Star Wars: The Mandalorian Star Teases What Moff Gideon is Really Planning

The Mandalorian Chapter 12 has Star Wars fans buzzing about how the show is seemingly connecting to some pretty big events in the Star Wars movie franchise. (Spoilers) Specifically, The Mandalorian Chapter 12 dropped the major reveal that Din Djarin’s main nemesis, imperial officer Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) was using Planet Nevarro (where the series began) as a lab facility for a secret Imperial experiment. That experiment saw some twisted humanoid creatures being grown in Bacta tanks and infused with Force abilities, while Moff Gideon is amassing an armada of Dark Trooper exoskeleton suits to house his new super-soldiers.

In a new interview with EW, Giancarlo Esposito talked about what’s still to come in The Mandalorian season 2 – and what Moff Gideon is really planning:

“Well, in the galactic ballpark, I think we’re all trying to figure out what does he really wants,” Esposito teases. “Somewhere in my brain, I hold out something and he has some kind of ethical consideration here. When people flow out of control and there are all these different Moffs who’ve been assigned different areas to be wardens of, isn’t there one person or someone that may have guidance over all of them?”

That’s a pretty enticing little tease there, to be sure. Well, Esposito goes further to tease Star Wars fans with the promise that big reveals are coming: “They’re questions that are answered. It could be super soldiers. It could be that he wants to save the galaxy.”

The running theory right now, is that what The Mandalorian is doing is some much-needed backstory fill-in to set up the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Specifically, Moff Gideon’s experiments are presumed to be the pioneering breakthrough that allowed the Empire to engineer an artificial being with power Force-sensitivity. Namely: the creation of Supreme Leader Snoke.

As we learned in TROS, Snoke was merely a living avatar to carry out the will of Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious. Palpatine needed a puppet body while the Sith Lord was still teetering on the edge of death, following Return of the Jedi. Giancarlo Esposito’s comments certainly seem to lend credibility to the idea that Snoke and/or Palpatine are the ones actually pulling Moff Gideon’s strings:

“Also, why does Moff Gideon know everything about what’s going on everywhere? He has some kind of incredible intelligence source. So I always hold out that there may be an altruistic reason that he is taking control or trying to. Certainly, the child represents the possibility of a new humanity of a new consciousness.”

“Altruism” is a concept unique to the eye of the beholder. In Gideon’s eyes, saving The Emperor and preserving the heart of The Empire (the “true source” of order in the universe) would be an almost righteous calling.

The Mandalorian is streaming new season 2 ads every Friday on Disney+. If you haven’t signed up for Disney+ yet, you can try it out here.

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