When does ‘The Mandalorian’ take place? What to know about season 2
The Mandalorian is the first live-action Star Wars television show. It was the perfect original to premiere on Disney+ at launch. The Mandalorian debuted at No. 3 on the most-watched digital exclusives list, and by episode 3, it took over the No. 1 spot, beating out Netflix’s Stranger Things.
The Mandalorian deserved a second season from the onset, and Star Wars fans are in for a treat because the next season premieres on Oct. 30th. It’s also one of the only original stories in the Star Wars universe, meaning you won’t find Han, Luke, or Leia anywhere in the show.
Because of its void of movie characters, The Mandalorian is a great entry point into Star Wars. For those new to Star Wars or not caught up with lore, here are all the answers to your Mandalorian questions. Spoilers for season 1 ahead: you’ve been warned.
When does The Mandalorian take place?
The Mandalorian takes place after Star Wars: Episode 6 Return of the Jedi. For a more approximate date, the show takes place nine years after the Battle of Yavin (ABY), so nine years after Luke Skywalker blew up the first Death Star in Episode IV: A New Hope.
If it’s original, then why is Yoda in it?
Because of The Mandalorian’s place in the canon, the little green alien in the show is obviously not Yoda. Yoda died four years ABY, and Baby Yoda, officially called The Child, is born forty-one years before the battle of Yavin (BBY). The Child is a member of Yoda’s species, but little is known about it — we don’t even have a name for the species!
The Child is only the third member of the species to make an on-screen appearance. The other is Yaddle, a female member of the species in a brief moment during Episode 1.
Who is The Mandalorian?
Mandalorians are a warrior clan bound by a common culture, creed, and code. The show’s main character Mando is a foundling, meaning he is not born on Mandalore but was found by the subgroup Death Watch during a raid on his homeworld by separatist forces during the fall of the Republic.
Mandalorians were enemies of the Jedi and developed armor & weapons to combat their lightsabers & The Force. Their armor is made of Beskar, an alloy found only on Mandalore and is the Star Wars equivalent to Vibranium in Marvel.
It was believed the Empire wiped out the Mandalorians during the Great Purge. However, some, including Mando, survived & formed The Tribe. They went into hiding and remained there even after the Empire’s fall.
What is that cool lightsaber at the end?
The lightsaber at the end of The Mandalorian season 1 is called the Darksaber. Tarre Vizsla, the first & only Mandalorian Jedi, constructed the Darksaber. After his death, the Darksaber was kept in the Jedi Temple, but House Vizsla stole it back during the fall of the Old Republic in 1032 BBY and passed down from generation to generation.
The Darksaber is a symbol of power for the Mandalorians, and its wielder is considered the leader. The only exception is during Mandalore’s pacifist era during The Clone Wars. The wielder during The Clone Wars was Pre Vizsla, but Duchess Satine of house Kryze ruled the pacifist government. Vizsla formed the terrorist organization Death Watch to return the planet to its warrior ways.
The Darksaber was passed on to a few people after The Clone Wars, but its whereabouts after Star Wars Rebels, when the Darksaber passes to Bo Katan (Satine’s sister), are unknown. At the end of season 1, the show’s villain, Moff Gideon, wields the Darksaber. We don’t know how it came into his possession, but we can assume the Empire collected it during the Great Purge. Hopefully, season 2 will give a more definitive answer.
What new characters are appearing in season two?
The Mandalorian received some major casting news. The castings don’t bode well for it remaining separate from the movies, but honestly, we couldn’t be more excited. Rosario Dawson will most likely play Ahsoka Tano, Temuera Morrison will play Boba Fett, and Katee Sackhoff will play Bo Katan.
These are fantastic callbacks to the prequel trilogy. If you don’t recognize Morrison — he played Jango Fett, the clone son of Boba Fett, in Episode 2. Tano & Katan are important characters in Mandalorian history. The pair rescued Mandalore from the clutches of Darth Maul in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
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We hope Tano & Katan have more than a guest role in the season. The two were phenomenal in The Clone Wars, and we would love to see them team up again. Do we need to do another Mandalorian questions article? Let us know your questions about The Mandalorian in the comments.
