The Mandalorian Season 3 Finale Removed This Key Scene (Photos)

By Richard Nebens Posted:
The Mandalorian Moff Gideon clone

Star Wars and Lucasfilm deleted a wild scene from the Season 3 finale of The Mandalorian on Disney+ that we wish was left in.

Chapter 24 of The Mandalorian wound up as something of a disappointment for many fans, largely due to Moff Gideon's story being rushed across the chapter's 39-minute runtime, the third-shortest of the season.

Although the final battle between Gideon and Bo-Katan Kryze ended in drama with the Darksaber being destroyed, the events leading up to it were filled with some plotholes that were never resolved before Gideon's presumed death.

The Mandalorian, Din Djarin
Star Wars

In The Mandalorian Season 3 finale entitled "The Return," Din Djarin and Grogu infiltrated Moff Gideon's base and found out the secret behind Gideon's own venture into cloning.

Moff Gideon clone in The Mandalorian finale
Star Wars

Eventually, the pair managed to destroy birthing chambers and kill the Gideon clones, which stopped the villain's intricate plan before fans even learned much about his motivations for putting it into action.

The Mandalorian
Star Wars

Now, thanks to Giancarlo Esposito's latest Instagram post two weeks after the finale's airing, new behind-the-scenes pictures show deleted moments of Gideon walking through the chamber after it had been destroyed.

The Mandalorian, Moff Gideon
Instagram

This deleted scene would have filled in some of the gaps for Gideon's story in the season finale, which would've made the episode more coherent and allowed for a bit more time focused on such an important clone reveal.

Moff Gideon, The Mandalorian
Instagram

How Will The Mandalorian Learn from Season 3's Shortcomings?

With plenty of disappointment felt all around in the Season 3 finale, even by some of the actors in the new chapter itself, it's clear that Star Wars should look at how much material is included in each episode, especially a season-ender.

And with plenty of time still remaining until the MandoVerse comes to an end, Lucasfilm is sure to look at reception to this last chapter as inspiration for what's coming in the next few years.

Currently, creator Jon Favreau and his team are hard at work developing the story for Season 4, which should have plenty of surprises in store with Din Djarin now settled in on Nevarro.

And with the newly-named Din Grogu now officially adopted by Din Djarin, there will be plenty of new family dynamics to explore when the show inevitably comes back.

The first three seasons of The Mandalorian are now streaming on Disney+.

- About The Author: Richard Nebens
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.