The Mandalorian season 2 trailer featured plenty of The Child and planet-hopping, but what the teaser is hiding from viewers is even more interesting.
The release of The Mandalorian season 2 trailer last week reignited Star Wars fans’ fervor for the blockbuster Disney+ series. Last December’s season finale beautifully wrapped the show’s first eight-episode run, but it also prompted questions about where the show would go in season 2.
So far, those questions still remain. The recent trailer only gives a small glimpse at the planets that the Clan of Two will explore; it is also heavy on cute moments of The Child.
However, there’s some notable absences in the trailer as well. What’s been omitted from the teaser includes some of the most interesting aspects of the upcoming season. Here are four important things The Mandalorian season 2 trailer didn’t show:
1. Moff Gideon
Giancarlo Esposito made his grand entrance as Moff Gideon in episode 7 of season 1. His arrival marked the departure of Werner Herzog’s The Client, signaling that Gideon is the Big Bad that will likely serve as the show’s main antagonist going forward.
The last time we saw Gideon, his TIE fighter was blown out of the sky by Mando, but he emerged unhurt and wielding the Darksaber. This last glimpse of Gideon showed that he is coming into season 2 looking for revenge and he has the weapon to pull it off.
The trailer for the upcoming season, though, doesn’t feature Gideon at all. What the moff has schemed up since the finale is arguably the biggest factor coming into season 2. It’s clear that the conflict with Mando isn’t over, and we know Gideon wants The Child, so this sets up a high-stakes season.
The question remains about how large Gideon’s shadow will lurk over the Clan of Two. Will he send bounty hunters on his behalf? Will he take on Mando face-to-face? One of the most nerve-wracking parts of the first season was the constant threats that both Mando and The Child faced, and it seems that trend will only continue in season 2 — but how Gideon makes his presence felt remains unseen.
2. The Darksaber
The aforementioned and infamous weapon, the darksaber, previously appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels. Star Wars fans first saw it wielded by Mandalorian warrior Pre Vizsla before it was won by Darth Maul. Then, it came into the possession of Sabine Wren, who learned to use it before passing it off to fellow Mandalorian Bo-Katan Kryze.
Kryze was the assumed current owner of the Darksaber until Gideon emerged with it at the end of The Mandalorian season 1. How Gideon came into its possession is unknown, and it prompts the question about what happened to Kryze and her tribe.
One educated guess about season 2 is that it will explore Gideon’s ownership of the weapon, which likely involves some kind of conflict with Kryze. In a recent interview with People, Giancarlo Esposito confirmed that viewers will see the Darksaber’s “origins” (and also noted that season 3 and 4 are already in the works):
"You will also start to uncover the origins of the Darksaber that Moff Gideon has and how that plays into previous Star Wars history connected to The Clone Wars and other shows. And you’ll start to get a real dramatic sense of the territory."
Until the season gets underway, though, it’s completely a mystery as to when the Darksaber will appear, whether in the present story against Mando (or someone else) or in flashbacks (presumably against Kryze).
3. Rumored/reported new arrivals for The Mandalorian season 2
One of the most anticipated aspects of The Mandalorian season 2 is the standout list of characters that are rumored to be appearing, headlined by the live-action debut of Ahsoka Tano. Actress Rosario Dawson has hinted at her taking on the role, but nothing is “official” regarding Ahsoka’s appearance in The Mandalorian just yet.
Other familiar characters who are rumored or reported to be in the upcoming season are Boba Fett (played by Temuera Morrison) and Bo-Katan Kryze (played by the actress that voiced her, Katee Sackhoff). Additionally, new arrivals Michael Biehn and Timothy Olyphant are also rumored/reported to be appearing in this season as bounty hunter characters.
Yet, if these new arrivals will show up this season, Disney and Lucasfilm are hiding those reveals for now. The only rumor the trailer confirmed is that WWE star Sasha Banks will have a role in season 2, but we can only guess right now as to who her character is.
It’s completely understandable (and even expected) that The Mandalorian team is holding back any big cameos. They employed the same strategy last year when The Child was left out of all promotion materials ahead of the series premiere in order to maximize his surprise reveal at the end of episode 1.
If anything, keeping the rumored/reported characters out of the trailer only builds on the excitement for the upcoming season. There is an anxious anticipation that hangs around questions of, “Will [insert character] actually show up and how/when?”
4. The return of Jedi (or maybe not?)
The Jedi appearing in The Mandalorian is an exciting thought. The season 2 trailer even references them in the conversation between The Armorer and Mando that plays over the teaser. Emily Swallow’s character told Din Djarin at the end of season 1 that he must reunite The Child “with its own kind.” She continues, “The songs of eons past tell of battles between Mandalore the Great and an order of sorcerers called Jedi.”
Din questions The Armorer’s proposition, saying, “You expect me to search the galaxy and deliver this creature to a race of enemy sorcerers?” This quote, in particular, could serve as the basis for season 2: Mando seeks out the Jedi for help with training The Child, but also faces immediate and looming threats initiated by Gideon along the way.
The season 2 trailer seems to hint at the presence of Jedi. Right as The Armorer references them, Sasha Banks’ character appears while wearing a hood and lurking behind a crowd. This careful framing of the trailer along with the season 1 voiceover could point to Banks’ character being a Jedi. However, some viewers have offered theories that Banks is the live-action version of Rebels‘ Sabine Wren, which is another intriguing possibility.
Either way, it’s not confirmed that the Jedi are in the season 2 trailer. And it’s not entirely clear if the Jedi will show up at all this season.
But, there’s no need to lay everything out to viewers before they embark on The Mandalorian season 2 in October. Keeping some surprises in the show’s back pocket is a winning proposition for everyone involved.
The Mandalorian season 2 premieres on Disney+ on Oct. 30.