A new theory for The Mandalorian suggests a major change for the Empire following the events of the original Star Wars trilogy. After the collective demise of the Emperor, Darth Vader, and the second Death Star, the Rebellion gained a significant enough foothold to become the New Republic, gaining a final and definitive victory over the planet Jakku. However, pockets of the Imperial Remnant remained in the far reaches of the Outer Rim. Now, The Mandalorian season 3 has suggested how the shattered Empire was able to survive (and where).
In The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3, Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze are leaving the ruins of the planet Mandalore, long thought to have been poisoned and uninhabitable following the Empire's purge known as the Night of a Thousand Tears. Following the discovery that the planet was not poisoned, Djarin bathed in the Living Waters of the Mandalorian mines to be redeemed by his clan. However, Djarin and Kryze were attacked by a squadron of TIE interceptors as they left the planet, and the TIEs themselves could be a major clue in explaining the Empire's survival following the Battle of Jakku.
The TIE Interceptors That Attacked Bo-Katan Could Have Come From Mandalore
At the beginning of The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3, Din and Bo-Katan are attacked by a squad of TIE interceptors moments after they leave Mandalore's atmosphere. Drawing them to the nearby world of Kalevala so Djarin could offer in his N1-Starfighter, this contingent of Imperial fighters is revealed to be part of a much larger group that forces the two Mandalorians to retreat after Bo-Katan's castle is obliterated by a squadron of TIE Bombers. However, one has to wonder where the TIEs came from in the first place.
It's important to note that these TIEs are not traditionally built with hyperdrives, meaning that they would have had to have come from a much larger ship like a Star Destroyer, or from a nearby planetary garrison. As such, it's quite possible that the interceptors originated from Mandalore itself. Rather than being sent because Bo-Katan had irritated Imperial warlords by stealing their ships for the force she had been assembling to reclaim her homeworld, the bulk of the Imperial Remnant may have been using the world they themselves ravaged as a secret sanctuary.
Why The Empire Could Hide On Mandalore
The surviving holdouts of the Empire hiding on Mandalore would make a lot of sense. According to Djarin in The Mandalorian season 3, episode 2, Mandalore suffered from massive amounts of electromagnetic disruptions following the Empire's planetary bombardment during the purge. As such, communications can't be sent to or from the world, providing the perfect smokescreen for the Empire to remain undetected. The Imperial Remnant and its leaders (such as Moff Gideon, who once wielded the Darksaber) could have easily regrouped on the Mandalorian homeworld, slowly working to build up their forces to retaliate against the New Republic in a bid to restore Imperial order over the galaxy.
Additionally, the widespread belief that Mandalore was cursed, poisoned, and uninhabitable must have been extremely helpful for the Empire if they are indeed hiding there. Likewise, it stands to reason that the Empire themselves helped propagate the story specifically to deter anyone from returning to the world and discovering their existence and hidden operations. It certainly sounds like a strategy Moff Gideon would adopt, having been present during the Night of a Thousand Tears and wielding a strong amount of knowledge about Mandalorian culture and what the Darksaber's legend meant to them.
It's also important to note that the TIE interceptors emerged from behind Djarin and Bo-Katan as they left Mandalore. This does the idea that they came from the world as well, and were deployed by a secret Imperial facility either on the glassed surface of the planet or even within the depths of the planet itself. While the TIEs certainly could have come from a Star Destroyer or a similar Imperial cruiser equipped with a hyperdrive, the potential of the Imperial Remnant finding sanctuary on the very world the Empire ravaged just before the events of the original trilogy is far more exciting.
An Imperial Base On Mandalore Would Set Up Major Twists For Season 3
The Imperial Remnant keeping its forces hidden on Mandalore would come with some major twists for The Mandalorian season 3's ongoing story. Now that Djarin and Bo-Katan have been welcomed into the Children of the Watch, it remains to be seen what their next moves will be in the episodes to come. However, Bo-Katan is still keeping the living Mythosaur she saw within Mandalore's Living Waters a secret. When and if she reveals what she knows, the whole of Mandalorian society will likely be rocked considering the prophecy that a living Mythosaur would usher in a new age for their people.
It stands to reason that the Mythosaur sighting combined with the truth about Mandalore being habitable will motivate a collective desire to reclaim the homeworld. While this could come with some initial rifts between rival clans and factions, the reveal that the Empire may be using Mandalore as their refuge would undoubtedly unite all Mandalorians against them. The rest of the season would then be a major war between Mandalorians and surviving Imperials for the fate of the homeworld itself, with neither side willing to back down. Following the Mandalorian purge and the Empire's diminished forces and numbers, every Mandalorian warrior would likely be willing to take arms and face them.
While there is some conjecture present in this theory, there are still strong pieces of evidence pointing toward this new Empire connection with Mandalore following the original Star Wars trilogy. The potential irony of the world they destroyed becoming their safe haven is too good to up. Likewise, the poetic justice of Mandalorians emerging victorious against the Empire and reclaiming Mandalore in the process would be incredibly entertaining for The Mandalorian season 3.
New episodes of The Mandalorian release Wednesdays on Disney+.