The latest episode of The Mandalorian was a mind-blowing treat for Star Wars fans. Chapter 13 (S2:E5) was one of the best episodes yet of the critically acclaimed Disney+ series. The first sequence launched viewers into a visually stunning battle between Ahsoka Tano and helmeted soldiers in an eerie forest clouded in mist.
It was smart to release Ahsoka right out of the gate since fans have been waiting for this for months. Seeing the former padawan to Anakin Skywalker in the flesh and performing battle moves similar to her animated version on Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels was magical. For her part, Rosario Dawson was perfect in the role (and the internet’s worst kept secret).
The morning after the battle, The Mandalorian Din Djarin lands the Razor Crest in the forest outside the fortressed city of Calodan, which Ahsoka Tano was fighting to get in the previous night. Mando is easily granted entrance to the fortress. It doesn’t take him long to find out why. He is escorted to the inner walled area of the city where he is presented with an interesting proposal by Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth, the despot ruler of Calodan.
She offers him a spear composed of pure beskar in exchange for killing her nemesis the Jedi. Djarin never officially accepts the mission but goes along with the plan in order to find Ahsoka. Mando gets escorted out of the city by the magistrate’s lieutenant named Lang (played by Michael Biehn of Terminator and Aliens fame).
After a short walk in the woods, Djarin finds Ahsoka when she launches a surprise attack on him. We get to see the true power of beskar armor as it deflects blow after blow from Ahsoka’s lightsabers. Djarin is able to deescalate the situation and explains why he’s there.
REVEAL #1
This is when the big reveals start. The first comes after Ahsoka does some form of Jedi mind-meld with Baby Yoda (AKA The Child). Ahsoka informs Djarin that the child’s name is actually Grogu. The name will grow on you every time Mando says Grogu’s name and the tyke looks up with those big eyes like he’s asking “Yep, that’s my name. What do you want?”
Not only does Grogu have a name, but he was trained in the Jedi Order on Coruscant before the rise of the Empire. His time since then (which would be about 25 years) is a little hazy, but Ahsoka believes he tried to conceal his powers.
Djarin asks Ahsoka Tano to take Grogu and train him, but she declines as the child is too old now and filled with fear. This fear is especially strong in Grogu’s attachment to the Mandalorian. Djarin makes a deal with Ahsoka. He’ll help her take down the villainous boss of Calodan in exchange for her taking Grogu and training him.
REVEAL #2
Ahsoka agrees, so she and Djarin take on and take down the magistrate and her goons. After defeating the magistrate, Ahsoka asks her, “Where is Grand Admiral Thrawn?” This is a mind-blowing question for fans of Star Wars: Rebels and the Thrawn series of Star Wars novels written by Timothy Zahn. The character was originally introduced in a trilogy in the early 1990s, and was later categorized as a “Star Wars Legend” after Disney acquired Lucasfilm.
Thrawn is one of the most popular Star Wars characters outside of the Skywalker Saga films. The blue-skinned, red-eyed Chiss military strategist was defeated at the end of Star Wars: Rebels by Jedi Ezra Bridger. The Jedi summoned purrgil (think: space whales) to drag Thrawn’s star destroyer (along with Ezra and Thrawn) into some unknown point in space via a hyperspace jump. (Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but it was a powerful ending to the series.)
At the very end of Rebels, Ahsoka and Mandalorian Sabine Wren fly off to search for Ezra some time after the fall of the Empire. The fact that Ahsoka is back begs the question as to what happened to Ezra (and Thrawn). And where’s Sabine?
Thrawn is probably the biggest Star Wars Legend to be made canon. The fact that Ahsoka is still searching for him means he’s likely to appear on The Mandalorian at some point. Considering that Filoni brought back Katie Sackhoff to play Mandalorian Bo-Katan Kryze in the live-action show after voicing the character in The Clone Wars and Rebels, it’s possible the voice actor for the animated Thrawn will play him on The Mandalorian.
Thrawn was voiced in Rebels by Lars Mikkelsen, actor and brother of Mads Mikkelsen, who portrayed Galen Erso in Rogue One.
REVEAL #3
At the end of this week’s The Mandalorian episode, Ahsoka says she can’t train Grogu despite their deal. She offers Djarin an alternative. Ahsoka tells him to take the foundling to an ancient Jedi temple on the planet Tython. According to the 2007 Star Wars Legends book Darth Bane: Rule of Two, Tython was the original homeworld for the Jedi order.
Tython entered Star Wars canon in a reference in the roleplaying game Star Wars: The Force Awakens Beginner Game in 2006.Tython took on full canon status in the 2019 Star Wars comic book Doctor Aphra 40, the last issue of the series. Could this mean that Djarin and Grogu might meet the fan-favorite and morally ambivalent archeologist Doctor Aphra?
REVEAL #4
The reason Ahsoka Tano wants the Mandalorian to take Grogu to the temple on Tython is that it may attract other Jedi, who may be willing to take on the 50-year-old youngling as a padawan. Even though Ahsoka warns there aren’t many Jedi left, she is confirming that there are other Jedi still living in the galaxy. Could one of these Jedi be Ezra Bridger?
This episode opened so many potential paths for the show to go down. We are thrilled by all the reveals. What did you think? Let us know your thoughts on Facebook!
