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Giancarlo Esposito plays the villain Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian. The actor will have a much larger role in season 2, as his character continues to pursue The Child, aka Baby Yoda. And in a recent interview, he revealed fans learn a lot more about The Child and his powers this season.

Giancarlo Esposito in 'The Mandalorian'
Giancarlo Esposito in ‘The Mandalorian’ | Disney

Moff Gideon survived his crash in the season 1 finale of The Mandalorian

Moff Gideon is a force to be reckoned with. And he proved it in The Mandalorian season 1 finale. After his cruiser crashes into a heap of rubble, the villain emerges wielding Darksaber.

In Season 2, Gideon will continue his mission to capture The Child. It still isn’t clear why he wants the little green guy, but according to Esposito, he’ll be fighting Mando tooth and nail to get him. 

“I’ll be going toe-to-toe with Mando,” Esposito told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s an iconic battle. I want to disarm him mentally as well. Who knows? Maybe there’s an opportunity to get him to fight some battles for me. You may think I’m a villain, but I’m trying to harness some energy and some powers for a path that could be best for all. You’ll get to see him be somewhat diplomatic and more of a manipulator.”

Mando and The Child will still be on the run 

In the season 1 finale of The Mandalorian, Mando manages to escape the troopers and Moff Gideon. He takes The Child back to his ship and heads out to find others like him. And when talking to Entertainment Weekly, lead star Pedro Pascal revealed that Season 2 would pick up  right where the finale left off. 

“We start very directly after the first [season] and [Mando’s] going into very dangerous territory,” the actor explained. “He is very much a passenger to the experience in unexpected ways — not knowing what’s to come, not knowing how much or how best to protect the Child. We don’t know how far he will go to do that, and they’re finding new ways to push the envelope.”

Esposito suggests ‘The Mandalorian’ fans will learn more about The Child’s powers in season 2

Ever since The Child was introduced in season 1, The Mandalorian fans have been speculating his origins and significance in the Star Wars universe. Some think he might be related to Yoda, and others wonder whether or not he’ll continue to use the Force for good. 

But according to Esposito, fans will learn a lot more about The Child in season 2. In an interview with Collider, the actor suggested viewers will see The Child wield more powers this time around, and they’ll also get some of Moff Gideon’s backstory.

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“The next season of The Mandalorian is going to be very interesting because you’re going to start to find out the power of The Child, what The Child really means,” teased Esposito. “You will also start to uncover the origins of the Darksaber that Moff Gideon has and how that plays into previous Star Wars history connected to The Clone Wars and other shows.”

The actor noted that the series’ universe will expand this season. And he also hinted the show would set-up arcs for future seasons. 

“We’re living in a universe that is huge and [has] so much to explore,” Esposito added. “So I think this show is going to start to lay the groundwork for the depth and breadth that’s going to come in season 3 and season 4, where you’re really gonna start to get answers.”

The Mandalorian season 2 premieres Oct. 30 on Disney+.

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