Easter Eggs You Missed In The Mandalorian Season 3

The lone gunslinger and the child he must protect — it’s a tale as old as time, and the story of "The Mandalorian," which is still going strong in Season 3, though things look a little different now than when the show first started back in 2019. A multi-year break after Season 2 left the fates of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu (formerly Baby Yoda) up in the air, though their story continued briefly in the Disney+ spin-off series, "The Book of Boba Fett." Now, though, they’re finally back for real.

At the start of Season 3, Din has one objective: redeem himself in the eyes of his people after breaking their code to show Grogu his true face. To do that, he has to return to Mandalore and bathe in the "living waters" beneath the planet’s old beskar mines. And to that, he has to complete some side quests. Yes, it’s still "The Mandalorian." Between all the planet-of-the-week adventures and big-picture "Star Wars" storylines, the series still gets to squeeze in plenty of little wink-and-nod moments for diehard fans of the franchise. Here are some Easter eggs you might have missed in "The Mandalorian" Season 3.

Mandalorian clan flags

The opening scene of "The Mandalorian" Season 3 shows a coming-of-age ceremony held by Din’s old group — the Children of the Watch (meaning Death Watch), as Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) calls them. The Armorer (Emily Swallow) crafts a small helmet for a newly christened member and conducts a sort of baptism. Many others have gathered for the occasion, and they seem to have brought their standards with them to show off their clan sigils.

It’s not explicit that the flags held at the ceremony represent different clans or houses, but it seems like the only logical explanation. The idea of Mandalorian clans has long been a key facet of their lore in the "Star Wars" universe, and in "The Clone Wars," it’s shown that Death Watch in particular always had a lot of reverence for this old hierarchy. The great factions on Mandalore were known as houses — Vizsla, for instance, represented in this scene by Paz Vizsla, or Kryze. The smaller families who served those great names were known as clans — for instance, Wren.

At the ceremony, we see the Mandalorians organized around flags of various colors and symbols, likely signifying these inner subdivisions. It’s also worth noting that the Armorer walks out flanked by two particularly recognizable symbols — the mythosaur skull that’s come to represent all Mandalorians of this faction, and what appears to be a variant of Boba Fett’s wheat stalk crest.

N1 nostalgia

In the time since "The Book of Boba Fett," Din Djarin seems to have become much more comfortable flying his new starfighter. The rebuilt N1 — famous for being the baseline ship of the Naboo royal fleet — is loaded with nifty gadgets and add-ons, but it also comes packed with plenty of winks and nods to its debut appearance in "The Phantom Menace."

When Din swoops in to save the Mandalorians from the giant monster in Season 3, Episode 1, he kills the beast with proton torpedoes. These iconic weapons go all the way back to the original Death Star run, of course, but they’re also used by Anakin to destroy the Trade Federation’s droid control ship in "The Phantom Menace." Brief shots of the ship’s interior reveal the same sleek controls and readouts seen in the prior film, as first shown in "The Book of Boba Fett." And of course, when Din is attacked by pirates later in the same episode, he evades them by spinning. Hey, that’s a good trick.

Glimpses of the Purrgil

One of the more ethereal moments in "The Mandalorian" Season 3, Episode 1, "The Apostate," comes during a hyperspace voyage. From his bubble cockpit in the new N1, Grogu has a 360-degree view of hyperspace as he and his dad travel through it, and on their way to Nevarro, Grogu notices some looming, shadowy shapes just out of focus beyond the ship. If you’ve seen "Star Wars Rebels," you’ll recognize these strange figures instantly.

Known as the Purrgil, these giant space whales are able to travel through hyperspace naturally. Legends shared by Hera Syndulla in "Rebels" suggest that other species first developed hyperspace travel in an effort to emulate the Purrgil’s abilities. We also know from "Rebels" that the creatures can be connected via the Force, as Ezra Bridger demonstrates on several occasions. Perhaps that’s why Grogu is able to sense them so profoundly.

While the Purrgil aren’t directly discussed in "The Apostate," their appearance seems like a clear setup for later in the season, or for the upcoming "Ahsoka" series. During her cameo appearance in "The Mandalorian" Season 2, Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) reveals that she’s hunting Grand Admiral Thrawn, who was last seen whisked away by Ezra’s Purrgil in the "Rebels" finale. And since Eman Esfandi has already been cast to play Ezra in the upcoming series, it’s safe to assume the Purrgil will return. You have to admit, they look a good bit cooler outside of cartoon land.

Familiar faces on Nevarro

Under the rule of High Magistrate Greef Karga (Carl Weathers), the once-backwater planet of Nevarro has transformed into a thriving trade hub. The automated message that plays as Din lands calls it "the gem of the Outer Rim," and Greef says that it’s becoming a major stop along the heavily-traveled Hydian Way. That might explain why there are so many different sorts of aliens and droids on the planet now, many of which should look familiar to "Star Wars" fans.

There are Mon Calamari, Quarren, and even a cook droid of the same basic style seen in "Attack of the Clones." There are also a few familiar faces from Jabba the Hutt’s Tatooine palace — an EV-series supervisor droid, and a whole tree filled with Kowakian monkeys. Of course, the esteemed Salacious B. Crumb himself, Jabba’s Kowakian pet, is nowhere to be found, since he died along with Jabba in "Return of the Jedi."

One face you might expect to see on Nevarro is mentioned only in name, however: Cara Dune, the former rebel shock trooper played by Gina Carano. Carano was famously fired from "The Mandalorian" after a series of tweets comparing being a Republican to the Holocaust, criticizing safe masking policies during the Covid-19 pandemic, and mocking the LGBTQ+ community. When Greef tells Din he needs a marshal, the Mandalorian asks what happened to Cara. Greef responds that she was recruited into the New Republic special forces after bringing in Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito).

Weequay pirates

How can you tell that Dave Filoni had his hands on a "Star Wars" project? Looking for Weequay pirates is a good start. A group of the infamous racketeers shows up on Nevarro in "The Apostate" and immediately starts causing trouble. To be fair, not every pirate in the gang is Weequay — the spiky-headed race most famous for giving us the inexplicable Hondo Ohnaka in "Clone Wars" and "Rebels." Other races are represented as well, including what appears to be a new live-action Trandoshan design. Din Djarin and Greef Karga do away with the crooks easily enough (with Greef sporting a blaster eerily reminiscent of Han Solo’s), but that’s not the end of them.

The encounter runs Din afoul of Gorian Shand, a self-proclaimed "Pirate King" who later battles the Mandalorian in space. Shand himself is not Weequay, and seems like a sad substitute for good ol’ Hondo, but he does bear a strange resemblance to Davy Jones of "Pirates of the Caribbean" fame. The alien’s green mess of mossy … hair? Tentacles? Seems like a direct reference to the fantasy film franchise, which of course, is also owned by Disney. Avast, here there be questionable franchise crossover opportunities!

The (asset) Terminator

In order to complete his mission of redemption and journey back to Mandalore, Din decides that he needs a droid. He fears that the planet may still be "poisoned," after all. Unfortunately, Din’s traumatic childhood during the Clone Wars has left him with some major droid trust issues. The only one he wants to work with is IG-11, who, inconveniently, is dead. In trying to repair the droid, Din accidentally triggers IG-11’s old programming, prompting him to lash out and attack Grogu. Of course, the droid doesn’t have any legs, so he has to crawl slowly across the floor.

This seems like a direct reference to the end of "The Terminator," in which the titular mechanoid assassin continues its pursuit after having its legs blown off. IG-11 even states his intent to "terminate asset," meaning Grogu. Surely, that’s not a coincidental choice of words. To top it all off, IG’s crawling is animated in a way that almost looks like stop-motion — the technique used for the T-800 in the original "Terminator." It still looks better than that uncanny valley Luke Skywalker in "The Book of Boba Fett," though.

Anzellan droidsmiths

When it becomes clear to Din that he can’t fix IG-11 on his own, he takes him to the experts — Anzellan droidsmiths. That’s right, the same species and profession as "The Rise of Skywalker" breakout star, Babu Frik (Shirley Henderson). While Babu himself doesn’t appear to be present, the Anzellans we do meet have the same charm and no-nonsense attitude.

Babu has become quite the fan favorite since his debut in the 2019 film, possibly because of the dearth of other likable things in it. It’s fun to see the Anzellans return, and also to learn that the whole race is thought of as the best droidsmiths in the galaxy. Is this a culturalized tradition? Or are Anzellans just naturally gifted at working with sentient machines? These great mysteries of Babu Frik’s people remain, but with luck, we’ll get our much-needed Anzellan spinoff series soon. One can only dream.

Shadows of Bo-Katan’s past

At the end of Season 3, Episode 1, Din and Grogu travel to Kalevala to meet with Bo-Katan Kryze. He asks to join her mission to retake Mandalore, but she responds that the faction she built abandoned her after she failed to win the Darksaber. Since Din is the one who now holds the weapon, she clearly resents him, but she seems to resent her people’s superstitious ways even more. "Wave that thing around," she says with clear disgust, "and they’ll do whatever you say."

It’s hard not to take this line as a reference to Mandalore’s tragic history. Bo-Katan’s own sister, Duchess Satine Kryze, was killed by the Darksaber when it was wielded by Darth Maul during the Clone Wars. A faction of Mandalorians followed Maul afterward simply because he had won the blade in combat, allowing him to rule the planet from the shadows. Bo-Katan helped Ahsoka Tano and her Republic forces oust the villain in "The Clone Wars" Season 7, but that didn’t end her or the planet’s troubles.

"Your cult gave up on Mandalore long before the Purge," Bo-Katan tells Din. "The Children of the Watch and all the factions that came before fractured and shattered our people." This statement might sound harsh, but if you’ve watched "The Clone Wars" and "Rebels," you know Bo-Katan’s pain. She watched her planet be torn apart by radicals, terrorists, Separatists, clones, and Imperial occupiers before finally seeing it burned to nothing. Sitting on the throne her sister must have sat on decades prior, Bo-Katan looks like she’s finally fed up with it all. But she still sends Din back to Sundari, the old capital where Satine used to rule.

Boonta Week

You might think Tatooine’s barren landscape wouldn’t generate much festive energy, but that’s far from the truth. In addition to general cantina hangin’ and the thrill of frequent shootouts, the desert planet has at least one major holiday: Boonta Eve. When Din Djarin visits mechanic Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris) in Season 3, Episode 2, the holiday is nigh, and viewers see her complaining to a client (as part of a scam, to be fair) about having to work Boonta Eve.

This isn’t the first time the holiday is mentioned in "Star Wars" canon. The podracing event won by Anakin in "The Phantom Menace" is called the Boonta Eve Classic, so it has long been known as a big day for denizens of Tatooine. According to some "Star Wars" encyclopedias and sourcebooks, the holiday celebrates a Hutt named Boonta who supposedly achieved godhood. According to Peli, it’s mostly an excuse for drinking and carousing in the cantinas.

"The Mandalorian" does add some interesting details to the lore of Boonta Eve, though. Anakin lives in Mos Espa during his childhood, but viewers see through Peli that Mos Eisley also takes the holiday very seriously. There are fireworks when Din and Grogu leave, and Peli alludes to an entire Boonta Week of celebration.

Leaping like a Lurmen

When Din Djarin and Grogu reunite with Peli Motto in "The Mines of Mandalore," Grogu is so happy he literally jumps for joy. The Force flip he does is a nice little nod to Yoda’s own dexterous fighting style, and Peli responds with a deep-cut reference. "Who taught you how to leap like a Lurmen?" she asks, conjuring one of the franchise’s more obscure, offbeat species.

The Lurmen are small, lemur-like creatures native to the planet Mygeeto and debuted in a Season 1 episode of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." As the title suggests, the episode "Jedi Crash" sees three Jedi — Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and Aayla Secura — crash on the planet Maridun. Anakin is severely injured, so Ahsoka and Aayla enlist help from a group of local Lurmens. Led by the strict pacifist Tee Watt Kaa, this faction departed their home system and colonized Maridun in an effort to escape the war. They mostly serve as a pacifist strawman against which the show levies some elementary-school-level philosophizing about violence and war. While certainly not a central species in the grand "Star Wars" mythos, "The Mandalorian" Season 3 shows that they haven’t been forgotten.

R5-D4

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Din Djarin gains a surprising new ally in Season 3 — astromech droid R5-D4. The droid first appeared in the series in Season 2, but he takes on a much more significant role in Season 3 as Din’s official astromech companion. This is indeed the same R5-D4 who debuted in "A New Hope," and "The Mandalorian" adds some interesting details to his canonical story.

R5 is most famous for one thing — nearly becoming a primary droid in the series, but having a "bad motivator" when Luke Skywalker and Owen Lars were in the process of buying him from the Jawas. His poorly maintained machinery made him the Wally Pipp to R2-D2’s Lou Gherig, and it was instead R2 who went on to help save the day and become a galactic hero. What you might not know is that R5 actually blew his motivator on purpose, to ensure R2’s mission was a success.

In the canonical short story, "The Red One," by Rae Carson, featured in the collection, "From a Certain Point of View," it is revealed that R2 tried to sabotage R5 the night before the sale. R5 woke up and noticed the attack, prompting R2 to explain that the fate of the galaxy depended on him escaping the Jawas. In a selfless move, R5 agreed to sabotage himself. Peli Motto says that R5 actually went on to serve in the rebellion after his encounter with R2, which has been alluded to before. Unfortunately, few details exist on the droid’s other courageous actions. Another of Peli’s droids, BD-72, is of the same BD design as "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" character BD-1.

Concordia

After two full seasons and some bonus adventures, Din Djarin and Grogu finally journey to Mandalore in Season 3, Episode 2. There’s a nice scene before they land that has Din pointing out various features of the system, including the moon where he himself grew up: Concordia. While the two don’t actually go there in the episode, "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" visits Concordia frequently.

Most notably, Concordia is the home of Death Watch during the Clone Wars. The rogue faction believed that Duchess Satine Kryze’s pacifist government would destroy what made Mandalore into Mandalore, so they schemed and prepared in secret on Concordia, waiting for the right moment to strike. Since the Children of the Watch — the hyper-zealous group to which Din belongs — spawned from Death Watch later in the "Star Wars" timeline, it makes perfect sense that he would have grown up there.

Bo-Katan also spent a lot of time on Concordia as one of Death Watch’s chief lieutenants. It’s interesting to see how much she despises the group now, given that she helped lead so many of its attacks on Mandalore during the Clone Wars.

The ruins of Sundari

Din’s journey to Mandalore ultimately leads him to the ruins of Sundari, the planet’s old capital city. The "Living Waters" he must bathe in to earn redemption is beneath the city in the old beskar mines. Specifically, Bo-Katan tells him that the mines lay beneath the city’s civic center. While this particular location isn’t mentioned in "The Clone Wars," the animated series does spend quite a bit of time in Sundari.

As the seat of Duchess Satine Kryze’s brief pacifist rule, the city is visited frequently by the likes of Ahsoka Tano and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Death Watch first enters the story by bombing Sundari’s Peace Park, which could be close to the civic center. A lot of time is also spent in the Sundari Royal Palace, where Darth Maul kills Satine and, later, duels Ahsoka.

What might be difficult to discern in "The Mandalorian" without knowledge of "The Clone Wars" is that Sundari was once a fully enclosed dome city, as were most Mandalorian settlements at the time. The planet’s natural landscape was devastated long ago by various wars, which is why the ruins of the city have such a vertical structure to them.

Bo-Katan’s father

After rescuing Din Djarin from the perils of Mandalore’s mines in Season 3, Episode 2, Bo-Katan speaks briefly about her family history. She mentions her own brief rule of the planet, which took place in the immediate aftermath of the Clone Wars, before she was ousted by the Empire. She also discusses her father, calling him "a great man" and saying that he "died defending Mandalore."

Though Bo-Katan and her sister Satine have been key figures in "Star Wars" for years, very little is known about the rest of their family history. In the past, extraneous encyclopedic "Star Wars" books have identified their father as Duke Adonai Kryze, who is said to have been a strong leader, but not much else has ever been revealed. It’s also worth noting that "Star Wars" doesn’t always stay consistent with more obscure sources of lore, even ones that are supposedly canon.

This much is known: Satine took the throne at a young age, probably right after her father’s death. Perhaps he disagreed with her pacifist ideology, prompting Bo-Katan to leave Sundari and join Death Watch. Perhaps it was the manner of their father’s death that initially drove a wedge between the sisters. Regardless, Bo-Katan still bears all the hallmarks of a true Mandalorian warrior in the episode, from her wrist shield and dual blaster pistols to her Kom’rk-class fighter.

The mythosaur

The ending of "The Mandalorian" Season 3, Episode 2 brings a huge revelation. As he attempts to cleanse himself in the Living Waters, Din Djarin plummets deep down into the depths. Bo-Katan leaps in to save him, but on their way back up, they see an impossible sight: a living mythosaur thought to have been extinct for generations.

The mythosaur is known best not for its actual status as a massive, deadly creature, but for becoming the logo of the Mandalorians. The mythosaur skull sigil can be seen across the franchise in reference to the Mandalorians, including in the Armorer’s various workshops. The symbol first appeared in "The Empire Strikes Back" as a decoration on Boba Fett’s armor, and for many years it was associated more with bounty hunters in general than with Mandlorians. In the new canon, however, the symbol has been directly tied to Mandalorian culture.

Bo-Katan goes into that history a bit in the episode, explaining how the original Mand’alor supposedly killed a mythosaur in the Living Waters. Ancient Mandalorians are purported to have ridden the creatures into battle. More intriguing is that the series has previously planted seeds of a prophecy concerning the mythosaur. In "The Book of Boba Fett," the Armorer tells Din, "The songs of eons past foretold of the Mythosaur rising up to herald a new age of Mandalore." Now, it seems only a matter of time before he rides this new one into battle, Darksaber in hand.

TIE Interceptors and Bombers

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Bo-Katan clearly ruffles some feathers with the Imperial Remnant, because they send a full squadron after her at the beginning of "Chapter 19: The Convert." All the time she spent stealing ships is paid back in a full-on assault on her home world of Kalevala. The old Empire doesn’t just end regular TIE Fighters after her, either.

Din and Bo-Katan engage in an exciting dogfight with some TIE Interceptors, an advanced TIE model designed for ship-to-ship combat. TIE Interceptors first appeared in "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" during the Battle of Endor. Since then, they’ve become a staple of "Star Wars" video games and other ancillary stories, probably just because they look so dang cool. After taking down the first deployment of TIE Interceptors with Din, Bo-Katan is forced to watch as three TIE Bombers — first introduced in "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" — destroy her family’s ancestral home. It’s the same kind of ship that bombed Mandalore to oblivion in the Great Purge, which makes this moment hit all the harder.

If you’ve played video game series like "Star Wars: Battlefront" or the "Star Wars: Rogue Squadron" series, one particular line during this dogfight may stand out. "Interceptors are a lot tougher than TIE Fighters," Din remarks after shooting one down. Historically, TIE Interceptors have been portrayed as the Empire’s flimsiest model in video games, sacrificing armor for speed. Still, according to Din, they’re superior in every way.

Fancy flying

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The space battle that opens "Chapter 19: The Convert" is classic "Star Wars." We get TIE cockpit shots, lots of colorful readout screens, and some flashy evasive maneuvers from both Bo-Katan and Din. Bo-Katan pulls off what looks like a Koiogran turn — a high-skill "Star Wars" flying technique — to surprise a pursuer, cutting her engines and spinning on a dime to line up a shot. Din dies something similar on the vertical end, flying straight into the sky before cutting his engines and flipping 180 degrees for a diving attack.

For two ships against a whole squadron, they do impressively well. However, it turns out that it’s not just one squadron that comes after them. The second wave of fighters is even larger than the first, prompting Bo to question how an Imperial warlord could have so many at his disposal. It’s pretty clear that this line is setting up some even bigger future battles — possibly even the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn.

An obscure Star Wars video game reference

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During the dogfight with the TIE Interceptors, Din drops a couple of stray lines that sound like direct references to the "Star Wars: Rogue Squadron" video games. In the second game in the series, 2001’s "Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader," most levels involve you taking out waves of enemy fighters. Your wingmates will call out when you’re close to the end, saying "Two more to go" and "One more to go" as you whittle the TIE Fighters down.

Din says these exact lines to Bo-Katan as they take out the last two TIE Interceptors. While the dialogue is generic enough that it could just be a coincidence, it feels too on the nose. "Rogue Leader" is a beloved classic, and the battle on Kalevala is structured just like one of its levels, with multiple stages, ship changes, and waves of enemy fighters. Plus, it wouldn’t be the first time that the modern "Star Wars" canon has referenced older video games.

From "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" character Darth Revan being mentioned in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" to the Clone Commandos from "Star Wars: Republic Commando" popping up in "Star Wars: The Bad Batch," the franchise loves to pay tribute to its gaming past.

The Galaxies Opera House

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Most of "Chapter 19: The Convert" takes place on Coruscant and follows Dr. Pershing (Omid Abtahi) as he tries to acclimate to life in the New Republic. We first see him giving a speech about how the Amnesty Program for former Imperials has helped him. It’s an interesting scene that takes place in a familiar building.

The red-carpeted theater where Pershing gives his TED talk is the same place where Sheev Palpatine once took Anakin Skywalker to the opera. In "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith," we see the exact same external shot of the orb-like venue — officially known as the Galaxies Opera House — which hangs over the expanse of Coruscant like an expensive Christmas tree ornament. Anakin is also shown running up the same stairs to the theater which Pershing descends in "The Convert." Unfortunately, his tale of redemption and eugenics (more on that in a moment) isn’t quite as enlivening as the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise.

Using the same venue here is a nice touch, as it demonstrates just how little has actually changed for the wealthy residents of Coruscant. "Empire, Rebels, New Republic, I can’t keep track," one rich attendee says to Pershing after his speech. Palpatine may be gone (for the moment), but the people who supported his ascent are still going to the same opulent theater.

Dark history

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Episode 3 of "The Mandalorian" Season 3 is packed with world-building for the New Republic era. In doing so, it borrows heavily from real-world history — specifically, the treatment of Nazis in the wake of World War II.

After Germany was defeated by the Allies in 1945, both the United States and the Soviet Union recruited Nazi scientists for weapon development and their respective space programs. The New Republic’s amnesty program seems incredibly similar, "reintegrating" former Imperials with valuable skills or knowledge. Dr. Pershing, in particular, reads like a Wernher von Braun figure — a Nazi rocket scientist central to America’s own mission to land on the Moon. Von Braun’s image was rehabilitated in the public eye after World War II, and he pitched himself as an innocent victim of Hitler’s regime who merely went along with things to continue his research. In reality, he had been a card-carrying member of the Nazi party whose V-2 missile program relied on slave labor to build rockets.

Pershing uses largely the same excuse in "The Mandalorian," claiming that he was only ever interested in scientific inquiry for the greater good of the galaxy. It’s odd (to say the least) that he’s positioned as such a sympathetic figure, given his similarities with Nazis like von Braun and his highly questionable work. He even says his ideal cloning would take the "best genetic attributes of both donors." Sorry Doc, but that’s just eugenics — another evil philosophy embraced by the Nazis.

Tour scenic Coruscant!

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On the taxi ride home from giving his speech at the Galaxies Opera House, Dr. Pershing gets some travel tips from his droid driver. The friendly robot encourages him to explore some of Coruscant’s famous tourist destinations, including the Skydome Botanical Gardens and the Holographic Museum of Extinct Animals. At the latter, the droid recommends an exhibit on the Mantabog of Malastare, which has previously been mentioned in old "Star Wars" Legends sourcebooks.

The Skydome is also a pull from Legends, previously appearing in novels like "Star Wars: Jedi Search" and "Republic Commando: True Colors." Even the specific attraction the droid names there — the Mysess blossoms — is a reference. The plant is native to the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk and appeared there in the now-defunct MMO video game "Star Wars Galaxies." The Mysess blossoms on Coruscant can also be read as a nod to the famous cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. Both are beautiful foreign flowers brought to spruce up a capital city.

Apparently, all these deep-cut Easter eggs pique Pershing’s interest in Coruscant, as he’s later seen reading an article about the ecumenopolis. The taxi speeder itself is also a design that’s often shown on Coruscant in "Star Wars," as are the driver and police droids seen throughout the episode.

The peak of Umate

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"The Convert" mentions a lot of classic Coruscant landmarks in passing, but it also pays an extended visit to one in particular. Elia Kane (Katy O’Brian) takes Dr. Pershing to Monument Plaza, where he sees the peak of Umate. It might look like a big rock, but it’s actually the top of Coruscant’s tallest mountain, almost entirely buried long ago by the planet’s massive metropolitan sprawl.

This isn’t the first time Umate has been shown onscreen in "Star Wars." It’s previously appeared in an episode of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" set on Coruscant and in books like the sequel trilogy tie-in novel "Star Wars: Aftermath."

Umate’s inclusion in "The Convert" is particularly interesting as it furthers the episode’s message that a lot on Coruscant has remained the same since the Empire fell. Coruscant’s natural landscape was erased ages ago — well before Palpatine was even born. As Elia says to Pershing, "Not much has changed, other than taking down the cogwheels," a reference to the Imperial sigil. The episode even goes so far as to reference the Coruscant Accords — a set of guidelines for Republic systems that predates the prequel era — during one of Pershing’s mandated check-ins.

The more things change in the galaxy, it seems, the more they stay the same — at least on Coruscant.

The Royal Imperial Academy

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During her trip to see Umate with Dr. Pershing in "The Convert," Elia Kane mentions that she spent time on Coruscant before becoming part of the amnesty program. When Pershing asks her about it, she reveals that she trained at "the academy," which is surely a reference to the Royal Imperial Academy that operated in the galactic capital for years.

The Empire had training centers all over the galaxy, but the Royal Imperial Academy was different — a prestigious institution reserved for the best of the best (or worst of the worst, because, ya know, Empire). Former students include the Chiss Grand Admiral Thrawn — who seems due for an appearance in "The Mandalorian" any day now — as well as the "Star Wars Rebels" character Alexsandr Kallus and "Star Wars Battlefront 2" protagonist Iden Versio.

While some former attendees did ultimately rebel against the Empire, it was generally a hub of heightened loyalty. Elia’s admission of having attended the Royal Academy foreshadows her dark actions at the end of the episode.

I hate Taungsdays

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Ever wondered what days of the week are called in the "Star Wars" universe? If you’re a real fanatic, you might already know. But now, thanks to "The Mandalorian," now even casual fans can look forward to Taungsday and Benduday like true galactic citizens.

Benduday and Taungsday, both mentioned in the episode, belong to the Galactic Standard Calendar — a common system based on Coruscant’s own rotations. In the Legends timeline, the calendar had a five-day week that included the two days name-dropped in "The Convert."

Of course, due to every planet having its own unique size, rotational patterns, and cultural history, the supposedly "standard" calendar isn’t quite as ubiquitous as the denizens of Coruscant likely think. Given the context in which Elia Kane says, "Taungsdays, am I right?" in the episode, it seems safe to deduce that it’s not everyone’s favorite day. The old Legends calendar had Taungsday in the middle of the week, but it’s unclear if that’s still the case.

Repurposed Rebel gear

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A galaxy-wide civil war that lasts for decades leaves a pretty heavy footprint of weapons, ships, and gear. "Chapter 19: The Convert" spends a lot of time exploring this idea. Dr. Pershing’s new job under the New Republic’s amnesty program involves cataloging Imperial gear, most of which is set to be destroyed. We later see massive shipyards filled with decommissioned Star Destroyers just sitting in the middle of Coruscant.

While the Imperial gear is getting trashed, old Rebel equipment is apparently still worth using. For instance, the guards who arrest Pershing at the end of "The Convert" wear the same bulbous helmets that the Rebel soldiers in the original "Star Wars" wear. It’s a nice touch, and it makes sense that the New Republic would want to use some Rebel Alliance iconography to rally galactic citizens. However, even some of the Rebels’ old gear is apparently headed for the scrap heap, as Pershing’s supervisors inform him that the Alliance fleet is also getting decommissioned.

It was a trap!

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There is perhaps no "Star Wars" line more heavily memed or spoofed than "It’s a trap!" The iconic declaration uttered by Admiral Ackbar in "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" is as goofy as it is beloved, earning a spot alongside "I don’t like sand" and "I have a bad feeling about this" in the pantheon of memorable "Star Wars" lines. It’s so famous, in fact, that even "Star Wars" itself can’t seem to help to pay homage to it.

After being betrayed by Elia and arrested by New Republic soldiers, Dr. Pershing is strapped into a frightening device that he calls a mind-flayer. The officer (doctor) administering the "treatment" is a Mon Calamari, the same amphibious race as Ackbar. So it’s only fitting that Pershing tries to defend himself by shouting, "It was a trap!"

Is it silly? Yes. Does it undercut what’s otherwise an incredibly dark and affecting moment? A bit. But hey, we gotta get those references in. Otherwise, how will people know it’s "Star Wars"?

Family feud

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When Din Djarin brings Bo-katan Kryze back to his Mandalorian covert in Episode 3 of Season 3, she’s quickly accepted. Despite her own past disagreements with the Children of the Watch, she bathes in the Living Waters, redeems herself in their eyes, and is welcomed into the fold. How well she’ll fit in, however, remains to be seen.

One possible problem is the presence of Paz Vizsla in Din’s group. The massive Mandalorian warrior hails from Clan Vizsla, which is a pretty important part of Mandalore’s history. Tarre Vizsla was the Mandalorian Jedi who first built the Darksaber, and his descendant Pre Vizsla founded Death Watch. Bo-Katan was one of Pre Vizsla’s greatest allies for years, but she ended up turning against Death Watch after it was overtaken by Maul.

Now that she’s back, Paz might have a bone to pick with her. The Vizslas are famous for their warring ways, and the Paz has already challenged Din for the Darksaber once. He’d certainly have some choice words for Bo-Katan’s abandonment of Death Watch and the Way.

Mandalorian training

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Season 3, Episode 4, "The Foundling," opens on a training day for Din and Grogu’s covert. Foundlings and others are shown training in various forms of combat and weaponry, many of which have become synonymous with the warriors of Mandalore. Grogu himself engages in a duel with the darts used by Din and Jango Fett, among others. We also see the famous wrist-mounted flamethrowers, rockets being launched, and a whole lot of knife fighting.

There’s never been any doubt that Din’s covert takes The Way very seriously, but it’s rewarding to see its members all practicing so rigorously together. In a way, this scene is the closest we’ve gotten in the show to the Mandalorians of the old "Star Wars" Legends timeline, where there was never a pacifist era or a Death Watch. There was simply a race of hardened warriors who lived by a creed and longed to fight.

"The Foundling" makes a specific reference to Death Watch as well when the Armorer tells Paz Vizsla to take the "Shriek-Hawk Training Team" on the mission to rescue Ragnar. A dangerous creature native to Mandalore, the shriek-hawk was the symbol of Clan Vizsla during the Clone Wars, when Pre Vizsla ruled Death Watch. Given the nature of the creature that kidnaps Ragnar — which Bo-Katan calls a "raptor" — the team name seems appropriate.

An insatiable appetite for little critters

Oh, Grogu. When are you going to stop nibbling up little critters? To be fair, the answer might be quite soon now that the green guy’s Mandalorian training has begun in earnest. At the start of Episode 4, we see Grogu exploring his new home with the covert, which is situated on the shore of a large body of water. Even though every Mandalorian there knows that there are giant monsters in the water, Grogu doesn’t seem concerned about going right up to the edge. Maybe his and Din’s attack in Episode 1 frightened the beasties off.

Regardless, Grogu is shown doing the same thing he’s done so many times in the previous two seasons — hunting tiny creatures to gobble up. In this case, the targets are a strange breed of rock-shelled crab. However, just as Grogu gets his little green hands on one, his dad pulls him away (rude, right?). He tells Grogu that it’s time to start training with the other Mandalorian foundlings and pushes him straight into a dart duel. This is mostly meant as a funny moment, but it also marks a notable shift for Grogu. As Din says, "playtime’s over."

Grogu’s Jedi skills

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Pitting Grogu against a human child in a combat challenge might seem cruel and ill-considered at first. And yet, the little guy makes his dad proud. Din pits Grogu against Ragnar, who we later learn is Paz Vizsla’s son, in a game of darts. After taking two direct shots to the chest (don’t worry, it’s only paint), Grogu listens to Din’s urgings and uses his Force powers to secure a victory in the third round.

It’s a triumphant moment for the little guy and one that evokes both Yoda and Luke Skywalker. Yoda famously used his small size and agility to disorient opponents, flipping all around and attacking from different angles. This can be seen clearly in his prequel duels with both Count Dooku and Darth Sidious. However, Luke also uses the somersault move quite a bit in the original trilogy, such as when battling Jabba the Hutt in "Return of the Jedi." He modeled the technique for Grogu during their brief time training together in "The Book of Boba Fett." Clearly, the foundling was paying attention.

The Peaks of Kyrimorut

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After the raptor kidnaps Ragnar in "The Foundling," Bo-Katan chases the creature to its nest and returns with the coordinates. She compares the area — a collection of thin, craggy mountains — to the Peaks of Kyrimorut, where she apparently trained in her youth.

This is a deep-cut reference to the Legends timeline. Specifically, it’s a callback to Karen Traviss’ fantastic "Republic Commando" novels. First introduced in "Republic Commando: True Colors," Kyrimorut was a settlement on Mandalore composed of renegades and outcasts. During and immediately after the Clone Wars, it became a bastion for clones who abandoned the army, as their Jango Fett DNA effectively made them Mandalorians.

Reintroducing Kyrimorut into the canon is a fun detail for those who’ve read the books. But of course, it probably still doesn’t exist in the same way it used to. The geography of Mandalore itself has changed a lot in the current canon from what it was in Legends, and the lore surrounding clone deserters has also changed.

Jedi Master Kelleran Beq

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After two and a half seasons of mystery, Season 3’s fourth episode finally shows how Grogu escaped the Jedi Temple during Order 66. While several Jedi sacrifice themselves in order to get him to safety, it’s Master Kelleran Beq who guards him most of the way. If you don’t have kids who also love "Star Wars," you might not know that Kelleran has been a part of the "Star Wars" universe for years. The character debuted in the online "Star Wars" children’s game show "Jedi Temple Challenge," in which he acts as the host. More importantly, both the game show and "Mandalorian" versions of Kelleran are played by Ahmed Best — the same actor who brought Jar Jar Binks to life in the prequel trilogy.

It’s great to see Best get to do some real lightsaber action, even if his purple blade from the show is replaced with a green one. At one point, Kelleran picks up a blue saber from one of his fallen comrades and fights with both, showing why he earned the nickname "The Sabered Hand.". Kelleran’s skills are most impressive, both in terms of fighting and piloting speeders and ships. With a little help, he manages to get Grogu off of Coruscant safely. This answers one of the biggest questions about the little guy, but it also poses new ones. How did Grogu come to be in the Jedi Temple to begin with? And could Kelleran Beq actually still be alive?

Order 66

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The Order 66 flashback in "The Foundling" is clearly traumatic for Grogu, though he does seem to be stronger and more confident after reliving it in the Armorer’s forge. As she tells him, Mandalorians are like the beskar in the forge — strengthened through challenges and tribulations, and eventually hardened into powerful weapons. This explanation seems to help Grogu return to the fall of the temple and accept it as part of his story.

While the whole sequence is obviously tragic for him, it has a lot of little Easter eggs for fans. The blue-accented clones seen fighting in the temple are identical to the ones who storm it with Anakin in "Revenge of the Sith." Later on, after the speeder chase through the city, we also see some of the red-clad Coruscant clones who acted as Palpatine’s personal retinue. Several iconic prequel ships also pop up here, including the clone army speeder bike that Kelleran steals, the LAATi gunships that pursue him and Grogu, and the V-Wing starfighters — visual precursors to the TIE fighters — that chase them into orbit. All of these appear in "Revenge of the Sith," and the gunships in particular feature heavily in "Attack of the Clones."

Though the Order 66 scenes obviously take place during the final film in the prequel trilogy, the speeder pursuit through Coruscant evokes "Attack of the Clones." In that film, Obi-Wan and Anakin chase the bounty hunter Zam Wesell through tunnels and busy traffic lanes, just like the ones Kelleran weaves through to protect Grogu.

A little help from Naboo

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Most Jedi on Coruscant didn’t survive Order 66, but Kelleran and Grogu get by with a little help from their friends — specifically, members of the Naboo royal guard. After evading the pursuing gunships, the two Jedi arrive at a nondescript landing pad. There they meet up with a squad of armed Naboo soldiers, recognizable by their armor and helmets and the distinctive "pew pew" of their blaster pistols. The clones aren’t far behind, so Kelleran and Grogu rush aboard the H-type Nubian yacht parked there and manage to fly it into space.

This whole situation is quite interesting. For one, it seems most probable that Padmé Amidala was behind this Naboo assistance. The only other notable political figures from Naboo on Coruscant at the time would be Palpatine himself and Jar Jar Binks. Surely there are others, but no one is able to summon a royal guard deployment and a Nubian yacht.

The timeline is confusing, though. Kelleran seems to know exactly where he’s going the whole time, which means he would have had contact with the Naboo prior to the chase. But Padmé didn’t know about the temple attack until it was already happening. Maybe she sent some of her guards and a ship to help as soon as she saw the smoke, but that doesn’t explain why they set up so far away. Kelleran calls the Naboo "friends" to Grogu, but they don’t seem to know him at first. Maybe he called in a favor. For now, mystery still surrounds Grogu’s backstory.

Grogu’s mudhorn crest

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Almost as a reward for facing his trauma, Grogu is gifted a new piece of beskar armor in "The Foundling." It’s a simple rondel, which the Armorer fastens atop his beskar chainmail. And of course, it bears the sign of the mudhorn — Din Djarin’s own sigil.

In Mandalorian culture, clans generally share the same sigils. And since Din and Grogu are a "clan of two," it only makes sense for the latter to wear his dad’s icon. It’s also appropriate since Grogu helps Din defeat the mudhorn in Season 1, which is the whole reason the Armorer assigns the symbol to them.

Another fun detail here is that Grogu’s new breast plate is made from the scraps of beskar donated to the foundlings. This custom of sharing spoils with the young, explained by the Armorer in the episode, was introduced all the way back in Season 1 when Din donated some of his own beskar to the same community fund. Seeing Grogu benefit from the system shows how communal the Mandalorians are and emphasizes the strength they’ve built within that community.

Twin moons

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The planet where Din and Grogu’s Mandalorian covert hides out in Season 3 has twin moons, which both appear in crescent form during one shot of "The Foundling." This is clearly meant as a reference to Tatooine’s iconic twin suns, which represent the ever-elusive horizon for both Anakin Skywalker and his son, Luke.

This isn’t the first time "Star Wars" has paid tribute to the twin suns of Tatooine in some other way, but it’s still a cute detail. If you wanted to dig deeper into the metaphor, you could say that the Mandalorians are in currently hiding, so the moon is a more fitting symbol for them. They aren’t yet ready to venture forth to the horizon, as they’re still lurking in the shadows and building strength. But soon, hopefully, they too will rise like the suns of Tatooine and return to their long-abandoned ancestral home on Mandalore.

To save a Vizsla

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Paz Vizsla gets more of a starring role than ever before in "The Foundling," and it’s nice to see. The bulky warrior is voiced by series showrunner, Jon Favreau, who has quite a history with the Vizsla clan. Back when "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" was first airing on Cartoon Network — long before the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm — Favreau voiced Pre Vizsla, leader of Death Watch and wielder of the darksaber.

This episode puts Clan Vizsla front and center by making Paz’s own son, Ragnar, the kidnapped Foundling. And yet, it’s Bo-Katan who devises a plan for his rescue and leads the hunting party to bring him home. This is also significant because of "The Clone Wars," in which Bo served as right hand to Pre Vizsla during her time in Death Watch. She only abandoned the radical group after Pre was killed in combat by Darth Maul, and it’s fun to see Clan Kryze and Clan Vizsla fighting side-by-side again for a common cause.

There’s always a bigger fish

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After an extended airborne chase, the Mandalorians manage to save Ragnar from the raptor that captures him — a beast that bears a striking resemblance to the pterosaurs seen elsewhere in "Star Wars" Legends. Rescuing Ragnar doesn’t defeat the beast, though. For that task, the Mandalorians enlist the help of the giant alligator creature from Season 3, Episode 1.

Din breaks Ragnar free and then knocks the raptor down into the water after inhibiting one of its wings. Once down, it’s quickly gobbled up by the much larger amphibian. This feels like a reference to the first act of "The Phantom Menace," in which Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Jar Jar are chased through the core of Naboo by increasingly large sea monsters that eat each other. As Qui-Gon himself says after a narrow escape, "There’s always a bigger fish." Or, in this case, a bigger raptor.

The signet of the Nite Owl

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At the end of "The Foundling," the Armorer makes a new shoulder pauldron for Bo-Katan. She asks while forging it if she should inscribe "the signet of the Nite Owl." During the Clone Wars, Bo led a sub-group of Death Watch called the Nite Owls, identifiable by their blue armor and distinctive helmet visors. The faction continued fighting for Mandalore’s freedom after maul took the planet, even battling alongside Ahsoka Tano for a time.

Clearly, the Nite Owl symbol still means a lot to Bo. Her armor is basically the same in "The Mandalorian" as it is in "The Clone Wars." However, she chooses to inscribe the sign of the mythosaur on her new pauldron instead. Her encounter with the beast beneath the Living Waters obviously affected her, so it makes sense that she would want to wear both icons.

What exactly the mythosaur logo might signify for her larger story remains to be seen. Bo-Katan mentions her father again in "The Foundling," revealing that he often pushed her to challenge herself in the ways of combat. This stands in stark contrast to Bo’s late sister Satine, who was a strict pacifist. "The Mandalorian" Season 3 keeps circling the Kryze family. Hopefully, we’ll get a more complete picture of what happened to Bo’s father before too long. If she was the one who actually aligned with their father’s ideals, why did Satine take the throne after him?