The Mandalorian season 2 set a number of the show’s main characters on new paths heading into season 3. Baby Yoda went off to train with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), and Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) found himself in possession of the Darksaber — and thus, the fate of Mandalore.
There is one character from the Star Wars series whose future remains up in the air by the time the credits roll: Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). The Mandalorian‘s Big Bad was captured at the end of season 2, but the characters don’t offer much insight into what will happen to him. If he’s imprisoned, another Big Bad could take his place. He could also use his powers and political sway to find a way out of his predicament.
Details on the plot of The Mandalorian season 3 have been few and far between, especially since it’s not returning to Disney+ until 2022. However, during an interview with Variety at the 2021 Creative Arts Emmys, Esposito shared his thoughts on Moff Gideon’s fate, and whether we’ll see the villain again next season:
"I have to imagine you would. I can’t speak for them, but I know I have desire. And I think we need to see Moff to continue the story, and to continue the pressure — and the edge — that someone with the big brain that Moff has thinks about. So, I could almost guarantee it. But you know, there’s never a guarantee, but you know… you’ll see me, baby."
Giancarlo Esposito on the return of Moff Gideon in the new season of #TheMandalorian https://t.co/qfCHWtB0xy pic.twitter.com/xZmOSDSbP9
— Variety (@Variety) September 18, 2021
Who else could return in The Mandalorian season 3?
Of course, Moff isn’t the only character viewers want to see again in The Mandalorian season 3. The second season of the show introduced plenty of fan favorites from the Star Wars universe, including Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff).
The latter is in a particularly interesting situation since she wanted to secure the Darksaber and lead Mandalore. With Din inadvertently stealing her thunder, Bo-Katan’s going to have to find a new way to help her people — and perhaps work alongside Din to do it.
Given that dynamic, it seems just as likely we’ll see her character again. Speaking with ComicBookMovie.com, Sackhoff said it’s “above pay grade” to know if the new episodes will explore Bo-Katan’s Darksaber dilemma in further depth. However, she seems on board with it:
"What I love about Bo-Katan, talking about animation and voiceover, is that for fans of The Clone Wars and Rebels, they know how capable she is. They know that she made a choice at the end of season 2 to not take that Darksaber and to not forcibly take it… even though she could have. I think that is the really important thing, and it would be fun to explore."
Only time will tell which Mandalorian characters crop up again in season 3. Production is just starting this fall, so we’ll be waiting a while for more episodes. Fortunately, we’ll have The Book of Boba Fett to keep us occupied in the meantime.
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