From Dark troopers to butterflies to a parade of classic Star Wars ships, the newest episode of The Mandalorian was packed with references and Easter eggs.
This week’s episode of The Mandalorian, “Chapter 14: The Tragedy,” was filled with shocking moments! Din Djarin and Grogu reach Tython and use the seeking stone to (possibly) contact other Jedi. They are interrupted when Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) arrive on Tython, and things get wild from there.
If you could steady yourself enough to look around during this emotional rollercoaster, you might have noticed some well-hidden Easter eggs referencing other parts of the Star Wars mythology. And if you didn’t, we’re here to get you up to speed.
The Mandalorian chapter 14 – Disney Plus
Tython’s history
Last week, Ahsoka Tano sent Mando off to the planet of Tython so Grogu could use the seeing stone to communicate with Jedi across the galaxy. This episode cuts to the chase and begins with the pair landing on the planet. It’s located in the Deep Core and has a connection to the Jedi Order…or at least it did in the extended Star Wars universe, also known as Star Wars Legends. Disney rendered the Legends stories non-canonical when it bought Lucasfilm, but hey, Grand Admiral Thrawn was part of the Legends universe and he was brought into Star Wars Rebels and got mentioned on The Mandalorian last week, so clearly parts of it can come back.
Historically, Tython was the birthplace of the Jedi Order. It has one of the first — if not the first — Jedi temples. Under the Disney canon, planets like Ahch-To are at least as important to Jedi history as Tython, but whether Tython is the most important place to the Jedi or merely among the most important, it makes little difference: this place matters.
Compared to the Legends version of Tython, which featured impressive mountains and vibrant skies, the show’s version of the planet is a lot less lively, with desert shrubbery and a plain blue sky. There weren’t any other structures on the planet aside from the seeing stone, which is disappointing considering the planet’s connection to the Jedi.
Hopefully, we’ll learn more about the planet in the future. What we’re more concerned about right now is who’s coming for Grogu.
Blue butterflies
Before Grogu uses the seeing stone, he’s surrounded by several blue-winged butterflies. These butterflies have appeared in Star Wars before, mainly on the moon of Endor, and are primarily used as messengers. This could a little tongue-in-cheek reference to Grogu trying to send a message to other Force users in the galaxy…or it could offer a bit of foreshadowing.
In a recent episode of the cartoon series Star Wars Roll Out, which portrays characters as rolling balls, a young Ben Solo developed an interest in blue butterflies. Fans have speculated that the blue butterfly represents Ben’s turn to the Dark Side as Kylo Ren, his redemption, and his death.
Hopefully, Grogu won’t follow a similar path, but he did lash out at some Stormtroopers at the end of the episode. Last week, Ahsoka mentioned that Grogu’s attachment to Mando made him dangerous and more susceptible to the Dark Side, so maybe we’re seeing his first steps to becoming a more intimidating, and possible ill-intentioned, Force user.
That being said, this is all speculation, and the blue butterflies could just symbolize a message being delivered. Or they could just be colorful. We Star Wars fans can get carried away with our theories sometimes.
Jango Fett
There were many references throughout the episode to Boba Fett’s father, Jango Fett, both of whom are played by Temuera Morrison. The bounty hunter from Attack of the Clones is responsible for the Old Republic’s clone army and raised a clone as a son, that clone being Boba.
After Mando retrieves Boba’s armor from Cobb Vanth in the season 2 premiere, Boba tracks him to Tython, confronting him and demanding the armor back. Boba says the armor belonged to his father, and now it’s his.
After Mace Windu killed Jango in Attack of the Clones, Boba held his father’s helmet in his hands. In the Clone Wars animated show, there’s a storyline where Boba tried to hunt down and kill Windu and avenge his father’s death. It’s safe to say Boba had a strong relationship with his father.
We even learn that Jango is Mandalorian! Like Mando, he was a foundling, and he served in the Mandalorian Civil Wars before finding a home on Kamino. It seems like this information is all Mando needed, because he lets Boba keep the armor. Jango’s status as a Mandalorian was always vague, but it’s nice to have it confirmed.
Boba’s line, “I’m a simple man making his way through the galaxy, like my father before me,” is a cute little nod to both Jango and Luke Skywalker. The first half of the quote is a direct reference to a line Jango said in Attack of the Clones, and the second half is reminiscent of Luke’s line, “I am a Jedi, like my father before me,” from Return of the Jedi.
Star Wars loves its familial connections, huh?
Starships on parade
This episode featured many starships: iconic ships, unfamiliar ships, ships blasted to smithereens (RIP Razor Crest, You will be missed), you name it! Let’s break down all the ships we saw.
First, we saw one of the most recognizable ships in Star Wars history: the Slave I, Boba Fett’s ship first seen in The Empire Strikes Back. Shortly after Mando places Grogu on the seeing stone, the Slave I lands on Tython, and we all knew something was about to go down. It was nice seeing the ship in action again, and we’re sure we’ll see more of it since Mando’s Razor Crest is out of commission.
Next, before Mando and Boba can strike a deal, carrier ships filled with Stormtroopers touch down on the surface of Tython and start attacking the trio. If these carriers look familiar, it’s because they appeared in the first scene of The Force Awakens. After Poe Dameron retrieves the map to Luke Skywalker from Lor San Tekka, the village is attacked by Kylo Ren and First Order troopers. Finn was transported in one of these carrier ships, and we get a better look at them from the inside during the scene where Captain Phasma confronts him after he takes off his helmet.
Finally, when Boba was chasing down the Dark Troopers in the Slave I, we got a better look at Moff Gideon’s ship. We now know it is an Arquitens-class light cruiser. Sleeker and slimmer than an Imperial Star Destroyer, the Galactic Republic primarily used this ship during the Clone Wars, and it was so successful during that era that it was kept in service during the reign of the Galactic Empire.
Mando is bound to get a new ship soon. But for now, let’s have a moment of silence for the Razor Crest.
Dark troopers confirmed!
In “Chapter 12: The Siege,” we caught a glimpse of a project Moff Gideon was working on. We also learned why he was adamant about getting his hands on Grogu: he’s making Dark troopers, and this episode, we saw them in all their terrible glory.
In Legends continuity, the first crop of Dark troopers were clone troopers with cybernetic modifications and empowered by the Dark Side. They were even trained to use the Force, which makes them more capable than your typical Stormtrooper. Dark troopers were created to be elite soldiers that could wipe out entire Rebel bases with ease.
Dark troopers first appeared in the 1995 video game Star Wars: Dark Forces, and it looks like the show is paying homage to the game, as these soldiers look more robotic than human. If they possess the same power as their video game counterpart, then Mando and friends are in for a hell of a fight.
With Gideon having access to Grogu again, it’s possible he could make an even deadlier version of the Troopers. We know Gideon needs Dr. Pershing’s help before he can do anything to Grogu, so hopefully Mando and company can rescue the Child before Pershing can reach him.
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