The Mandalorian: What Is The Monster In the Water in The Mines of Mandalore?
Star Wars got truly weird with the second episode of The Mandalorian Season 3. Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) made his long-awaited pilgrimage to Mandalore, in order to "redeem" himself in the waters below the Mines of Mandalore. While the planet was not as toxic as Mando had been led to believe, it still offered plenty of challenges that nearly ended him, Grogu, and even Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff).
(WARNING: SPOILERS FOLLOW!)
After a lot of fighting and near-death experiences, Din Djarin gets to his goal, and wades into the waters below the Mines of Mandalore. It's not the religious experience Mando hoped for, as he is promptly sucked to the bottom of the seabed, nearly drowning. As Bo-Katan dives down to save Mando, her skeptical outlook on the Mandalorian creed gets tested big time, when she runs into an actual monster down in the dark depths.
Naturally, fans of The Mandalorian are now asking one big question: What is that monster in the water at the end of The Mandalorian's "The Mines of Mandalore" episode?
Star Wars: The Legend of the Mythosaur
As Bo-Katan mockingly recounts, the Mythosaur is a beast that key to the history of the planet Mandalore. As the history goes, Mythosaurs (much like Dinosaurs) were THE dominant species of the planet Mandalore, until a legendary warrior, Mandalore the First, rose up and led his people, the Mandalorian Taung, against the Mythosaurs, hunting the beasts to extinction. The Mandalorians then established their warrior culture on the contquered world, using the image of the Mythosaur's skull as the sacred symbol of the Mand'alor, the ruling leader of all Mandalore and its clans of Mandalorians.
Return of The Mythic Beast
Clearly, The Mandalorian is paying off a story arc that's been building through the series (and The Book of Boba Fett) all along – a storyline that could see myth and faith literally come alive in the form of the Mythosaur. How that mythical beast factors into this current pivotal moment in time, where Din Djarin, Bo-Katan Kryze, The Armorer – and all the conflicting views these characters represent – could determine the future of Mandalore and its people. How they treat the revalation of the Mythosaur (kill it, conqueror it, or live with it harmoniously) could also shape the new era of Mandalorian culture, and more importantly, how it fits into the larger Star Wars Saga leading into the era of the Sequel Trilogy – and beyond.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 3 is now streaming on Disney+.