How The Mandalorian Is Setting Up an Epic Season 3 Finale Battle

Warning: This post contains spoilers for episode 7 of The Mandalorian season 3.

With just one episode to go in the third season of The Mandalorian, the series appears to be gearing up for a galaxy-altering battle.

The season’s penultimate episode, “Chapter 23: The Spies,” saw Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), Grogu, Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), and a contingent of their fellow Mandalorian warriors return to Mandalore in hopes of reclaiming their home planet in the aftermath of the Great Purge that took place during the later years of the Empire’s galactic reign. But after being lured into a trap by Imperial Remnant troops, they learned that Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), now sporting a newfangled Dark Trooper suit made of the Mandalorians’ own beskar armor, had escaped from New Republic custody and made Mandalore his new base.

Gideon was able to take Din Djarin hostage—much to Grogu’s chagrin—and flee from the scene of the crime. But thanks to Bo-Katan refusing to hand over the Darksaber and Paz Vizla (portrayed by Tait Fletcher and voiced by Jon Favreau) sacrificing himself to give the Mandalorians time to escape, Gideon’s cronies weren’t able to finish the job. Unfortunately, Paz Vizla was ultimately taken out by three Praetorian guards (the elite personal bodyguards first seen in the Star Wars universe protecting Supreme Leader Snoke in The Last Jedi).

Earlier in the episode, we learned that Bo-Katan tried to surrender to the Empire during the Purge in order to spare all remaining Mandalore cities and Mandalorian lives. However, after accepting her surrender and the Darksaber, Gideon betrayed her. This time around, it seems that Bo-Katan has wised up. Still, the Mandalorians have an uphill battle ahead of them if they’re going to retake Mandalore and rebuild their once-mighty civilization.

Judging by comments The Mandalorian producer Dave Filoni has made about the season 3 finale, it seems like we’re going to see at least part of that battle play out next week—but it won’t be the end of The Mandalorian story.

“I think with any good ending there’s the moment you’re in it when you’re cheering and you feel satisfied, but then there’s a little bit after that where you think back at all the things that happened,” Filoni told Collider of what the fan reaction to the finale might be. “Maybe you start to put them together in a different way and you realize it’s an ending, but there are other things happening out there in the galaxy that now you know more about.”

This squares with creator Jon Favreau telling BFM TV earlier this year that he’s already written The Mandalorian season 4 to ensure that the show’s storyline continues to align with Ahsoka and other Star Wars series set to take place in the same time period.