Before you know it, Star Wars fans throughout the galaxy will be sitting down in front of their TV screens to start Season 2 of Disney+'s The Mandalorian. There isn't much time before the sophomore season of Jon Favreau's Emmy-nominated space western picks up where it left off, set to debut on October 30 – which means that it's totally reasonable if you don't get the chance to sit back and rewatch how everything panned out for Mando and Baby Yoda in the show's first run.
Although it doesn't take more than a few hours to blow through Season 1 of The Mandalorian, time is of the essence, and so it might be easier to take a look at this list of seven things to remember before the series returns later this fall.
What's Left Of The Empire Is Seeking Baby Yoda Because Of The Child's Force Sensitivity
It has been nearly a year since we first met Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), also known as "Mando," and The Child, better known as "Baby Yoda," in the Season 1 premiere of The Mandalorian, and it didn't take anyone long to figure out that the remnants of the Intergalactic Empire wants to clone the 50-year-old toddler to harness his mysterious powers. These powers become apparent throughout the first season, increasing in strength until near the end when he not only cures Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) of poisoning, but also blocks a Stormtrooper's flamethrower from killing the rest of his party. With abilities of this strength with little to no training whatsoever, one can only imagine what the Empire would plan on doing with a clone or a clone army from The Child's genetic material.
Din Djarin Wasn't Actually Born On Mandalore
Despite having a set of Mandalorian armor and adhering to the codes and customs of the clan of masked warriors, Din Djarin wasn't actually born on Mandalore but instead rescued by a tribe of Mandalorian warriors soon after his parents were murdered by battled droids during the Clone Wars. This is alluded to briefly throughout Season 1 of The Mandalorian but doesn't become fully revealed until the season finale, at which point it's explained that Din was treated as a "foundling" and raised in the way of their culture. One of the main customs of the clan is the oath to never reveal one's face to any living being, though Mando does take off his helmet to be healed by IG-11 shortly before the droid's death.
Mando Ended Season 1 By Setting Off To Discover Baby Yoda's Origin
Say what you will about the middle chapters of Season 1 of The Mandalorian, but the final two episodes provided some of the most memorable moments in recent Star Wars history, including the partnership of Din Djarin and The Child, which, thanks to the guidance of The Armorer (Emily Swallow), has become more like father-and-son than anything else. Before the pair escaped with the rest of the small ragtag group of mercenaries, The Armorer declared that Baby Yoda to be a foundling and that Mando would care for him just as the Mandalorian tribe did for him so long ago. In the final moments of the first season, Mando and Baby Yoda are seen flying off into space on a hunt to find The Child's home planet and learn more about his powerful and mysterious species (which we still know nothing about).
Greef Karga And Cara Dune Formed Some Kind Of Working Relationship
The partnership between Din Djarin and The Child wasn't the only bond formed at the tail end of Season 1 of The Mandalorian, as Greef Karga and Cara Dune (Gina Carano) agreed to work with one another in the Bounty Hunters' Guild with Dune serving as the guild leader's personal enforcer. The former shock trooper previously worked alone besides a few run-ins with Mando and Baby Yoda periodically through the show's first season, so it remains to be seen how the relationship between Dune and Karga will work out or when she will reunite with her old mercenary buddy and the 50-year-old toddler that nearly choked her to death during a friendly test of strength.
Ahsoka Tano Is On The Way
Okay, Okay, Ahsoka Tano, the former Padawan of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Clone Wars wasn't featured or even mentioned in Season 1 of The Mandalorian, but the dual lightsaber-wielding protagonist from the long-running animated series will be appearing in the upcoming season of the Disney+ show so now is the perfect time to prepare for her arrival. With Rosario Dawson set to bring the character to life and the awesome theory about her character's possible connection to Baby Yoda, there's plenty to get excited about regarding the former Jedi-in-training's debut. And while it's still not known how Ahsoka Tano will fit into the plot of the show's second season, it is amazing to see Jon Faverau reach out and attempt to form a larger connection to other properties within the Star Wars universe and bring the character into the live-action realm for the first time.
Moff Gideon Is Alive And Angrier Than Ever
When Din Djarin and The Child set out on their next set of adventures at the end of Season 1, they presumably don't know that Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) is alive and angrier than ever. After their ship left the planet and perhaps even the galaxy, the mysterious villain was shown cutting his way out of the wreckage of his modified TIE Fighter with the ominous and equally mystifying darksaber. Judging by the expression on his face, and everything that led to that moment, it doesn't look like Gideon has any intention on letting Mando and Baby Yoda get too far. Speaking of the darksaber…
Gideon's Darksaber Has Ties To The Star Wars Mythos
Judging by comments Giancarlo Esposito made during a conversation with Deadline in July 2020, the darksaber looks to be a crucial part of Season 2 of The Mandalorian. During that interview, the Breaking Bad star posed a series of questions about the origin of the unique weapon before stating that it is key to the story that will be told in The Mandalorian's sophomore year.
For those who haven't watched The Clone Wars or Star Wars Rebels, the darksaber is a unique black-bladed weapon that was first created by a Mandalorian within the Jedi Order and ended up being passed around by all kinds of villains over the years. It eventually ended up being used by Bo-Katan Kryze to fight the Empire, as depicted in Rebels. Kryze will be appearing in The Mandalorian and will be portrayed by Katee Sackhoff, who previously voiced the character.
Hopefully, this refresher helps things make more sense as we look toward Season 2 of The Mandalorian. You can check out all the latest on what we know about the new crop of episodes, the Fall 2020 TV Premiere Schedule, and as well as other great articles about the Disney+ show here at CinemaBlend. The second season of the Star Wars series will be available to subscribers on October 30, so stay tuned for more of our coverage.
