The Book of Boba Fett released in December 2021, a time slot that many fans previously believed would be filled by Season 3 of The Mandalorian. It was confirmed that the latter wouldn't come out until late 2022 at the very earliest, which prompted viewers to wonder if it would be two years before they got to see the duo of Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin and Grogu on-screen again. However, Din's story ended up being continued in multiple episodes of The Book of Boba Fett, which worked as an actual setup for The Mandalorian's third installment.
In Episode 5 of The Book of Boba Fett, Mando was the star of the show. The entire episode revolved around him and his struggles with leaving Grogu in the hands of Luke Skywalker. He returned to Emily Swallow's The Armorer in an attempt to regroup with his Mandalorian creed but was cast out after she learned that he had broken one of their most crucial rules when he took his helmet off and let others see his face.
At Star Wars Celebration, Season 3 of The Mandalorian finally got an official release window of February 2023, giving fans something to look forward to for the beginning of the year. An official teaser also came along with the announcement, but it was only available to the people attending the event.
The Mandalorian Season 3 Footage Shown at Star Wars Celebration
An official teaser trailer for Season 3 of The Mandalorian was shown exclusively at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California. The footage was only played for attendees of the convention and has not been released to the general public yet.
The teaser revealed that Katee Sackhoff's Bo-Katan Kryze will be returning in an antagonistic role likely due to Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin being in possession of the Darksaber instead of her. It is said that she also communed with Grogu in the released footage, asking him "Did you think your father was the only Mandalorian?" It was also said that she is sitting atop a throne and will have a different hairstyle than what fans are used to seeing.
It was also confirmed in the teaser that Mando will be venturing to the planet Mandalore with Grogu to be "forgiven for his transgressions" after being kicked out of his creed in The Book of Boba Fett. Emily Swallow's the Armorer was in the teaser as well, appearing unhappy that Din took off his helmet.
Carl Weathers' Greef Karga also made an appearance along with Omid Abtahi's Dr. Pershing, and the New Republic seems to be getting involved for the upcoming season.
Din Djarin's Journey in The Mandalorian Season 3
Episode 5 of The Book of Boba Fett pretty much played as the Season 3 premiere of The Mandalorian. Boba Fett didn't even have any screentime in the episode, and Din's future was obviously the main focus. By doing this, executive producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni were able to get a good chunk of exposition out of the way so that they can hit the ground running when Season 3 actually does premiere.
As far as the details of the released footage go, it seems as though Bo-Katan is more upset about Din's possession of the Darksaber than what fans previously thought. In the Season 2 finale, when Mando beats Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon in a duel, gains the Darksaber, and becomes the rightful ruler of the Mandalorian people, Bo-Katan really didn't have any time to process what her next move would be. Many viewers theorized that she would work together with Din and possibly have a place at his side to counsel him, but it seems as though she may rally the troops and try to oppose him.
Arguably the biggest piece of information that the teaser hints at is that Mandalore will be the main setting for Season 3. After Din was cast out of his creed in The Book of Boba Fett, The Armorer told him that he would be accepted back in if he journeyed beneath the mines on the planet and cleansed himself in the waters. The released footage blatantly tells viewers that he is going to do just that, and it is likely that that is where he will cross paths with Bo-Katan.
The return of Greef Karga is no surprise, as he and Mando have become close allies throughout the series, but Dr. Pershing having a role suggests that fans may finally learn more about Grogu's origin, and most importantly, why he is so significant to Moff Gideon and the remnants of the Empire.
Now that an official release window for Season 3 has been announced, everyone can start counting down the days until The Mandalorian returns to Disney+.
