From the darkness of space to the literal Darkness,

Emily Swallow is no stranger to strong characters. She’s also no stranger to Galaxy and Comic Con Radio!

We are joined by Supernatural Alum Emily Swallow as she discusses The Armorer in the current season of The Mandalorian. An actor who has faced both screen and stage, in this interview, her wit, sense of humor, and love for her work shines through.

Join us below as Emily shares her appreciation for the love the Armorer has received, the challenge of hearing out fan theories, her experience working with the Volume, her favorite quotes from the show, her stillpresent love for Amara, and much, much more.

Please enjoy the following interview, and make sure to check out Galaxy’s show every week exclusively on Comic Con Radio.

GALAXY:

Things have changed for you. I remember when we chatted the first time, a couple of years back. You just started on The Mandalorian, which has become huge. Everybody knew that already. And, a couple of years later, you’re not just making weapons on the show, but you’re actually fighting and going to battles. How has it been since then?

EMILY SWALLOW:

Oh, it was so much fun shooting this season. It was really great to get to be more involved with the journey of Din Djarin and getting the team up at BoKatan. I love that they kind of brought the Armorer out of her Forge and really made her more of an active player.

GALAXY:

I always tell my team, when creating a SPO!LER Magazine issue, we have to be very careful, why? Because our fans know more than we do. Do you feel that way as well?

EMILY SWALLOW: I know the feeling.

GALAXY: Do you get asked questions that make you say, hmm?

EMILY SWALLOW:

GALAXY:

Hi Emily, welcome back! It’s been a while, and yes fans, Emily is a SPO!LER Magazine alumni. She’s been traveling the universe, going from planet to planet and making armor! Today we have Emily Swallow, welcome!

EMILY SWALLOW:

Thanks for having me. Hello there.

Oh my gosh, all the time. And, it’s incredible to me how much people assume I know that they keep from me because I think they just don’t want us to be tempted to disclose details that we shouldn’t. But I think, also, part of the time the fans get so caught up in creating their own ideas of what should happen. And a lot of the time, those are really good ideas. And so, they just get ahead. We might be moving a lot slower in actually making the show and, so we haven’t even gotten that far yet. And, I love when people already have a really great idea for how the next few moments in a character’s life should be mapped out. And, I have no idea because we haven’t even started shooting that yet.

GALAXY: Does it feel overwhelming?

EMILY SWALLOW:

Oh no, I mean, it goes with the territory. I know that I’m part of a show that has done such a great job of keeping secrets in a way that keeps the fans interested. And, I love that the show, when it does air, comes out with just one episode a week because I feel like that builds the tension so beautifully. And it keeps us all sort of watching as a community. I love the community experience of it. And it doesn’t bother me when people ask questions that I can’t answer. I think it’s all part of the adventure. I love that people are that invested and that they want to know that, and I will either tell them honestly that I have no information to give them, or when I get tired of saying that I’ll just make up my own theories about what I think should happen, and they’re usually pretty ridiculous and have nothing to do with what actually could happen, but they amuse me nonetheless.

GALAXY:

Are the sets pretty big this season?

EMILY SWALLOW:

Yeah, and we actually don’t use green screen. We’ve always used the Volume, which is incredible new technology that for an actor is so much better than a green screen because it means you get to be immersed in the world. You have video of whatever scene you’re supposed to be and projected on the walls all around you. So, you’re not having to split your focus between imagining the world that you’re supposed to be in and keeping track of where you are in a scene and where you are spatially. It just really frees up your mind to to get lost in the scene, which is what you want to do to begin with. So, that’s been consistent from the beginning. I didn’t get to use it season one because all of my scenes were in my little Armors Covert, and it was all practical scenery. So, I didn’t ever get to play in the Volume. But, I’ve gotten to do that with The Book of Boba Fett and season three of Mando. And, I get to watch as a fan because it’s still not fully realized and to see the leap that it makes between when we’re there on the soundstage or when we’re on a backlot and all of the incredible effects that the VFX team adds and the animators and the CGI folks. It’s just so much fun to get to see how all that comes together when an episode finally airs.

GALAXY:

Have the fans connected with you on a level where it affects the show if you’re not in every episode?

EMILY SWALLOW:

Well, I think the fact that the fans connected to the Armorer so strongly, and that they really were drawn to some of the things that I love about her. I mean, she’s such a powerful, steady, patient leader. And there’s this mystery about her. And, I think the fans were drawn to that. And, I think that the writers saw that and responded to that. But, they were also drawn to that as well. I mean, it’s a character that they created who has so much potential. And I’m sure it was helpful. I don’t know the exact correlation between the fan response and how much more I get put in, but I know that they found her to be really, really useful for furthering the story, and especially, because she’s somebody who represented kind of the old way of the Mandalorians. It was such a smart and exciting development to have her be the one to say, “You know what maybe there’s room for Mandalorians to walk both worlds, maybe we don’t all need to adhere to one way and maybe we need to be starting to work together more no matter what our belief is about,” you know, wearing a helmet, not wearing a helmet. I thought that that was a really powerful statement to have a character, who is so deeply rooted in tradition, to be the one to be the innovator. So, I just think that there’s tremendous potential with the character and the fans saw that and they responded to that. And so, she gets to be around more now.

GALAXY: A lot of fans love your famous catchphrases from the series. I know readers won’t be able to hear you say it now, but when they listen to our podcast episode, they will. Is there a second phrase, and can you say it to the fans, so they can start shaking in their boots!

EMILY SWALLOW:

Well, I know that “This is the Way” is definitely one of them. But what would be my other one?

GALAXY: I know “This is the Way” is the main one. But is there anything that you can think of not off as a second catchphrase that you say during the show? And is it popular? Or might become popular?

EMILY SWALLOW:

Well I can tell you what I sign on people’s action figures a lot. Which is, “When one chooses to walk the way of the Mandalore, you are both Hunter and Prey”. That’s one, and, “Our Secrecy is our Survival, our Survival is our Strength”. But “This is the Way” is my jam, that’s for sure.

GALAXY:

Do you ever worry that it’ll be hard for you to outdo the Armorer character?

EMILY SWALLOW:

Oh, no. I guess I don’t think that way. I feel like every character that I create is unique and serves the story that they’re in in a particular way. I mean, the Armorer is such a specific, special character to Star Wars and to the Star Wars Universe. And, you know, people love to ask me, “what’s your favorite character? What’s your favorite thing you’ve done?” and I don’t ever have a favorite. My favorite is always whichever one I’m working on at the time, because they’re all so dear to me, depending on the context in which they were created in the moment of my life that I’m in. And so, I don’t really worry about trying to one up myself or surpassing anything. I’m just grateful. So incredibly grateful for every opportunity that I get to collaborate with people and to create something new.

GALAXY: Are there any of your characters you miss and want that character to make a comeback?

EMILY SWALLOW:

I wish I knew. I feel like Amara gets to come back. Just when people have such fond memories of Supernatural and the fans definitely still want that show to be on. I feel like there’s so much interest in what the Armorer’s backstory might be, there’s potential for that. But, I have no idea what will actually get created, what could actually have the potential for being a show or another story or spin off or whatever. But I just love that people are interested and that they want to know more. And that there’s still room to create more based on these characters.

GALAXY:

Do you think if you ever walk on the street with a hammer in your hand, and you say “this is the way” would that freak anybody out?

EMILY SWALLOW: I would be freaked out if I saw someone doing that.

GALAXY:

Let’s do a quick pop quiz. I’m gonna ask you some questions. If you don’t know the answer it’s ok. Ready! The Armorer, what is the name of her home world?

EMILY SWALLOW: Her home world? Well, we haven’t established that.

GALAXY: Originally.

EMILY SWALLOW: Yeah, I don’t want to say something. Since we haven’tThat’s not in the canon. We know that she was living on Concordia. But that’s not her- I mean, Mandalore is her-

GALAXY: Ding ding ding.

EMILY SWALLOW: Oh, I thought you meant like where might she come from before that?

GALAXY:

No, no. You got it. You got it.

EMILY SWALLOW:

I’m making this way too complicated.

GALAXY:

Haha! What clan was she in when she was on Mandalore?

EMILY SWALLOW: Well, she was part of Children of the Watch.

GALAXY:

Ding, ding, ding, ding. Two more questions, and I’ll stop because I know these are nerve racking. How tall is the Armorer?

EMILY SWALLOW: How tall is the Armorer? Well, I mean, with her or without her helmet. That’s an important question. She’s 5’7” because I’m 5’7”

GALAXY:

Boom! There you go. Three out of three. All right, the last one. While she was part of the Children of the Watch, during which Republic was that?

EMILY SWALLOW: The New Republic.

GALAXY:

Ding, ding, ding, Four out of four. You win! Yay! The prize I will give you is all my support to get into season four

EMILY SWALLOW: Ha ha, okay, you get to make that decision. Hey, you know, thank you. I appreciate it.

GALAXY:

Those are the questions, I won’t ask anymore. Even though I’ve gotten some very wild and hilarious questions from fans.

EMILY SWALLOW: I want to hear a wild question. What are the wild questions?

GALAXY: You want to hear a wild question?

EMILY SWALLOW: Yeah.

GALAXY: Is the armorer married?

EMILY SWALLOW: No.

GALAXY: Does she currently go out with anyone? Does she like ice cream? I’m like, “what?” They have ice cream on Mandalore?

EMILY SWALLOW: Of course, she likes ice cream. Who doesn’t like ice cream?

GALAXY: Does she eat pizza?

EMILY SWALLOW: These are hilarious.

GALAXY: Would she date someone that is not Mandalorian?

EMILY SWALLOW: Oh. That’s an important question.

GALAXY: Right! Ha ha!

EMILY SWALLOW: We can speculate, but we don’t know.

GALAXY:

So! Enough with the quiz! Getting into the outfits, the costume, is it pretty tricky? Or is it easy to get into?

EMILY SWALLOW:

We have it down to a science. I am in my armor, and ready to go within like 10 minutes. It’s such a dream.

GALAXY:

I have asked the same question to cast members of other shows, and they’re like, “oh, it’s the biggest issue in the world getting in and out of the costume. And if there’s a bathroom break then they have to go through all these protocols.”

EMILY SWALLOW: No way man, my armor is so easy. I mean, it’s easier than when I’m dressed as a normal human being. It’s fabulous.

GALAXY:

Outside of The Mandalorian, and being the Armorer, how’ve things been with you? Any other projects in the works? Anything else everyone can look forward to in the future?

EMILY SWALLOW: Well, I’ve been doing so many conventions lately. I’ve been on the road. So, people may get to see me locally. But, I also am part of a short film that’s doing this festival circuit right now called The Marked and, so we’re excited about that to see what happens. And other than that, I’m just hoping that the writers and producers get to some good terms with this writer strike so that we can start making some more stuff.

GALAXY: Is that affecting the show right now?

EMILY SWALLOW: It’s affecting the whole industry, because it’s caused a lot of things to shut down.

GALAXY: They should just make it happen.

There’s enough money to go around.

EMILY SWALLOW: Yeah, I don’t know the inside scoop on all that.

GALAXY:

How were the conventions? I remember, when you first came on the show, you were just experiencing some conventions with The Mandalorian? Because it just came out. But how is it now? Is it much different?

EMILY SWALLOW:

There, yeah, I had done well. I started doing conventions because of Supernatural. So, I had some experience with that. And then, I got to do a few for The Mandalorian right before the pandemic started. But then, of course, everything shut down for a while. And now, I mean, things were pretty busy before season three came out because fans really connected with the character. But since this season came out, it’s just been huge. And it was so much fun to be doing conventions while the season was airing and to get to talk to fans and answer questions and stuff. And especially after the second to last episode of the season, where a bunch of people thought the Armorer might be a traitor. It was such a riot to get to talk to fans after that episode and to have so many people looking at me skeptically. And I was so shocked because I had no idea it was going to look that way. And of course, I knew I wasn’t a spy. So, it was such a riot to get to talk to people and see how suspicious they were of me.

GALAXY:

It’s pretty wild to see the fans reactions and feeling about an actor playing a certain role.

EMILY SWALLOW: Yeah! Well come on, guys, have a little faith.

GALAXY: Is there anything that you want to tell the fans or share with them? Put them at ease? Tell them Mandalorian, non Mandalorian, something from the heart, whatever you want to share?

EMILY SWALLOW: Oh, thanks. Well, I mean,

I want to say thank you, it means so much to me that the fans have embraced this character. And it’s just such a joy for me to get to play her and to get to meet fans at conventions and out in the world. So, thank you for loving Star Wars so much. And the other thing I’ll say, because I do a lot of work at these conventions to promote awareness around an organization called Voices Against Cancer, which raises money for pediatric cancer research and supports families of kids who are going through cancer treatment. So if anyone wants to hop online and read more about them, they’re an incredible organization. And that’s Voices Against Cancer.

GALAXY: Can you share their website?

EMILY SWALLOW: VoicesAgainstCancer.org

GALAXY: Voices Against Cancer. I hate cancer. My mom passed away from cancer. So I have a big, you know, hate for cancer, like tremendously.

EMILY SWALLOW: Sorry to hear that. Yeah. My dad, also.

GALAXY:

I’m sorry to hear that. It’s such a hard thing to see. Especially, a parent. My heart goes out to everyone. That’s a great thing that you’re doing. That’s amazing. You know, if more and more people in your position do things like this, just build awareness. You don’t have to give money if you don’t have it, just spread awareness, and it’ll get to the right people. And you never know what might happen. The more people see it, the more people will get involved. But that’s phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. We stand by that. And we’ll put it in the magazine. If you ever want to put an ad or a special message in SPO!LER, we will do it, you know, as a gift. Just let us know, send it over and we’ll put it in any issue that you want. Well, with that said, you know what time is. It was such a pleasure having you on! Emily, thank you so much for coming on my show!

EMILY SWALLOW: Great to talk to you Galaxy.

GALAXY: Absolutely. And with that said. Good morning, Good afternoon, Good evening! This is Galaxy and PEACE.

Nothing has ever stopped the galaxy from expanding. It’s limited only by human imagination. In a world of warriors wielding lightsabers, bounty hunters wearing beskar armor and other truly out-of-this-world heroes and villains challenging the status quo, time is calculated based on a single event. The Battle of Yavin. Time is measured by Before the Battle of Yavin (BBY) and After the Battle of Yavin (ABY). The Battle of Yavin is otherwise known as the first assault on the Death Star in A New Hope.

“THOUSANDS OF YEARS WE LIVED ON THE VERGE OF EXTINCTION. THOUSANDS OF YEARS WE SURVIVED.”

The Mandalorian unfolds nine years after the Battle of Yavin (ABY) which is five years after the Emperor’s defeat in Revenge of the Jedi Set in the space western genre, the journey begins with Din Djarin, a man who lost his parents when combat droids from the Separatist

BY SUSHANT ALEXANDER

Confederacy attacked his home planet of Aq Vetina. Din was hidden in a bunker and was found by a hostile droid. He was saved by the members of the Mandalorian Death Watch.

Abandoned and lonely children saved and adopted by Mandalorians become foundlings. They are then returned to their people (if possible) or raised as a Mandalorian loyal to the cause and always heeding the traditions of their warrior culture.

Raised by the Mandalorians, Din Djarin became a member of the Children of the Watch, a fanatical group that followed strict ancient traditions unlike Jango Fett and Bo-Katan. Honor, loyalty and character are the qualities that this Mandalorian held close to his heart. He would never remove the helmet or show his face. This is the way.

Mando, as the Mandalorian is popularly known, became a highly skilled bounty hunter and worked for Greef Karga, an agent of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild. Mando accepted targets on a contract basis. Once, Karga offered a bounty that changed Mando forever. The bounty is often referred to as the Child and later, is known as Grogu. The Mandalorian refused to leave the child (his bounty) with the client. He struck a familial bond with the Child. Maybe, this bond relates to his growing up as an orphan.

It’s always hard for the bounty hunter to seek his target. This is the way. It’s no different in Arvala-7, the home planet of the target. Mando is greeted and assaulted by its wildlife. Kuiil, an Ugnaught who recently gained his freedom after spending his life in servitude, saved him in the nick of time. Kuiil trained Mando on how to ride a monstrous creature known as a blurrg so that Mando could make the trek to the encampment where his target lived. Mando spied on the encampment and saw another bounty hunter, droid IG-11. Mando teamed up with the droid to secure the bounty, which turned out to be a near-infant alien child of unknown race. A conflict ensued as IG-11 then aimed to collect the bounty by eliminating the Child, and Mando, in turn, terminated the droid before the Child could be harmed.

Kuiil retrieved the parts and repaired Mando’s battered Razor Crest M-111 Assault Ship after it had been picked clean by Jawas. Additionally, the Child saved Mando from a charging wild beast using the Force. Mando is overwhelmed with such a first time experience of the Child’s Force abilities. However, it was time for Mando to offer the Child to his Imperial employers. The Mandalorian didn’t want to give up the Child, making this no longer a bounty situation.

Mando decided to take the Child and himself far, far away. To get away from the iron grip of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild and aware of the fact that they have trackers capable of locating the child, they landed on the planet Sorgan where they met Cara Dune, an ex-rebel shock trooper. Together, they confront a group of raiders.

The bounty hunters were never alone. Another bounty hunter pursued Mando and the Child. The Mandalorian destroyed the enemy ship, but the Razor Crest was damaged. Mando repairs. Peli Motto, the woman who managed to repair the Razor Crest, agreed to look after the Child. Mando was in search of work in order to pay for the repairs.

Work was hard to come by, even for one of the best fighters in the galaxy. Mando gets in touch with Ranzar Malk, who found something. The task required a team of five to be carried out efficiently.

The others were an ex-Imperial sharpshooter named Migs Mayfeld, a Devaronian named Burg, the droid Q9-0 and a Twi’lek woman named Xi’an, with whom Mando shares a history. The mission was to take a prisoner out of a New Republic prison. It’s never as easy as it reads. Internal conflicts plagued the group, as Mando was not fully confident of his teammates, and they were not so happy to have him either.

“WHEN ONE CHOOSES TO WALK THE WAY OF THE MANDALORE, YOU ARE BOTH THE HUNTER AND THE PREY.”

Greef Karga asked Mando to take down Imperial troops that had seized the city. He proposed that Mando return to Nevarro and assist in wiping out the mysterious client, who wanted the Child. In exchange, he’d clear

Mando’s name with the Guild and Mando could keep the Child. The bounty hunter wasn’t sure whom to trust. Yet, he reluctantly accepted the contract with the hope of removing the constant danger of bounty hunters on his trail. He found an ally in Cara Dune. The duo made contact with Kuiil and found that he had installed the IG-11 droid with AI programming to its neural processes that enabled it to learn from its experiences and gain a new, caring personality. For every protagonist, there is an antagonist standing in the way. If not for Moff Gideon, everything would have gone according to Mando’s plan. Now that things were in disarray, it was IG-11’s turn. The droid took the Child back to safety.

An injured Mando refused to remove his helmet and allow IG-11 to heal him, until the droid reasoned that removing the helmet in front of a non-living being wouldn’t violate the Mandalorian Code of Honor.

“OUR SECRECY IS THE KEY TO SURVIVAL.”

The Armorer, leader of a section of the Children of the Watch known as the Tribe, worked at the forge and reminded the Tribe to strictly follow the rituals and customs that sustained the Mandalorians.

The second season opened with Mando’s search for other Mandalorians to support him in his endeavor to return the Child to his own kind. His probe led him to Mos Pelgo on Tatooine. Mando found Cobb Vanth adorned in a particularly distinctive set of Mandalorian armor. Star Wars fans are instantly aware that this armor belongs to Boba Fett. Vanth claimed to have purchased it from a group of Jawas. Mando is unhappy. He wanted the armor back, as it belongs to a true Mandalorian, but before they could fight about it, the Krayt dragon struck. Vanth made a promise to give Mando the armor if they could work together and kill the dragon.

After the beastly adventure, Mando got back to Mos Eisley and continued in his journey to find other Mandalorians. Peli Motto found what he was looking for. Enter Frog Lady. The Frog helped Mando on one condition.

Mando took her as a passenger to a moon called Trask, along with her eggs. He was not allowed to use his hyperdrive or her eggs would die. Soon, there was company for the Razor Crest. Two New Republic X-wings, who recognized the Razor Crest as the craft involved in the prison break, caught up to the

Mandalorian. Mando outran the X-wings and reached the destination.

The Frog Lady kept her promise and informed Mando of the inn where Mandalorians have been spotted. A captain of a fishing boat helped Mando reach the Mandalorians. It turned out to be a rather unpleasant journey. The captain made an attempt to have Mando and the Child killed so he could steal the beskar armor. The Mandalorians arrived and saved the duo, but then removed their helmets, which instantly distanced Mando. The leader, BoKatan, explained the reason for doing so, and that they are not really part of the Child of the Watch.

Mando traveled back to Nevarro, where he met up with old friends, Cara Dune and Greef Karga. Dune was now a law enforcer serving as a local marshal, and Karga was the magistrate. Karga made arrangements to take care of the Child and the complete repair of the Razor Crest. With Mando’s help, they took out the remaining Imperial base on the planet in an effort to bring peace to all of Nevarro.

Mando charted his course to Corvus and found Ahsoka Tano, as instructed by Bo-Katan. On the forest planet, Ahsoka had given Imperial Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth an ultimatum, surrender and identify her master’s whereabouts, or die.

Mando arrived in the magistrate’s city of Calodan, met with Elsbeth and was offered a beskar spear if he killed Ahsoka. Mando found Ahsoka, who attempted to ambush him, but stopped attacking when Mando told her that he was sent by Bo-Katan.

Meanwhile, Ahsoka talked with the Child and discovered that his name is Grogu and hails from Coruscant’s Jedi Temple. Since the fall of the Galactic Republic, he’s hidden his abilities in order to survive the rise of the Empire. Ahsoka convinced Mando that she cannot train Grogu due to the child’s anger and fear as well as his attachment to the Mandalorian.

Mando followed Ahsoka’s instructions and brought Grogu to Tython. As Grogu communed with the Force, Boba Fett arrived with the assassin Fennec Shand by his side. Fett saved Shand’s life after her encounter with Toro Calican. The two of them had been tracking Mando to take the armor that he recovered from Cobb Vanth. Mando made up his mind to give Fett the armor but only if he helped Mando protect the Child when the Imperial forces arrived.

Mando, Fett and Shand kept the advancing stormtroopers occupied as Grogu continued to meditate. During the chaos, Fett retrieved his armor and wielded it against the enemy.

It was back to Nevarro once again for Mando. He talked to Cara Dune and asked her to use her position as marshal to temporarily release the criminal Migs Mayfeld in an effort to help track Moff Gideon. Mayfeld’s Imperial clearances gave him the access he needed to find the coordinates of Gideon’s ship. He figured that there is a secluded Imperial rhydonium refinery located in the heart of the planet Morak.

Mando and Mayfeld disguised themselves as Imperial officers to deliver a shipment of rhydonium to the facility. This changed everything. Mando took off his helmet to avoid suspicion. He let the living creatures see his face. His bond with Grogu became thicker than blood. Anything for Grogu!

Mando and Cara Dune managed to board an Imperial ship and take Dr. Pershing hostage. Later, Fett and Mando tracked down Bo-Katan Kryze and her fellow Mandalorian, Koska Reeves, and asked help to get the Child back. A partnership was agreed upon where Bo-Katan must kill Moff Gideon and take the Darksaber.

Bo-Katan, Reeves, Dune and Fennec Shand fought off stormtroopers on their way to the bridge. Gideon unleashed Dark Trooper droids, which were nearly indestructible. However, Mando finds that the beskar spear can pierce their armor. He trapped several Dark Troopers and ejected them out of an airlock.

The Dark Troopers brought death and destruction with them. They started to crash the door to the bridge but were stopped. A single mysterious X-wing arrived and docked on the ship. An unknown Jedi entered the craft, flashed his lightsaber and began eliminating Dark Troopers as though they were ordinary soldiers. A realization dawned on Moff Gideon. This was the beginning of the end. He made an attempt to kill the Child and then himself. Mando protected the Child. Cara Dune stopped Gideon, rendering him unconscious so that he can be taken alive.

Mando had gotten back to becoming a bounty hunter. He tracked a new target by the name of Kaba Baiz. When Kaba’s goons surrounded Mando, he destroyed them with the Darksaber. He then dissected Baiz and removed his head as proof of the kill. The bounty was traded for information on the new hideout of Mandalorians.

It was always tough to stop a villain with an iron will. The Razor Crest was reduced to a heap of scrap metal. Moff Gideon was on the move. Peli Motto informed Mando that there might be another ship ready for him. Mando traveled to Tatooine to see what Motto had to offer. It was an old N-1 starfighter from Naboo. Reluctantly, Mando took the space craft. He helped Motto finish restoring it and added new modifications as well.

Boba Fett and Fennec Shand ruled over the Tatooine criminal empire formerly controlled by Jabba the Hutt. Their rule was shaky and they found themselves up against the mayor of Mos Espa and the Pyke Syndicate. Shand looked for an ally in Mando, who agreed to help free of charge. First, Mando wanted to pay his little green friend a visit to drop off the newly-minted armor he had just gotten for him. Mos Espa was nothing like Mando had seen before. The Pyke Syndicate was already closing in. The other criminal leaders of Tatooine had broken their promises and turned against Fett, ambushing his allies. Mando and Fett resigned themselves to their own deaths in a fight for Mos Espa and its people.

Carson Teva discovered how he was transported as a prisoner. The vessel was blown apart from the outside. The remnants of beskar were found within the hull of the ship. It was some sort of jail break for Gideon. However, it is unclear who helped.

The Boba Fett situation had ended. Djarin was now reunited with Grogu. His single-minded focus was to redeem himself in the eyes of his people by bathing in the Living Waters beneath Mandalore. The Creed wouldn’t forgive anyone who had shown their face willingly to others. Rumor had it that the mines of Mandalore are cursed and toxic. This made Din’s mission almost impossible.

As The Armorer says, “just as we shape the Mandalorian steel, we shape ourselves. We all begin as raw ore. We refine ourselves through trials and adversity. The Forge can reveal weaknesses.”

The unexpected depth of the Living Waters caught

Din Djarin by shock and surprise. Bo-Katan saved Mando from drowning and caught a glimpse of the Mythosaur. The Mandalorian explored his people’s ancestral homeland. Mandalore was nothing like this before. The war had left the planet in shambles. The brutal bombing conducted by the Empire razed the surface of the planet. The few major dome cities that existed during The Clone Wars were nothing but rubble.

Such grim situations don’t deter Din’s positive vibe. Once he made sure that the air was fine to breathe, he descended into the old capital of Sundari and the Mines of Mandalore below it.

In the New Republic on Coruscant, Dr. Penn Pershing became a reformed citizen under the galactic government’s new amnesty program. The erstwhile chief cloning scientist of Moff Gideon was eager to use his knowledge and skills for good. Unfortunately, he fell in with the wrong people. After plunging into the Living Waters, Din and Bo-Katan returned to Din’s old covert. They were both welcomed with open arms, as she hasn’t removed her helmet since. The rescue of Paz Vizsla’s son Ragnar, who was abducted by a giant flying beast, made Din & Bo’s bond with the covert stronger. Bo-Katan led the war party and learned more about the Way. Now, she had become one of them.

After the liberation of Nevarro; Din, Grogu, and Bo-Katan traveled to find more Mandalorians to join them. The ultimate goal was to assemble an army capable of reclaiming Mandalore, and Bo knew where to find some tough fighters. As they reached a small world called Plazir-15, where Bo’s old mercenary faction was currently serving as private security, they had to solve a case before being granted an audience with the Mandalorians.

THE DARKSABER DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER. THE STORY DOES.

Bo-Katan’s failure to win the Darksaber from Moff Gideon made her a not so respected leader anymore. Her followers deserted her in their stolen ships.

Axe Woves, once a trusted lieutenant of Bo’s, isn’t happy to see her either.

Finally, with Axe, Koska Reeves and the rest of their Mandalorian faction in tow, Bo-Katan and Din Djarin returned to the covert on Nevarro. Grogu got an upgraded form of a pilotable IG shell. The Children of the Watch and the others were two very different clans. The Children of the Watch held on to their traditional views and practices. While the others saw them as extremists. Yet, they tried to find a common ground. It’s not as easy as it seems. Bo turned on her oratory skill with a promise of reclaiming the home world which inspired the Mandalorians, and everybody agreed to be part of the mission.

Moff Gideon had already set up a secret base right next to the forge. The clandestine operation was to cover his bizarre cloning experiments. Gideon also propagated the myth that Mandalore is toxic and cursed. Bo-Katan’s scouting party was met by an elite squad of beskar-clad stormtroopers. Finally, the villain Gideon was defeated and his base on Mandalore destroyed. The planet returned to its rightful inhabitants. BoKatan lit the Great Forge to a roar of support, and The Armorer began baptizing younger Mandalorians in the Living Waters beneath Sundari. Grogu was now Din Grogu. Between the resurrection of old cultural customs and the return of Mandalore’s natural ecosystem, things looked bright for the planet. Soon enough, Din Djarin and Din Grogu will be off on their adventures. For Din Djarin, moving fast is the only thing that will keep him alive.

BY REBECA NISHI