In The Mandalorian and Grogu, the heroes are still hunting bounties… but now, they’re doing it for the good guys.
Picking up on where the third season of the show left off, Din Djarin (and Grogu) are now working for the New Republic, taking out different Imperial warlords. New Republic Colonel Ward uses a deck of cards to assign different bounties, with the goal of tracking down the remnants of the Empire and trying to prevent another war.
So what is the story with these different warlords and remnants? They all actually are fitting together into a larger story unfolding in this era of the Star Wars timeline.
After the Empire was defeated at the Battle of Endor (in Return of the Jedi), there was a power vacuum created by the deaths of Emperor Palpatine (or so it was believed) and Darth Vader. Unbeknownst to most, Palpatine had actually prepared a Contingency in case of his death, which would result in the downfall of the Empire and the rebuilding of a new, stronger regime. The Empire continued to fight for a year against the newly formed New Republic, but after a decisive defeat at the Battle of Jakku the remaining Imperial forces surrendered.
Well, at least formally.
Some of the remnants of the Empire retreated into the Unknown Regions of the galaxy, where they would begin to rebuild in secret, eventually re-emerging decades later as the powerful First Order. Other remnants remained in pockets of the known galaxy with different warlords trying to maintain power. It was a time of chaos and disorder, of rival leaders politicking against one another for more control. These Imperial remnants lacked any kind of formal leadership, and as long as they remained disorganized they would pose little threat to the Republic. But as seen in The Mandalorian season three, a number of these warlords met together as part of the Shadow Council, where they awaited the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn.
The long-lost Grand Admiral was the Empire’s most formidable military strategist, and even rumors or his return were enough to spark concern amongst the New Republic. By the end of Ahsoka season one, Thrawn returned to the known galaxy, making preparations for attempting to rebuild the Empire and take on the New Republic.
So where do these warlords in The Mandalorian and Grogu fit in to this larger story? Either they are awaiting Thrawn’s return, or they will be rivals to Thrawn’s leadership. In this way, by taking out these different warlords, Din Djarin could actually be clearing a way for Thrawn to assume power without even realizing it. We will have to wait and see how that story turns out, but even though it’s not a major focal point of this movie, the existence of these different remnants ties in to the larger story being told.
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