The fifth episode of The Mandalorian's second season revealed that "Baby Yoda" is really
Baby Grogu, and introduced in live action one of Star Wars' most fearsome Jedi warriors.
The episode also featured some fun Easter eggs for fans to find. Here are a few you
may have missed.
Shortly after the impressive live-action debut of Ahsoka Tano, Chapter 13 jumps to Mando
and Grogu arriving on Corvus to meet with the Togruta Force-user about potentially teaching
the little one. They promptly land and make their way to a nearby settlement, where they
are welcomed by barren, grungy streets with sparse inhabitants. Among them is a 8D-series
smelter droid, first introduced in the original Star Wars trilogy.
The most notable of this run of droid went by the moniker "8D8" and appeared on the big
screen for the first and only time in Return of the Jedi. It didn't hold the spotlight
for very long, as its biggest claim to fame is being the one responsible for torturing
a gonk droid at Jabba's Palace. Over the years, however, this brand of droid has become a
frequent background presence across other forms of Star Wars media — including the
animated series The Clone Wars and the Galaxy's Edge novels.
Mando is barely in town five minutes before the Magistrate summons him to speak with her.
She gets right to the point, offering Mando a spear made out of pure beskar if he kills
Ashoka. While he doesn't necessarily accept the job formally, he does secure from his
wannabe employer a set of coordinates to find the Jedi. He and his foundling set off into
the mangled wilderness, but little do they know, something is watching them.
High above their heads, resting on a tree branch sits an owl-like creature known as
a convor. Rebels and Clone Wars fans surely recognize the significance of these birds,
as they're prevalent throughout Ahsoka's journey in the Star Wars canon and represent the purity
of the light side of the Force.
Dave Filoni, who wrote and directed Chapter 13, has gone on record saying that these creatures
are also observers and protectors, and the one present in The Mandalorian just before
Ahsoka arrives to defend herself against Mando fits that description perfectly.
Ahsoka and Mando eventually come to an agreement that benefits them both: If he helps her displace
the Magistrate and free her settlement, she'll take Grogu under her wing and hone his Force
powers. According to Mando, the Magistrate is always flanked by two HK-87 assassin droids,
which fans of the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO will surely recognize as bad news.
Hunter Killer droids first arrived via the 2003 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
video game, and were characterized as highly-efficient assassins known and feared for their stealth.
Various models took center stage depending on the story, the most notable being Darth
Revan's personally constructed HK-47. Others appeared all over Old Republic-era media until
it was stricken from the universe back in 2012, following Disney's purchase of the Star
Wars IP. Their unsuccessful attempt to stop Mando and Ahsoka also marks their first live-action
appearance in the franchise.
Once the Jedi and the Mandalorian make it back to the village, they get started right
away and infiltrate its thick walls — and, in true Star Wars fashion, a massive firefight
ensues from there. Severely outnumbered, Ahsoka has no choice but to utilize a stealth approach
to take down her enemies. At one point in the fight, she begins traversing the back-alleys
in an effort to box her opponents in, leading them to carefully sweep the area and apparently
frustrating the local Tooka population.
This lovable yet dangerous feline has become a staple of Star Wars media over the past
few years, dating back to their earliest appearances on The Clone Wars. The most well-known subspecies
of Tooka is the Loth-cat — a frequent face in Rebels and a handful of Doctor Aphra comics,
as well as in other various books and shows.
"Well, we've been out here for hours, and all I've seen are these stinkin' Loth-cats."
Additionally, this isn't their debut on The Mandalorian either, as one variety of Tooka
popped up in the Season 1 episode "Sanctuary," scaring Grogu.
Unsurprisingly, the Magistrate can't hold her own for very long against Ahsoka Tano,
and ultimately loses their duel. The Jedi knocks the spear from her opponent's hands,
holding a lightsaber up to her neck as a form of intimidation, hoping to get the information
out of her that she desires. She demands her foe to reveal the location of Grand Admiral
Thrawn.
Non-Rebels viewers might be a bit lost here, but for those who spent plenty of time with
the Ghost crew right up until the series' finale, this is exactly the question they've
waited years to find out the answer to.
A holdover from the non-canon Star Wars Expanded Universe, Grand Admiral Thrawn burst on the
Rebels scene at the beginning of Season 3. During the liberation of Lothal at the end
of Season 4, Thrawn and Ezra Bridger were shot into hyperspace by a group of purrgil,
and haven't appeared in any Star Wars media since. Ahsoka and Sabine Wren set out to find
them shortly after — but, as evidenced by The Mandalorian's reveal, the search goes
on.
At the end of Chapter 13, Ahsoka doesn't necessarily hold up her end of the deal, once again refusing
to train Grogu, but she does give Mando a push in the right direction. Just before he
and his foundling board the Razor Crest for their next adventure, she advises that they
set out for the planet Tython, where the ruins of an ancient Jedi temple reside. There, Grogu
can sit on a seeing stone and decide between letting his Force abilities go or continuing
his long-dormant training. He might even be able to connect with one of the few Jedi left
roaming the stars.
Tython is fairly new to the Star Wars universe, but its importance to the overall history
of the galaxy is immense. Located in the Deep Core and shrouded in mystery, Tython is one
of the planets considered the birthplace of the Jedi religion. It has yet to appear on
the big or small screen, but served as a central plot point in the 40th issue of the Doctor
Aphra comics and got a passing mention in The High Republic No. 1 comic. It's entirely
likely that fans will have the chance to learn more about this legendary locale and its backstory
as The Mandalorian's killer second season marches on.
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