The latest episode of The Mandalorian, “Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore”, was an epic exploration of Mandalore and its culture through the lens of Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze. It contained some thrilling moments, wrapped up some story threads, and hinted at plenty of others.
One of the big questions exiting the episode is about the ending of it, for it ended with a cliffhanger of sorts. If you haven’t watched the episode yet, don’t read any further. Spoilers are ahead, and it’s a big moment that you’ll want to see for yourself first.
If you’re still reading, though, you’ve probably already seen what happens. As Din Djarin descends the steps into the living waters beneath the ruins of Sundari, he recites the creed, believing that doing so will atone for the sin of removing his helmet. Bo-Katan watches with admiration even though she doesn’t believe in its significance… but suddenly Djarin disappears into the water. Whether he stepped right off a ledge or was pulled under isn’t immediately clear, but Bo-Katan responds by instantly jumping into the water after him. She finds him at the bottom of the waters and begins to pull him toward the suface… and as she does, she is startled by a large creature right in front of her: a Mythosaur. The creature swims away and Bo-Katan pulls Din to the surface, but the episode ends with the camera panning toward her, the one who didn’t believe these myths… having just been confronted with one of them.
What is the Mythosaur?
It was a bit odd that the “recap” at the beginning of the episode made an explicit mention of the Mythosaur, as it sort of softened the surprise of it showing up here, but I’m sure the reason it was included was to try to help viewers know what was happening. Still, you might be wondering what it’s all about, and if so, you’ve come to the right place.
The Mythosaur is a creature of legend in Mandalorian culture, so significant in fact that the Mandalorian crest is a depiction of a Mythosaur skull. In ancient Mandalorian history, one of the greatest of all Mandalorians, Mandalore the Great (who led the Mandalorians in their war against the Jedi) was said to have tamed a Mythosaur and ridden it. But by the time of The Mandalorian series, the Mythosaur has been believed to be long extinct by Mandalorians, living on as only a legend from ancient times.
Why is the Mythosaur so significant for The Mandalorian?
However, for those who believe such things, there was an ancient Mandalorian song that prophesied the return of the Mythosaur. As the Armorer told Din Djarin in The Book of Boba Fett, “The songs of eons past foretold of the Mythosaur rising up to herald a new age of Mandalore. Sadly, it only exists in legends.”
While believers (like Djarin) and nonbelievers (like Kryze) both believe the Mythosaur to be long extinct, there are some who believe that the creature would return – and that when it did, it would usher in a new age for Mandalore. Obviously, that seems to have quite a bit of significance in this series, for it seems that a big part of what’s happening in this series is that we’re heading toward the Mandalorians joining together, presumably under the leadership of Din Djarin. In season one, he accumulated upgrades to his armor, such as the jetpack. In season two, he acquired the darksaber, itself a legendary symbol that is said to be able to unite their people. So what about season three? Perhaps the Mythosaur could come into play.
It has probably been easily forgotten, but we’ve actually heard about the Mythosaur since the very first episode of the entire series. As Din Djarin hunts down his target (soon to be revealed as Grogu), he befriends the Ughnaught Kuill, who teaches him how to ride a Blurrg. Djarin struggles to do it, but Kuiil exclaims, “You are a Mandalorian! Your ancestors rode the great Mythosaur. Surely you can ride this young foal.” At the time, that seemed like an exciting reference for Star Wars fans, but perhaps it was foreshadowing something more. What if, in season three, Djarin adds another tool to his “I’m going to be the one to lead the Mandalorians as the new Mand’alor” tool belt: riding a Mythosaur?
But if that were to happen, there would be a notable difference between Mandalore the Great and Din Djarin, one that lies at the heart of the series: while Mandalore the Great fought against the Jedi, Djarin does not. As the Armorer told him in Chapter 8 about Grogu’s abilities, “The songs of eons past tell of battles between Mandalore the Great, and an order of sorcerers called Jedi that fought with such powers.” Perhaps, unlike the Mandalorians of old, the new Mandalorians will fight alongside the Jedi rather than against them.
All of this is, of course, speculation, but it’s important to note that these threads about the Mythosaur have been sprinkled into the show since the very beginning. To finally see it on screen is not just an epic moment, but could be foreshadowing far more exciting things to come.
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