THE DARKSABER RETURNS! The Mandalorian wraps up with an action packed and emotion filled episode filled with strong character moments. Directed by Taika Waititi, it is no surprise that Chapter 8, titled Redemption, is one of the season’s best
Quick thoughts from this episode
- RIP Kuiil, we will miss you’re unflinching loyalty and generosity, I have spoken
- RIP IG-11, you’re time was short lived but you have no doubt changed Mando’s perspective of droids forever, you will be missed
- Mando’s full name is revealed as Din Djarin
- Moff Gideon’s arc was underwhelming, but I’m happy to see him return for season two
- Not surprising, but the side characters of The Mandalorian carried season one and each one of them were given memorable moments during the finale
- Mando’s face is finally revealed during a touching moment with IG-11
- We also finally see Mando’s flashback fully revealed, as he was rescued by Mandalorians
This is the way, Disney…
At least one Star Wars franchise had a good finale this week. With Chapter 7 setting up a massive finale, it was absolutely hilarious to be given a 5 minute segment of scout troopers bickering about the captured Baby Yoda. But let’s talk about the biggest news of the episode: the return of the Darksaber!!!
With Moff Gideon surviving he crash during the last season, he undoubtedly will be set up as the main villain for season two of The Mandalorian. But how does he exit the tie fighter? We see a Darksaber help Moff to safety, which raises a ton of questions for the series moving forward. Will there be a tie in to Star Wars: Rebels in the future? Could this signal the introduction of a live action Sabine Wren?
The Darksaber has major tie in with The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels. After training with Jedi Kanan Jarus, Sabine Wren obtains the Darksaber and returns it to her home world to signal the unification of her people on Mandalore. In later episodes, Sabine gives the Darksaber to Bo-Katan Kryze, a warrior who Sabine sees as the true leader of the Mandalorian people.
The Mandalorian + Star Wars: Rebels = EPIC
So the real question becomes: how does the Goff Mideon obtain the Darksaber from Bo-Katan? Fingers crossed this becomes a new storyline of season two of The Mandalorian. If you haven’t already, I suggest our fans check out Star Wars: Rebels, which also can be found on Disney+. It’s one of the best animated shows of all time.
Lets finish Chapter 8 before moving on. IG-11 and The Armorer stole every scene in Chapter 8. IG-11 makes his return by taking out the two storm scouts who retrieved Baby Yoda during the last scene of Chapter 7. As I predicted during my chapter seven review, it was not surprising at all to see IG-11 make the last sacrifice to save his friends.
“We need you” says Mando to IG-11 as he self-destructs outside of a lava channel and killing a patrol of storm troopers.
My favorite moment from IG-11 came after taking off Mando’s helmet, healing him and returning him to safety. In many ways, IG-11 knows more about Mando than anyone in the galaxy. For a show that centered on Mando’s droid bias, this scene was extremely emotional for me and brilliantly crafted.
The Armorer also had an unforgettable scene of taking down six storm troopers while dual wielding two small axes. Not only was her last scene completely badass, but she also revealed the plot of season two and completed Mando’s arc as a true Mandalorian. What if The Armorer was actually someone we already know from Star Wars: Rebels? Let the speculation begin!
The Armorer requests Mando to take Baby Yoda home to his kind or until it is “of age.” She also grants him his “Clan of two” signet and gifts him with a jetpack. All of these moments were a fitting finale for The Armorer, who is likely still alive and we’ll surely see return for season two.
The best Mando moment of the season…
Chapter 8 also gave us the best Mando moment of the season. In one of the last scenes, we see Mando take down Moff Gideon’s tie fighter. The cinematography of this scene was fantastic as we see the tie fighter go down with Mando landing safely on the ground. It was his most badass moment of the season.
My Grade: 9.5/10
Chapter 8 was a phenomenal finale that brilliantly wrapped up an excellent season one of The Mandalorian. With the addition of Star Wars: Rebels, it’s only going to get better during season two. I predict that Dave Filoni will have a heavy hand in the arc of season two of The Mandalorian.
There is a rumor that we may finally get to see a live action version of Ahsoka Tano in the near future. The potential addition of Sabine Wren only makes this finale taste better. if The Mandalorian is the quality we should expect from Deborah Chow’s upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series, then all Star Wars fans should be over the moon today.
