New Mandalorian merchandise suggests the Empire strikes back in a big way during season 2

The Mandalorian season 2: Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito)
(Image credit: Disney)

The Mandalorian season 2 is filled with mysteries: will Mando find more of his kind? Will Baby Yoda stop eating eggs? And, most importantly, will Moff Gideon’s iron fist help the Empire return to past glories?

Of course, we know through the sequel trilogies that Imperial forces are long gone. But that probably won’t stop Giancarlo Esposito’s Darksaber-wielding villain from literally bringing out the big guns in his pursuit of The Child.

The Mandalorian season 2

(Image credit: Lucasfilm/Topps)

With TIE fighters flanking it, it stands to reason that Moff Gideon is the one in charge of the space armada – that is, if The Mandalorian trading cards are representative of what’s about to go down in the show. Take this one with a Krayt dragon-sized pinch of salt, just in case.

If that is the case, though, it spells bad news for Mando and Baby Yoda. The last time we saw Gideon, he was scything his way out of his crashed personal carrier. His absence across the first two episodes indicates that he’ll return shortly with an ace up his sleeve – and it doesn’t get much bigger than your own fleet.

Find out exactly when the next episode drops on Disney Plus with The Mandalorian season 2 release schedule.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.