The Mandalorian Season 3 Rumored To Feature Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Spaceship

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Updated:
The Mandalorian logo, helmet

The Mandalorian Season 2 is opening a brand new chapter in the interconnected narrative of the Star Wars franchise, filling in the gaps in-between the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy of the Skywalker Saga. So far, the show's approach is working since it has the advantage of bringing along notable characters from previous Star Wars projects to the forefront without disrupting the core narrative of the saga. 

The live-action debuts of both Bo-Katan and Ahsoka Tano managed to push the story of The Mandalorian Season 2 forward, but another fan-favorite character, Boba Fett, has yet to make an impact on the adventures of Mando and Baby Yoda. The famous bounty hunter made his shocking return towards the end of “Chapter 9: The Marshal,” but he wasn't featured again in the next batch of episodes. 

As expected, fans are now making their own theories as to why Boba Fett stayed hidden through the years, but a new rumor may offer clues on what the bounty hunter's next plan of action will be in Season 2 and beyond. 

RUMOR

In a report from Making Star Wars, it was seemingly revealed that the Slave 1 will be featured as one of the ships in The Mandalorian Season 2. The report mentioned that a cockpit of the aforementioned ship was “specifically made” for the sophomore run of the show. 

In Star Wars canon, the ship was first used by Jango Fett before the Clone Wars and later by Boba Fett during the reign of the Galactic Empire. 

Meanwhile, it was also shared in the report that the Naboo N-1 Starfighter will be featured during The Mandalorian Season 3, strongly suggesting that Naboo will once again appear after the planet's huge role during the prequel trilogy.

Not only that, but another prequel-era vehicle in the form of “Vespa scooter type speeders” will also arrive during Season 3, and the design is being described as “green and blue with chrome trim.” The outlet did clarify that the Vespa speeders could be for Naboo, but they pointed out that the crew behind The Mandalorian hasn't “built any Naboo sets at this time.”

WHAT THIS MEANS

While the strength of The Mandalorian relied heavily on its self-contained nature during the first season, the show's sophomore run opened up a vast array of possibilities for the show, bringing along compelling guest stars and making strong connections to larger Star Wars canon. This new rumor could suggest that The Mandalorian is sticking to the idea of nostalgia, but it seems that the show aims to redefine what has been established during previous films. 

The Mandalorian already delivered on that promise by reconstructing the narrative centered on Boba Fett, revealing that the famed bounty hunter escaped death during Return of The Jedi. Given Slave 1's inclusion, it appears that more details about Boba Fett's time in Tatooine will be revealed in the final stretch of Season 2. In a way, this makes narrative sense since the short appearance of Boba Fett in the final seconds of “Chapter 9" left fans in the dark, and a resolution needs to be achieved in order to fulfill the wishes of the viewers. 

On top of that, the addition of ships like Naboo N-1 starfighter and Vespa speeders could very well hint that a larger story will take place in Season 3 while also paying homage to the prequel trilogy roots of the aforementioned vessels. Considering the galaxy-spanning quests of Mando and Grogu, it's entirely possible that the runaway duo will eventually wound up in Naboo. 

The strong prequel ties of The Mandalorian have been well-established during “Chapter 12" due to the plot point centered on Baby Yoda's midichlorians, and this rumor very much suggests that the prequel references in “Chapter 12" are only the beginning.

All in all, The Mandalorian is poised to expand its world-building in new and exciting directions while also reintroducing other concepts that were established by previous Star Wars projects. 

- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal
Aeron is a news/features writer and Content Lead for The Direct who has been working for the site since March 2020. From writing about the inter-connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to having an extended knowledge about DC TV's Arrowverse, Aeron's expertise has since expanded into the realm of reality TV, K-drama, animated, and live-action shows from Netflix,  Disney+, Prime Video, MGM+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Max. When he isn't writing and watching all things MCU, Aeron is heavily invested with the NBA (go Celtics!) and occasionally watches thrilling matches in the WWE.