The next sage contains spoilers for The Mandalorian Season 3, Episode 2, “Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore”
Thru two seasons and alternate of The Mandalorian, and some episodes of The E-book of Boba Fett, now we possess heard some rumblings in regards to the planet Mandalore—the residence planet of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), and The Armorer (Emily Swallow), that was once said to be left in ruins following an Imperial attack. However after the events of The E-book of Boba Fett, our pricey very finest friend Mando may perchance additionally easiest redeem his transgressions (laying aside his helmet to fraction about a moments with cute shrimp Puny one Yoda/Grogu) by heading to Mandalore to bathe in the planet’s residing waters.So in Season 3, Episode 2, “The Mines of Mandalore,” we at closing headed there—and noticed Mandalore for ourselves.
When Mando arrived, with Grogu and an R5-D4 droid courtesy of Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris) in tow, Mandalore with out a doubt did no longer look for sizable. He remarked that it was once “once green and engrossing,” however as he made his come all of the intention down to the outside, found that the air is breathable and while Mandalore isn’t any longer what it outmoded to be, there’s tranquil rather a lot occurring. That “rather a lot occurring,” sadly, contains some beasts, and some cybernetic lifestyles that sadly captured Din, main Grogu to hope to plug acquire some abet off-planet from Bo-Katan.
Followers of the Star Wars animation (and of us who’ve seen The Mandalorian Season 2) already know that Bo-Katan is a predominant badass, so it comes as no surprise that, while it took a minute, she was once ready to rescue Din (and did some sizable work with the Darksaber at the 2nd). Alternatively, Mando remained committed to his quest for redemption—and so she led him to the aforementioned waters. In those waters, even supposing, issues did no longer plug in accordance to devise. Din received dragged deep below, and Bo-Katan once more dove to set him.
She was once a success, however no longer before seeing a beast that looked suspiciously admire the Tulkun from Avatar: The Arrangement of Water (it be received to be one thing about that glance). This has nothing to make with broad blue of us or the planet of Pandora even supposing; Bo-Katan is startled on story of that is, indeed, a Mythosaur.
Mythosaurs are presupposed to be extinct—and whenever you may additionally’t repeat from Bo-Katan’s reaction, the presence of this one adjustments beautiful about the entire lot.
What is a Mythosaur?
While the image of the Mythosaur we received in “The Mines of Mandalore” with out a doubt appears to be like to be admire the Tulkun from Avatar: The Arrangement of Water (aka: Space Whales), the Mythosaurs are if truth be told extra admire Space Wooly Mammoths, with piquant tooth and colossal, downward-pointing horns. These beasts are presupposed to be lengthy-extinct, however had been believed to proceed on Mandalore thousands of years earlier; the first Mandalorians supposedly tamed them and even rode them.
Their image and likeness has shown up in The Mandalorian nook of the Star Wars-verse. The Armorer uses their symbol as a decoration in her residence, and there may be also a Mandalorian weapon named after them known as the Mythosaur Axe (doubtlessly due to how piquant it is a long way, so, hi there, Bo-Katan and Mando, keep a long way from those tooth).
The set possess we seen a Mythosaur before in Star Wars?
The image of the Mythosaur goes assist a lengthy are accessible in the Star Wars canon. We at the delivery first noticed it illustrated on the shoulder pad of Boba Fett’s Mandalorian armor in every The Empire Strikes Support (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). It was once further illustrated in between those movies in the Shock Comics-produced Star Wars #69.
Alternatively, when Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, with regards to all of the Star Wars Expanded Universe up till that level was once re-established as “Legends,” or: no longer canon. Launch air of the movies and some issues right here and there (sharp sequence, etc), this was once a tense reset.
The Mythosaur was once established later, even supposing. When Mando met Kuiil (voiced by Slash Nolte) assist in Season 1 of The Mandalorian, he referred to how Din’s ancestors outmoded to tear Mythosaurs thousands of years in the past—on story of Mando may perchance additionally barely handle riding a critical-smaller beast known as a Blurrg.
What does the Mythosaur’s presence mean for The Mandalorian sage going forward?
When Din met with the Armorer and realized of his transgressions and ideas to redeem himself (by bathing in the Residing Waters of Mandalore), she also knowledgeable him of a pair of prophecies. In a single, she talked about that whoever wields the Darksaber would rule all of Mandalore. Protected to suppose that’s already been properly-established in The Mandalorian and The E-book of Boba Fett.
However the presence of the Mythosaur makes her 2nd prophecy critical extra linked: “The songs of eons past foretold of The Mythosaur rising up to herald a new age of Mandalore.” She said that Mythosaurs easiest exist in “Legends,” which was once a cheeky nod to the erased past Star Wars canon, however also knowledgeable us that these beasts weren’t round. Properly, now they’re.
So this form about a issues. Let’s display that nearly without prolong after he “bathed” in the waters—aka: was once redeemed—Mando was once pulled down by the Mythosaur. Smooth slate!
However we also wish to connect in tips every of the aforementioned prophecies working collectively. The Mythosaur has risen, and that intention we’re coming into a new age of Mandalore. However who will lead them? Who will wield the Darksaber? “The Mines of Mandalore” confirmed that Bo-Katan is clearly better with the blade than Din. However will the two battle it out? Clearly, Bo-Katan resents Mando for being the rightful proprietor (even supposing her taking the Darksaber as the unrightful proprietor is arguably what “cursed” the planet in the first blueprint).
Long sage fast? The Mythosaur is less a beast or a monster, and further a signal of issues to come assist. Essentially, a possible energy battle between our two Mandalorian heroes.
Evan is the culture editor for Men’s Health, with bylines in The New York Times, MTV Data, Brooklyn Journal, and VICE. He loves habitual movies, watches too critical TV, and listens to tune extra continually than he doesn’t.
