Could The Client From ‘The Mandalorian’ Be This Famous Jedi?
The Mandalorian premiered on Disney+ in November with a lot of mysteries surrounding it. And after the first episode, they only increased. One of the biggest secrets is still Baby Yoda’s real identity (since, you know, that’s not his real name), but we also never got a true background for The Client. His real name isn’t even given to the audience, nor is his affiliation with the former Empire. And that mystery is what leads to a theory that is a bit out there at first, but kind of makes sense.
A new theory suggests The Client is actually former Jedi Master, Sifo-Dyas
A Reddit post by user u/Our_Warm_Opal recently outlined the theory that The Client is actually Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. In case that name sort of rings a bell, he was the Jedi that went behind the Council’s back and ordered the creation of the Clone army. Yes, the army that went on to be the Jedi’s demise.
Even though this theory seems far-fetched, the post goes into great detail, and u/Our_Warm_Opal hits every single part of the argument. It’s honestly so well-written, that it’s basically a persuasive essay, convincing the reader that The Client is Sifo-Dyas by the time you’re done reading it.
The key reasons behind the theory are the fact that Sifo-Dyas’ body is never found, even though the Pyke Syndicate claims they killed him. Both The Client and the Jedi have close relationships with Kaminoan cloners; for Dyas it’s for the Clone army based off of Jango Fett, and for The Client, it’s with the scientist that (possibly) created Baby Yoda.
And even the fact that The Client goes by “The Client” could indicate a bigger purpose to the character’s identity. “‘The Client…’ is very pointedly not given a name, strongly implying a hidden backstory of particular significance,” the Reddit user points out. They write that everyone else on the show is given a name, but the people that don’t have one are vital to the plot. Mando didn’t have an official name uttered on the show until the end of the season and The Child still doesn’t.
Who was Sifo-Dyas?
Going back to what we know of Sifo-Dyas in canon, it’s not a ton. But it is a lot more than what a background character should have. He was a Master Jedi on the Jedi Council with Mace Windu, Yoda, and the like. But he had the power of foresight, not something all Jedi possess. He foresaw the need to build an army and protect the Republic. However, when he proposed this to the Council, they saw him as too extreme and took away his position from the Council.
As we all know, he went ahead and asked the Kaminoans to create the army anyway. Count Dooku, who used to be a close friend of Sifo-Dyas, and Darth Sidious saw this as a way in to deceive and defeat the Jedi. It was also a way to gain an army for Palpatine’s eventual Empire. So they had him killed by the Pyke and put chips in the brains of the Clones, acting as if they were taking over the project at the request of Sifo-Dyas.
Is this even possible?
The Reddit user points out a few arguments against this theory, like the fact that Sifo-Dyas would be around 100 years old by the time of The Mandalorian and Herzog is only 77. This can be inconsequential though, considering it’s Star Wars and things like cryogenic hibernation exists. It’s actually what’s used on Sifo-Dyas in Legends. It’s not canon but could be a way to explain this age difference later on if that’s the route they’re taking.
Plus, people in the comments of the Reddit post debated if Herzog and the animated version of Sifo-Dyas even look alike. While the original poster said they do resemble each other when Sifo-Dyas is shown in The Clone Wars, others don’t think so.
It really comes down to Season 2 of The Mandalorian to give more insight into The Client. If they even want to. Despite Sifo-Dyas’ long history behind-the-scenes, it could just be an in-depth backstory to give a more credible origin to the Clone army and nothing more. But if The Client is worth something moving forward, we’ll be sure to hear about it at some point.
