The Mandalorian season 3 is beginning to reach a climax as all the pieces are put in place for what promises to be a gripping conclusion to the last outing. In Chapter 21, titled "The Pirate," Din Djarin traveled back to Nevarro to help Greef Karga (Carl Weathers), whose planet had been taken over by Gorian Shard and his gang. There’s also a substantial time in the episode dedicated to the state of the New Republic, with Carson Teva once again taking center stage. Teva travels to Coruscant to request backup for a mission to Nevarro, and while there, he comments that he has heard Moff Gideon never made it to trial.
Other people in and around the New Republic on Coruscant have mentioned similar stories about Gideon’s possible escape, but this episode confirms it. In the final moments, Teva’s search of the destroyed ship reveals the presence of Mandalorians in his prison break, leading to serious questions about whether the warriors kidnapped him in order to enact their own form of justice, or if they are, for some reason, loyal to the Imperial warlord.
Ever since his first appearance in the show, it’s been abundantly clear that the Mandalorians have every reason to hate Moff Gideon. He was a key piece in the Night of a Thousand Tears, the extinction level event that led to the destruction of the Mandalore planet and most of its people. In real-world terms, the Night of a Thousand Tears was essentially a genocide enacted on the planet by the Empire, so disdain for Moff Gideon must be rampant among the survivors. This is made even poignant by the fact that Gideon is seemingly known to most people in the show, with Greef Karga in particular immediately recognizing him.
This suggests that Mandalorians could have simply kidnapped Gideon from the New Republic prison in order to execute him themselves. The Mandalorians are a people of war and battle, so it would make sense that they would want to go down that route. They are also not overly trustworthy of the New Republic, so perhaps they wanted to take matters into their own hands by bringing Gideon into their custody. They may not trust the New Republic to dish out the punishment they feel Gideon deserves.
Moff Gideon being kidnapped by the Mandalorians as a form of revenge is arguably the most straightforward explanation, but there are a few other possibilities. Gideon has always had an interesting connection to Mandalore as a planet and people. He was stationed on the planet during the Galactic Civil War, and as such is very aware of the history of the world. Gideon also possessed the Dark Saber, an ancient Mandalorian weapon that holds great significance in their culture. Many Mandalorians consider the owner of the Dark Saber to be the ruler of the Mandalorian people, so Gideon is clearly deeply involved in this side of the Star Wars galaxy.
All of that stands to reason that, perhaps, Moff Gideon has some Mandalorian loyalists who are on his side. After all, Bo-Katan had followers in season two because she once wielded the Dark Saber before it was taken by Gideon. It would make sense if some Mandalorians flocked to the Imperial simply thanks to his ownership of the weapon. There are clearly many Mandalorians who follow their creed to the letter, refusing to do anything that could jeopardize their commitment to the culture. Gideon could have possibly taken advantage of this in order to gain a following.
There’s also the possibility that Gideon leads his own sect of Mandalorians, much like the Armorer rules over the Watch group. Din Djarin, Paz Viszla, and more all follow the Armorer and her ways, and more recently, even Bo-Katan. Before Katee Sackhoff’s character joined the Watch (if her introduction into the group can be described as such) she led her own band of Mandalorians. There’s clearly a precedent for the people of the planet fracturing into splinter groups, some of whom could be direct rivals to one another. Gideon could simply be a leader of one of those groups, which would deepen his rivalry with Din Djarin and company even more.
Regardless of why Gideon escaped or how the Mandalorians were involved, it’s clear that this isn’t the last viewers of heard or seen of this incident. Gideon will appear once again before the season is up, and the secrets of his breakout will be explored, so fans can expect some more surprises from here on out. If Gideon does indeed have a group of Mandalorians behind him, this would be a potential game changer for the heroes’ battle against the remaining remnants of the Empire. It could further solidify the planet and its people’s vital role in this period of the galaxy.
