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'The Mandalorian' signs off with the return of a beloved Jedi: 'My mind is blown' (spoilers!)

The Season 2 finale of 'The Mandalorian' sends our heroes on separate paths (Photo: Disney+)
The Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian sends our heroes on separate paths. (Photo: Disney+)

Warning: This post contains major spoilers for the Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian

After logging hundreds of thousands of galactic miles, touring multiple planets and leaving a trail of injured or dead enemies in their wake, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu have gone their separate ways. But at least Baby Yoda is in good hand(s). The Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian split up the Lone Wolf and his Cub with the return of a certain Jedi whose name rhymes with “Schmook Piestalker.” That reveal left Star Wars fans picking their jaws up off the floor.

The closing credits of “The Rescue,” which was directed by Ant-Man helmer Peyton Reed, and written by Jon Favreau, confirmed that Mark Hamill did indeed reprise his role as Darth Vader’s kid, albeit with the aid of that digital de-aging magic last seen in The Rise of Skywalker. And the actor teased Twitter about his return to Star Wars hours after the episode launched.

Summoned by Grogu’s Tython-sent beacon two episodes back, Luke arrived aboard Moff Gideon’s light cruiser at the exact right time. Although the combined might of four Beskar-armored Mandalorians — our pal Din, plus Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff), Koska Reeves (Mercedes Varnado) and Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) — alongside two kick-ass soldiers, Fennec (Ming-Na Wen) and Cara Dune (Gina Carano) was enough to take out Moff Gideon’s (Giancarlo Esposito) army of human stormtroopoers, they were facing near-certain death at the hands of the cybernetic Dark Troopers. While the killer robots’ first appearance was more reminiscent of Iron Man, this time around they were pure Terminator all the way.

But then good ol’ Luke (and R2-D2!) came storming in, swinging his lightsaber with one hand and throwing the Force around with the other. Much like Boba Fett’s big return, it was a sequence designed to thrill viewers raised on Luke’s heroic Original Trilogy persona, as opposed to the more grizzled and cynical warrior-monk they encountered in Rian Johnson’s Sequel Trilogy middle chapter, The Last Jedi. Not surprisingly, “The Return” reignited the debate over that controversial film all over again.

Now that Grogu is reunited with the Jedi, you might think that Mando will be at loose ends. But you’d be wrong: The finale gifts him with a new companion in the form of the Darksaber. Having defeated Moff Gideon in battle, the blade is now Din’s to carry — even though he promised it to Bo-Katan so that she could unite Mandalore’s warring factions behind her as their new ruler. That suggests that he’ll have to leave the solitary life of a bounty hunter behind, and get involved in the affairs of the larger Mandalorian diaspora. It also means we may get more actual face time from Pedro Pascal in the show’s third year as he confronts the possibility of leadership. As another great warrior once said, “Hail to the king, baby.”

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Speaking of kings, a post-credits scene reveals that Boba Fett is now Tatooine’s reigning warlord, having assumed control of Jabba the Hutt’s throne and palace. That’s followed by the announcement of yet another Star Wars spinoff series, The Book of Boba Fett, which will debut next December. This is the way... that Disney keeps Star Wars fans re-upping their Disney+ subscriptions.

The Mandalorian is streaming on Disney+.

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