The Mandalorian season 2 is almost here and, as excited as we are to see Baby Yoda again, we’re also hoping we’ll learn more about the wider Star Wars universe.
When it comes to the sequel trilogy, a lot of the world-building has been left to canon tie-ins – including comics, novels, and even the Emperor’s message in Fortnite – to expand upon, and it’s been difficult to keep track of everything happening in that galaxy far, far away. Since The Mandalorian is set between the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy, the show has the opportunity to answer some burning questions we still have about the sequels. Here’s which mysteries we hope The Mandalorian dives into.
How did the First Order get so powerful?
The Star Wars Book revealed that the First Order manipulated the politics of the New Republic to rise to power. Essentially, they tried to make the government more powerful, which prompted systems worried about their freedom to break away and join the burgeoning First Order.
We’re still keen to find out more about the First Order, though – how did they get from a splinter group to the next Empire? Perhaps the answer can be explored further through Giancarlo Esposito’s Grand Moff Gideon. Considering he’s “a warden of the galaxy”, he must have a lot of power in the remains of the Empire, so it’d make sense for him to be at the forefront of the rise of the First Order.
What exactly happened to Luke?
Something that was very controversial in Star Wars: The Last Jedi was Luke Skywalker’s change from a determined hero with a heart of gold, to a defeated loner hiding away from the conflict ravaging the galaxy. Since Mando is seeking out the Jedi in season 2, it would make sense for the gunslinger to either cross paths with Luke, or at least hear about his fledgling Jedi school.
In The Last Jedi, we saw that Luke blames himself for Ben Solo’s fall to the Dark side, with Ben becoming Kylo Ren. That event alone doesn’t seem enough to make Luke exile himself completely. This is the hero who refused to give up on redeeming Darth Vader, after all. The Mandalorian could go deeper into what Luke’s been up to, and how his experience as the galaxy’s lone Jedi might have influenced his decision to abandon the Resistance later on. And with Ahsoka Tano rumoured to appear in the series, it would certainly make sense for her to be at least aware of Skywalker’s growing acclaim in the galaxy.
How does Force healing work and who can do it?
As distracted as we were by how adorable Baby Yoda is while using the Force, we did notice that one of his powers is very surprising. The Child can heal people using the Force – an ability we saw Rey use again in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
This leads us to a lot of questions: why didn’t Obi-Wan Kenobi Force heal Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace? Couldn’t Anakin have just healed his burned skin in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith? The movies didn’t really explain this, so we’re still wondering how Baby Yoda can manage it instinctively (he can’t even talk yet!).
What was the New Republic like?
While the prequels showed us plenty of the goings-on in the Republic’s capital Coruscant, the sequels barely gave us a glimpse of the New Republic.
We probably don’t need the level of political detail we got in the prequels (please, no more trade disputes), but it would be handy to know how the New Republic is getting on – especially since parts of the Empire are definitely still alive and kicking.
How did the Resistance form?
This is another aspect of the sequel trilogy that was never fully explained. In fairness, the original trilogy didn’t detail how the Rebellion sprung up, either – but The Mandalorian has an excellent opportunity to show the beginnings of the Resistance in action. Plus, we already know Leia founded the Resistance, and who would say no to hearing more about our favourite Princess/Senator/General?
The Mandalorian season 2 reaches Disney Plus on October 30. While we wait, check out the best shows on Disney Plus right now.
