The Direct has ten predictions for what could happen in the imminent Season 3 finale of The Mandalorian on Disney+.
This season may have been a divisive one for The Mandalorian after the show suffered its weakest performance yet, but excitement is high for the finale after the last episode ended on a shocking twist cliffhanger.
Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 7, "The Spies."
The mission to retake Mandalore ended with the Mandalorians being ambushed by a beskar armor-wearing Moff Gideon, Paz Vizsla meeting his demise, and even Din Djarin being taken as prisoner.
So, what comes next for The Mandalorian Season 3 after that crazy cliffhanger?
1.) Thrawn Makes His Big Debut
Grand Admiral Thrawn will soon make his live-action debut as the lead villain of Ahsoka, once again played by his Rebels voice actor Lars Mikkelsen, and there's a chance he pops up in The Mandalorian ahead of time to set up the Jedi spin-off.
The Chiss genius - who was revealed in Ahsoka's first trailer - was mentioned by Moff Gideon in the penultimate episode, with his comrades promising that his imminent return will "herald in the re-emergence" of the Empire's military.
Gideon's Empirical meeting may have just been to lay the groundwork for Ahsoka, but this could also have been preparing for the finale. Giancarlo Esposito's villain did seem to be seeking a leadership bid against Thrawn, which may set up his return to shut down the competition and perhaps even put an end to Gideon.
2.) Disney+'s Ahsoka Gets Teased
But Thrawn isn't the only character who could appear to set the stage for Ahsoka, as the upcoming spin-off has a packed cast of Star Wars icons, including marking the live-action debut for much of the animated Rebels crew.
With Bo-Katan gathering Mandalorians from all clans to aid in the retaking of Mandalore, many have been speculating all season long that Rebels' Sabine could show up ahead of her role in Ahsoka, and the finale may be the place for that.
When The Book of Boba Fett was coming to pass, Season 2 of The Mandalorian included a post-credits scene to announce the show, tease its plot, and confirm a release window. Perhaps Ahsoka could receive similar treatment to get viewers excited for the MandoVerse's next entry with a brief stinger or even a clip of the show.
3.) The Mandalorian's Major Death
Din Djarin body double Brendan Wayne recently teased a heartbreaking finale for Season 3 with his cryptic hint that "might just hurt too much," which likely points to one thing, and one thing only, the death of a fan-favorite character.
So, who is likely to die in The Mandalorian finale? Well, any of the villains like Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon or Katy O'Brian's Elia Kane are probably off the table, as it would be tough to see that as in any way heartbreaking.
Pedro Pascal's Din took a backseat for much of this season due to the actor's commitment to HBO's Last of Us, and as his Hollywood rise continues, he'll only get busier. Does The Mandalorian have the guts to kill off its original lead? Probably not, largely due to how integral his dynamic with Grogu is to the show.
Some other possibilities could include the likes of Bo-Katan, setting up Din to rule Mandalore in her place, Boba Fett, or Grogu - but the chances of that last one are near-non-existent as he is a child who drives huge merchandise sales.
Taking another heartbreaking route outside of deaths, this season introduced the Mind Flayer as a device used by the Empire to erase memories, and it did so for a reason. Dr. Pershing was the first victim of this, but perhaps it will next be used on Din, clearly his memories of Grogu in what would be a tear-jerker moment.
4.) Boba Fett Joins the Fight
Going into the Season 3 finale, Bo-Katan and other Mandalorians will likely be putting together a rescue plan to get Din Djarin back from Moff Gideon's clutches. This task will require all the help they can get... Enter Boba Fett.
Boba Fett and Din Djarin fought side-by-side in the character's Disney+ spin-off, with the latter tagging along to help deal with Tatooine's Pyke Syndicate problem free of charge as a favor to a friend and ally.
With the two having clearly developed a bond, it makes sense that he would come along to assist in the rescue, perhaps bringing along Ming-Na Wen's Fennec Stand and Timothy Olyphant's Cob Vanth for the ride.
The premiere even laid the groundwork for Vanth to come back as the next Marshall of Nevarro, while Boba Fett briefly appeared in an international promo for Season 3, making this prediction a likely one.
5.) A Mandalorian Traitor Emerges
Season 3, Episode 7 came with the title "The Spies," which left many waiting for a traitor to emerge amongst the Mandalorians. And yet, such a traitor was never revealed, leaving many to wonder what that title was all about.
Many fans have their sights set on the Armorer, who seemed suspicious for a long time and oddly departed the Mandalorian group just before Moff Gideon's ambush. But the use of "spies" plural in the last title might imply that, if it was pointing to an upcoming reveal, there may be more than one traitor.
The existing Mandalorian group was joined by plenty of newcomers in that episode, including Axe Woves' mercenaries, the survivors they met on Mandalore who guided them to the forge, and countless other Mandos who Bo-Katan was able to gather for their endeavor.
Truly any of these people could be traitors, but something continues to be suspicious about the Armorer. Hopefully, all will become apparent in the finale and fans won't be kept waiting until Season 4 for answers.
6.) Grogu Saves the Day
The Mandalorian recently gave Grogu an exciting upgrade as he was placed in the chest of IG-12 - a repurposed IG-11 assassin droid that Din Djarin's child companion can now control and speak through.
In Episode 7, Grogu's sweet new ride was mostly played for laughs, but it's important to remember IG-12 started out as an assassin droid. So, Baby Yoda may now be able to control his droid into battle and get involved in some action.
After Din spent the end of Season 2 on a mission to rescue Grogu from Moff Gideon, perhaps the roles can now reverse this season, with the little force user helping to free his adopted father from the Empire's clutches.
7.) The New Republic Arrives on Mandalore
When The Armorer left Mandalore to help treat the injured ahead of Moff Gideon's ambush, she departed with, what appeared to be, the only ship on the planet. With Din Djarin captured, Paz Vizsla dead, and the rest of the Mandalorians having only narrowly escaped, the group is going to need some help.
This will undoubtedly be the point where many jump right to Luke Skywalker, and as exciting as it would be to see the fan-favorite Jedi back again, the notion of him showing up in two season finales in a row to save the day seems rather ridiculous.
As mentioned earlier, it wouldn't be surprising to see Boba Fett show up with Fennec Shand, Cob Vanth, and other members of his crew, but that probably wouldn't be enough to fight off Gideon and his beskar-adorned battalion.
With the MandoVerse movie confirmed to explore the escalating war between the New Republic and Imperial remnants, the former will have to become aware of a bigger threat at some point soon. Maybe that could all start with Carson Teva leading a mission to assist against Gideon on Mandalore.
8.) The Mythosaur Enters the Fray
The whole of Season 3, and arguably all of The Mandalorian up until this point, has been building toward retaking Mandalore under the rule of Bo-Katan. Clearly, the Empire is eager to prevent this from happening, hence Moff Gideon's intense and damaging ambush of the group of Mandalore.
The Mandalorians may have hit a roadblock and even lost some of their own in the process, but they will undoubtedly be looking for a way to bounce back in the finale. Perhaps this could involve finally taming the giant Mythousaur that Bo-Katan saw in the Living Waters beneath Mandalore.
Ancient prophecies foretold the "Mythosaur rising up to herald a new age of Mandalore," and that new age may be on its way in the finale. This could see Bo-Katan fulfilling her birthright in taming the beast and maybe even riding it into battle as the Mandalorians' chief weapon against the Empire.
Then again, retaking Mandalore currently seems to be the primary focus of the series, while the MandoVerse as a whole builds toward a war between Imperial remnants and the New Republic. So, this epic conflict could be saved for Season 4 which will apparently conclude much of the series' current storytelling.
9.) Sequel Trilogy Connections Unfold
The Empire may have fallen in Return of the Jedi, but by the time of The Force Awakens, around 30 years later, the First Order has firmly taken its place. With the MandoVerse diving deep into that era between the Skywalker Saga trilogies, the groundwork is clearly being laid for the First Order.
For one, Dr. Pershing was working on cloning under Moff Gideon and the Empire, potentially revealing the early days of the program that would create Snoke and resurrect Palpatine. And secondly, the show clearly showed the Imperial remnants working together to form something larger.
The hidden emergence of the First Order and The Mandalorian's sequel trilogy connections only became clearer with the reveal of the Shadow Council, a group of Imperial leaders working together, right under the noses of the New Republic, under the guise of simply being unorganized warlords.
One member of that council, Brendol Hux, was among the founders of the First Order in 15 ABY, only around four years after Season 3 is taking place. So, one can only wonder how long it will be before the First Order name is finally dropped in The Mandalorian, perhaps it may come sooner than some may think.
10.) A Massive Cliffhanger for Season 4
The Mandalorian has already begun development on Season 4, with Jon Favreau even having confirmed he has finished writing the Disney+ follow-up. So, fans should not expect a round ending with the Season 3 finale, there are still many dangling plot threads and questions that will undoubtedly be saved for the future.
Before Season 2 began airing, Moff Gideon's Giancarlo Esposito teased how Seasons 3 and 4 will be "where you’re really gonna start to get answers." This clearly suggests there will still be plenty of questions left to answer after the credits roll on the finale, after which there's no telling when the next season will come.
Between rescuing Din Djarin, retaking Mandalore, revealing a traitor, and any potential future MandoVerse set-up, the Season 3 finale may just have too much to resolve in one episode. There will likely still be many dangling threads and perhaps even a dramatic cliffhanger to leave viewers' jaws on the floor ahead of Season 4.
The Mandalorian Season 3 finale will premiere on Wednesday, April 19, exclusively on Disney+.
