Here’s How The Siege of Mandalore and Maul Shaped ‘The Mandalorian’ This Season
This season of The Mandalorian is not only connecting it to other Star Wars media, big time, but it’s also teaching fans more about Din Djarin’s version of Mandalorian. First, they pointed out that it’s not the only form of their culture out there.
From the planet, Mandalore, to Mando’s “foundling” religious faction, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the history of the planet shaped the events of this season big time. And, in fact, created the playing field for The Mandalorian to exist in the first place. [Spoiler alert: Spoilers ahead through The Mandalorian Season 2, Episode 4].
Mandalore has a somewhat cursed history, as Din Djarin sort of knows about
When Mando first meets Bo-Katan and her two Nite Owls in Episode 3, he’s relieved. For one, that was his mission, to find others of his kind so that he could ask for their help finding Jedi. And for another, they saved his life and The Child’s. But, when they take their helmets off, he thinks that they’re imposters right away. He believes that they’ve stolen the armor, like Cobb Vanth did in the first episode of this season.
That’s when new audience members learn that other — different — Mandalorians exist, ones that freely take their helmets off. Once he’s convinced that they’re not imposters, he learns more. Mando knows about Mandalore, and Bo-Katan explains that she wants to take it back and reclaim it for her people. However, Din believes that it’s a failed planet, and anyone who steps foot there is doomed. This is probably what Death Watch told the Children of the Watch. And with a history like Mandalore’s, who’d blame them?
Mandalorians are a warrior culture and back before The Phantom Menace, the planet was ruled by Duchess Satine. And she led the planet into a pacifist state. This is why when the Separatists broke from the Republic and the Clone Wars broke out, Mandalore was neutral territory because they weren’t fighting.
This didn’t mesh well at all with those Mandalorians that wanted to stay true to their warrior roots, which manifested in the formation of Death Watch. This was a splinter, terrorist group led by Pre Vizsla and after the Mandalorian Civil War, they still tried to further their agenda.
Death Watch wanted to rule Mandalore so badly, they aligned themselves with Maul which led to the Siege of Mandalore
Death Watch was obviously smaller than the majority of the planet, but they were mighty in their tactics. As seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Pre Vizsla became so hungry to overthrow Duchess Satine, that he brokered a deal with Maul. Maul and his brother Savage Opress were building a group of crime lords called the Shadow Collective.
This was their way to gain power and muscle so that Maul could have what he needed to be the most powerful, to control the galaxy. However, Pre Vizsla just wanted Mandalore, so they teamed up. Of course, Maul double-crossed him. He killed Pre Vizsla, took the Darksaber, and took over Mandalore which was completely oppositive of what Death Watch and Pre Vizsla wanted.
Bo-Katan, through all of this, was wary of Maul. However, she went along with Pre Vizsla’s optimistic alliance with the former Sith Lord, since she was a part of Death Watch at that point. And then when it all went downhill, she defected. She is a firm believer — as most Mandalorians are — that Mandalore (and the Darksaber) should be under Mandalorian rule.
Without the Siege of Mandalore and Death Watch’s defeat, the Children of the Watch (probably) wouldn’t exist
There’s still a lot that fans don’t know. And that’s what makes each new episode of The Mandalorian that much more exciting. However, what viewers do know is that Mando isn’t actually from Mandalore. They’ve known that since the end of Season 1. And now, after Din Djarin met Bo-Katan in Episode 3, fans know that Mando’s version of Mandalorian is called “Children of the Watch.”
After the Siege of Mandalore, Bo-Katan and her group of Mandalorians with the help of Ahsoka Tano and her squadron of Republic Clone Troopers defeated Maul and his Mauldalorians. Or Death Watch. Whoever they couldn’t capture probably went on to form the version of the Mandalorian culture Mando is a part of. Or maybe others did; we don’t know.
Again, there is a huge chunk of time and history that fans aren’t privy to, and the formation of Mando’s religion is one of them. But it’s a product of the Mandalore Bo-Katan is from. The one that saw civil war and a siege (maybe more) and Maul take over. Without all that, The Mandalorian wouldn’t be what it is.
