Warning: SPOILERS for The Mandalorian season 2 finale and The Book of Boba Fett episode 5.
The Mandalorian season 3 is officially on the way and will release in late 2021, on par with the first two seasons of the hit Star Wars series. Easily one of the biggest shows out right now, The Mandalorian has dominated pop culture after every episode Disney released and even in-between seasons — though it’s not only about Grogu anymore. With Boba Fett, Ahsoka Tano, and Bo-Katan Kryze having shown up in The Mandalorian season 2’s cast, the series is now more expansive than ever.
While The Mandalorian season 1 was more about setup and laying the foundation for a bigger story, season 2 dove deep into Star Wars lore, taking viewers on a journey through a variety of sand, snow, water, and forest planets. One of those happened to be the Jedi homeworld from Star Wars Legends, while another was a classic planet that’s appeared in most — if not all — major Star Wars properties so far. But beyond that, season 2 expanded on season 1’s story in numerous ways, which has now led to two spinoffs: one starring Rosario Dawson as the live-action Ahsoka Tano, and The Book of Boba Fett, which continues that particular former bounty hunter’s narrative after The Mandalorian season 2.
The Book of Boba Fett continued The Mandalorian’s story in episode 5, focusing on Din Djarin’s experiences after season 2 before drawing him into the show’s own narrative. That suggests these stories will be interwoven considerably, and The Book of Boba Fett is, therefore, essential viewing ahead of The Mandalorian season 3. Here’s everything we know about season 3, including release date, story details, and casting updates.
The Mandalorian Season 3 Release Date
During the Star Wars celebration on May 26, 2022, producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni confirmed that The Mandalorian season 3 has a February 2023 release date. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy initially announced a Christmas premiere date for The Mandalorian’s “next chapter” during Disney’s 2020 Investor Day, but that actually referred to The Book of Boba Fett. The Mandalorian season 3 began filming in October 2021, but unfortunately, production has been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. And as of early July 2022, reshoots were underway, as revealed by Bo-Katan Kryze actor Katee Sackhoff. Reshoots shouldn’t necessarily be a cause for concern, but they could lead to a delayed release date.
The Mandalorian Season 3 Story Details
The Mandalorian season 3 is likely to dive much deeper into Mandalorian culture. Season 2 saw Din Djarin encounter Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls, and he vowed to help them reclaim Mandalore if they assisted him in recovering the Child. Mando defeated Moff Gideon in combat, taking the Darksaber and unwittingly becoming Mandalore’s rightful ruler. As seen in The Book of Boba Fett episode 5, not all Mandalorians are content to leave the Darksaber with Din Djarin, and he is likely to find himself challenged as he attempts to reunite the scattered Mandalorians. Unfortunately, Din Djarin will clearly need to train; non-Jedi can use lightsabers, but they need to practice meditative techniques that allow them to bond with the blade, and Din Djarin doesn’t know any of these at present.
The Mandalorian season 2 finale ended with Luke Skywalker taking Grogu to train as part of his new Jedi Order, but The Book of Boba Fett episode 5 suggested Din Djarin doesn’t believe he’s said goodbye; he even had Beskar armor forged for Grogu, who he considers a Foundling. Sadly, Din Djarin’s quest in season 2 has cost him dearly, with the survivors of his old clan exiling Din Djarin for breaking the helmet rule during the quest. This is likely to make Din Djarin all the more eager to reconnect with the rest of his family — including the Child.
In addition to Mando’s journey, Giancarlo Esposito and Katee Sackhoff have also revealed some key details about Gideon and Bo-Katan’s arcs in The Mandalorian season 3. Season 2 saw Gideon end up behind bars, but Esposito has teased that season 3 could see his character break out of prison and that the villain’s master plan for the season involves bringing together the leaders of the fractured Empire for a nefarious purpose. As for Sackhoff’s Bo-Katan, her story in The Mandalorian season 3 will develop her relationship with Din Djarin as two very different Mandalorians, as well as explore her own personal journey of self-discovery.
The Mandalorian Season 3 Cast & Spinoffs
The Mandalorian season 3 will, of course, bring back Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin aka Mando, and it’s likely to feature the puppet Grogu as well. But beyond them, Moff Gideon actor Giancarlo Esposito has already confirmed that Moff Gideon will return in season 3 and even play a large role. Carl Weathers is returning as Greef Karga too, although Gina Carano won’t be back as Cara Dune given her character has been fired by Disney. In a fun twist, Christopher Lloyd has also been cast for The Mandalorian season 3 in an as-yet-unknown role. The interesting question is whether any of the characters associated with the various spinoffs, such as Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka, Temuera Morrison’s Boba Fett, and Ming-Na Wen’s Fennec Shand, will appear as well. Hopefully, it won’t be long before Lucasfilm releases a trailer for The Mandalorian season 3, confirming other members of the cast.
How The Mandalorian Season 3 Will Be Different
With all the ancipation built up for The Mandalorian season 3, it’s set to have some distinctly different characteristics than the previous two seasons. For one, season 3 will see the dynamic between Grogu and Mando continue to evolve. As Grogu’s relationship with the Force continues to grow and change, the balance of who protects who might become quite different moving forward, and Grogu himself will need to make some significant choices about how to handle his power. On the whole, The Mandalorian season 3 promises to be darker than previous installments, with several of the cast promising that it’s also better and denser with action and character beats.
Given that The Book of Boba Fett (which is essentially season 2.5 of The Mandalorian) received backlash for poor writing, it’s a reassuring sign that The Mandalorian season 3 is taking the time to develop its characters and story in a deeper, more mature way. It’s also been confirmed that the Armorer will play a more active role than ever before in The Mandalorian season 3. This makes sense, given how much the season promises to focus on Din Djarin’s return to Mandalore and his quest to redeem himself as a Mandalorian. On the whole, there’s much to look forward to when The Mandalorian season 3 arrives in 2023.
