Countdown to ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3: Revisiting Chapter 13 ‘The Jedi’
As we start to gear up for the release of The Mandalorian season 3 on March 1, 2023, we’re taking a look back at each episode of the show so far through the lens of concept art. This will be a weekly series of reviews until the premiere of season 3. You may find our previous entries in this series here.
While we will be revisiting all of the artwork displayed in the episode’s credits, bear in mind that this is not a fully conceptualized review of the episode. We still have those from each episode, and we’ll link to them at the end.
Season 2 of The Mandalorian throws haymakers left and right, and Chapter 13: The Jedi lands one of the best punches. The previous episode served as a short detour of massive proportions before arriving on Corvus for the main event. A date with Ahsoka Tano is in order, and who else would direct this episode other than the creator of the beloved Togruta, Dave Filoni?
We quickly learn Ahsoka is on this planet in search of vital information from the oppressive ruler of the city of Calodan: Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth, played by Diana Lee Inosanto, niece of Bruce Lee. The opening scene is much like the concept art above depicts. Lurking in the dark, sneaking through the trees, Ahsoka eliminates all of the guards sent to kill her. In one shot, she takes out the guard by slicing through them and a nearby tree simultaneously, and then using part of the sliced tree to take out another trooper. Her live-action debut wastes no time in dropping your jaw.
Ah, what a joy it is to see the Razor Crest again. It feels as if Din Djarin’s refurbished N-1 starfighter has been around forever, but the first ship we fell in love with in the Mandoverse hasn’t been replaced for too long. As Mando and Grogu make their way to the planet, there are some “Force shenanigans” at play. These shenanigans involve Grogu’s favorite silver ball from the Razor Crest.
As Mando approaches the front gates to the city, he claims to be bounty hunting and wants a layover. I love the art here because you can see how desolate Corvus really is. The planet appears to be dying under the Magistrate’s oppressive regime. The scene from the planet above as Mando and Grogu entered the atmosphere reminded me of the show Rebels, where the crew returns to Lothal after a long time and sees the damage the Empire had done to a once breathtaking landscape.
Mando’s journey into the city involves a meeting with the Magistrate. She summons him immediately into the inner city. Offering him what she believes to be a lucrative deal, a spear made of pure beskar in exchange for the death of the Jedi plaguing her, she assumes all is well. Of course, she has no idea Mando is searching for the Jedi she wants dead. Such wonderful irony.
This concept art is among my favorite. The lavish scenery within the inner gate displays a level of malice greater than that of the tortured citizen outside the gate. Residing in luxury like this while knowing individuals are screaming in pain outside your door is terrifying. Even Mando seemed taken aback as he entered. Beyond this, the overall feel of this image seems pulled straight from the George Lucas inspiration notebook that Dave Filoni would be privy to.
When the meeting with the Magistrate concludes, Mando and Grogu make their way into the forest to find Ahsoka. Before departing, the Magistrate’s right-hand man asks Mando what “that thing” in his bag is (that thing referring to Grogu). Mando simply replies he keeps it around for luck. This show does a stellar job of interlacing some classic, goofy Star Wars moments within a serious storyline.
After a briefly hostile encounter, Mando is able to introduce Ahsoka to the cutest little guy in the galaxy. The two then set up shop for a private pow wow. It’s dark by the time Mando joins the two of them again, so for all we know, they could have been privately side by side for hours.
Next, Mando and the rest of the world learn of “Baby Yoda’s” real name: Grogu. For some, this took some getting used to, and I’m sure the title “Baby Yoda” will live on in pop culture forever, but I loved the name Grogu from the beginning.
The slight noise Grogu makes as Mando calls him by name melts my heart every time. How can you not get in your feels when hearing that little sound? Ahsoka then sheds some light on Grogu’s past with Mando, based on what she could discern from him.
The next morning, Ahsoka attempts to test Grogu’s powers. She cannot reach him, and after a few attempts, kneels before him, grabbing his hand. Instead of stubbornly continuing on, she tries a different approach: she has Mando attempt to reach him.
When it comes to getting Grogu to listen to him, Mando has about the same odds as Han getting C-3PO to shut up. This time, however, Mando uses the shiny silver ball from his ship to his advantage. Connecting with Grogu that way, the loveable green alien uses the Force to grab the ball.
Despite displaying his powers, Ahsoka refuses to train him because of his emotional attachments and fear. The two strike up a bargain when Mando says he will help her deal with the Magistrate if she sees that Grogu’s properly trained.
What came next was a team-up like no other: the Mandalorian and the Jedi. Two ancient enemies are now allies. Watching Ahsoka make quick work of the enemy guards was fantastic television, and Mando’s quick draw is tested as he takes out the Magistrate’s right-hand man, played by Terminator and Aliens legend Michael Biehn.
When the Magistrate and Ahsoka finally face off, it’s like watching two samurai warriors meet in a duel. Each of them paces back and forth, sizing up the enemy. Their blows rock against the other with an intense fury fused with the elegance of the long-studied art of combat. The scene in the image looks more like two warriors dueling in a dojo rather than the outdoor scene we get in the episode. If this is indeed the Magistrate that she is facing off against, they changed her look quite a bit.
Ultimately, it is Ahsoka who wins the day, and with her victory comes the giant jaw-dropper. She asks Elsbeth for the whereabouts of her master: Grand Admiral Thrawn. The name drop was a highlight in the episode for all fans of Rebels and Timothy Zahn truthers. There’s no doubt this will play a critical role in the Ahsoka series coming this summer. It may never happen, but I hope just once they call him by his full Chiss name: Mitth’raw’nuruodo.
In the aftermath of the battle, the city’s freedom is restored, and Mando prepares to leave with Grogu. Instead of taking the child on as a student, Ahsoka instructs Mando to place him on the seeing stone on the planet of Tython. In this place, Grogu will be able to make the choice of whether or not to be trained for himself. I suspect something pretty impactful might happen there… We will have to see.
If you are interested, you can find our original review for Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian right here.
Our “Countdown to The Mandalorian Season 3” series will continue next week, when we’ll be revisiting Chapter 14!
Finding ways to nonchalantly incorporate Star Wars quotes into 8th grade classroom, Tyler lives and breathes Star Wars. His morning tradition is sending the latest number in the countdown for different Star Wars projects and loves engaging in uplifting Star Wars dialogue. If you are passionate about Star Wars you can follow him on Twitter at TyBrad5.
