How 'The Book of Boba Fett' finale sets up 'The Mandalorian' Season 3

If you are a Star Wars fan who can't wait for The Mandalorian to return, the good news is that it already has. Two episodes of The Book of Boba Fett played out like Season 2.5 of the saga of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), and the little metal balls are already in motion for Season 3. The Season 1 finale of The Book of Boba Fett centered the action back on Boba (Temuera Morrison) himself, but it also got Mando ready for his next adventure. 

Is Mando back on the road, ready to say yes to any and all side quests that come his way? Is he going out there alone? Is he going to cut himself again with the Darksaber? We have a good idea about all three. We'll answer the third question now; almost certainly, yes he will. 

**SPOILER WARNING: From this point forward, there will be spoilers for the Season 1 finale of The Book of Boba Fett. If you have not watched yet, then jetpack out of here.**

Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) had Grogu make a choice at the end of Chapter 6; armor, or lightsaber. The armor was a gift from Mando, the lightsaber once belonged to Yoda. If he chose the lightsaber, he would officially become Luke's first student. If he chose the armor, he would go back to Mando... and forsake the path of the Jedi. Luke was concerned about Grogu's attachments, or at least that's how he made it appear. 

We don't know how the rest of the scene played out, and we don't know if Luke was being real with Grogu or just putting him through some kind of test. It was Luke's attachments that saved him and redeemed Anakin Skywalker, so making Grogu reject them a few years after that would be a little odd. It's possible that Luke's journey into Jedi hubris has already begun, but it's also possible that Luke wanted Grogu to embrace the attachment. 

All we know is that R2-D2 showed up on Mos Eisley flying Luke's X-Wing in the Boba Fett finale, and Grogu was inside. He was wearing the armor, so presumably some choice was made. The truth of the choice is something that we could see in Season 3 of The Mandalorian, as Grogu obviously doesn't tell anyone about the choice, or the lightsaber. 

More important than any of that is the fact that Grogu and Mando were reunited. Mando spent an entire season getting Grogu to the Jedi, but forget all that. It's still going to be the Lone Mando and Yoda Baby show, at least for now. They end the finale zooming away from Tatooine in Mando's N-1 starfighter, with Grogu riding in the hollowed out droid port. 

Both of them took part in the Battle of Mos Espa. Mando helped Boba out in a huge way, but Grogu also proved to be pivotal once he hit the scene. He used the force twice, the second time managing to calm the rampaging Rancor. He still fell asleep after this big use of the force, but so would you. Just because Grogu ended up with the armor (choosing it or being given it, we don't know) doesn't mean that he can't use the force.

In terms of Mando himself, the finale showed us that he really is clueless when it comes to using the Darksaber. He needs some serious help, and there are only so many galactic denizens who are suited to teach him. The Armorer started to a couple episodes ago, but she only did it for five seconds before landing Mando with another quest. 

Photo: Lucasfilm

We imagine that a big part of Season 3 will be Din Djarin returning to the burned out shell of Mandalore and going on the quest that the Armorer spoke of, one that will redeem him after removing his helmet. The Darksaber itself, and Din's ownership of it, will surely come into play as well. Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) is still out there, and she's going to want it back. 

Will Mando continue to be a bounty hunter? He's going to have to be bringing all of them in cold (as in heads on ice) because his new ship has no storage. He may get out of that game completely, and become more of a hired muscle type of guy. That's the service he provided for Boba Fett, and Fett would not have survived without him. 

Speaking of Fett, Mando now has the true loyalty and friendship of the Daimyo of Mos Espa. They were on good terms after Season 2 of The Mandalorian, but now? Fett will not forget Mando staying by his side when he didn't have to. Mando was loyal, and Lord Fett will remember. Should Mando return to Tatooine, the gates will likely be thrown wide to him. He has no shortage of friends there, and that includes Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant) who may return as a partial cyborg. 

We had no clue that The Book of Boba Fett would feature Mando's story nearly as much as it did, but because of this, the board is more than set for his third season. Mando and Grogu are back on the road, hitting the stars, going to do any side quests that come their way so they can keep paying for gas. Reckonings with the Armorer,  Bo-Katan, and Luke Skywalker will probably be in the mix. 

For now, though? The two of them are needlessly burning up fuel as they speed away from Tatooine. Grogu may be in the ship's sealed-off droid port, but that doesn't mean that he can't annoy his dad into doing what he wants him to do. 

Season 1 of The Book of Boba Fett is now streaming on Disney+.