yoda’s story to dovetail into this, simply because they know how popular a character he really is. Grogu’s future is still in motion.

What Grogu Touching Din Djarin’s Face Really Means

Grogu and Din Djarin share a beautiful moment of intimacy, as Mando removes his helmet and allows the Child to touch his face. Din Djarin was brought up in the traditions of the Death Watch, a hardline sect who believe in the Way of the Mandalore, and who maintain that nobody should ever see his a Mandalorian’s face. Season 2 has seen him begin to question this, understanding that the mask is not necessarily quite so important to Mandalorian culture as he previously believed. Little by little, he has begun allowing people to see his face, symbolically opening up emotionally to the world around him. This scene is the ultimate culmination of that theme, as Din Djarin allows Baby Yoda to not only see his face – he has done that before, letting the Child see him eat – but also to touch it. It is a remarkable moment of character growth and shared intimacy.

What’s Next For Din Djarin & Cara Dune?

Baby Yoda is gone, and Din Djarin has therefore fulfilled his mission to take the Child to his own kind. But this quest has launched on a new one, a far more personal one in which he must come to understand his own new place in Mandalorian society. He has begun to throw off some of the more extreme traditions of the Watch; note he allows everyone else on the Imperial cruiser’s bridge to see his face when he removes the helmet. What is more, as rightful owner of the Darksaber he is also officially ruler of all Mandalorians. Din Djarin must decide whether Bo-Katan’s quest is her own or not; whether he wishes to attempt to unite the Mandalorians and resettle Mandalore, or whether he wishes to take a different approach.

Presumably Cara Dune will return to her job as Marshal of Nevarro, reporting in that she has captured some high-ranking Imperial assets. It’s important to note Moff Gideon probably isn’t in charge of the Imperial Remnant operating in the Outer Rim; The Mandalorian season 2, episode 3 mentioned an Imperial fleet, and they are not in evidence in this episode. The Empire’s true commander is most likely Grand Admiral Thrawn, name-dropped by Ahsoka Tano in episode 5. Moff Gideon may well be forced to give intelligence that leads to the Republic scouting the Outer Rim looking for Thrawn, setting up the upcoming Disney+ series The Rangers of the New Republic.

Mandalorian Season 2 Finale’s Post-Credits Scene

The Mandalorian‘s season 2 finale ends with an unexpected post-credits scene in which Boba Fett and Fennec Shand return to Tatooine. They head to the palace of Jabba the Hutt, whose throne has apparently been occupied by his former majordomo Bib Fortuna, and they kill Fortuna to claim that throne for themselves. It seems Boba Fett no longer considers himself a bounty hunter, but instead wishes to become a power player in the Outer Rim. This newfound ambition seems a little odd, given Boba had allowed Cobb Vanth to use his armor for years. Apparently all will be revealed in “The Book of Boba Fett,” which is most likely a miniseries that will launch ahead of The Mandalorian season 3 in December 2021.

The Mandalorian Season 3’s Story & Mandalore Plan

The Mandalorian has certainly changed shape since it launched in 2019. It began as something of a Western series, envisioning its titular hero as a lone gunslinger who had no other interest than looking after a cute alien Child. It has gradually become the story of a diaspora, with Din Djarin transformed into the only one who can gather his people together once again. The themes of Mandalorian culture and society – concepts of tradition and identity that have been visible in the background of the first two seasons – must now rise to the fore. Din Djarin must decide just what kind of Mandalorian he wants to be, and it remains to be seen whether the rest of the Mandalorians will unite under his leadership.

Meanwhile, the threat of the Imperial Remnant is not over. Moff Gideon may have been defeated, but Grand Admiral Thrawn is still out there, presumably building his fleet in the Outer Rim in the sector around Tatooine. It’s reasonable to assume Thrawn will become the main villain for The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and The Rangers of the New Republic. What’s more, Moff Gideon claimed to have already extracted Baby Yoda’s blood, meaning Imperial scientists could even now be continuing their attempt to create Imperial Force-sensitives. The Mandalorian season 3 will be very different – and it will be thrilling to see where things go from here.

About The Author

Thomas Bacon
(4893 Articles Published)

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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