The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 4: Top 3 takeaways and surprise cameo

It is a definitive pattern in The Mandalorian to dedicate one episode to the subduing of a beast that regularly costs innocent lives. Last week’s episode, directed by Greef Karga actor Carl Weathers, turned out to be the one for Season 3.

While the events seemed pretty straightforward on the surface, the underlying implications and one particular flashback scene justified the presence of Dave Filoni in this episode.

Let’s take a look at the top takeaways from The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 4:

The Mandalorian has faith in Grogu’s Jedi skills

Showmaker Jon Favreau has confirmed that Grogu has spent much longer training with Luke Skywalker than the fans initially believed.

The young foundling is looking more and more in control of the Force with every new episode. It seems like he has improved to the point where Din Djarin trusts him to be able to defend himself in risky situations.

In Episode 2, the Mandalorian sent Grogu back to seek help from Bo-Katan after he got captured by the crab-like creature in Mandalore. In the last episode, Din made him compete against another foundling, who later turned out to be Pas Viszla’s son Ragnar.

At first, Grogu seemed hesitant to shoot the darts. However, Din Djarin looked confident in his ward. “I’ve seen what you can do,” he said, assuring Grogu to reveal his Jedi skills in front of the Mandalorians. Getting Din Djarin’s nod, Grogu showed off the vaults he learned from Luke and won the battle by one point.

The Mandalorian’s words and actions point toward the possibility of him training Grogu as a proper apprentice and someone to eventually count on during battles.

We finally know who saved Grogu – and it’s a nice Easter egg!

The episode had a delightful surprise in store for the fans.

Soon after the duel with Grogu, a pterodactyl-ish creature kidnaps Ragnar and flies him to its lair.

As the Bo-Katan-led war party left to rescue the foundling, the Armorer took Grogu to the forgery to make him a new piece for his armor. While staring at the beskar getting crafted, the foundling gets a flashback to how he escaped the Jedi Temple as Order 66 was getting executed.

After many Jedi Knights died protecting him, he was saved by a Jedi Master named Kelleran Beq. He is played by Ahmed Best, also known among die-hard Star Wars fans as the voice and motion actor behind the infamous prequels character Jar Jar Binks. He reprised his roles in several episodes of Clone Wars.

Although Best’s Kelleran Beq has no mention in previous productions, we see him as the host of the kids’ game show, Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge. He wielded dual lightsabers in the scene and fought off multiple clones to escape with Grogu from Coruscant.

The Armorer does not know about the Mythosaur

After the retrieval of Pas Viszla’s son, when the rescue party returns to the covert, the Armorer notices that Bo-Katan has lost her right pauldron in the battle with the creature. She offers to replace it but warns that it would not come with the modern refinements of a Nite Owl gear.

Bo-Katan asks if she can have the sigil of the Mythosaur on the new pauldron while she still dons the symbol of the Nite Owls on her left arm. The Armorer obliges, stating that ‘the Mythosaur belongs to all Mandalorians.’

This could be a hint that Bo-Katan eventually brings together the remaining Nite Owls with the Children of the Watch for a reunion.

Relieved at the acceptance, Bo-Katan goes on to confide in the Armorer about what she saw in the depths of the Living Waters in Mandalore.

We have always seen the Armorer uphold the traditional values of Mandalore and keep the legends of the culture alive. She is the first one to mention the mythical creature on the show and talk about the prophecy of the Mythosaur rising again.

Yet, when she hears Bo-Katan has seen one, at first she thinks it to be a vision. When Bo-Katan doubles down and claims she saw a living-breathing one, the Armorer responds with ‘This is the Way.’

Between the Armorer’s helmet and her permanently indifferent poise, it was hard to tell whether she dismissed Bo-Katan’s words as delusion or caught a hint of the prophecy coming true. Either way, the scene was certainly implicative of two possible futures for the Children of the Watch.

One possibility is the breaking of the covert over believing or not believing the Mythosaur story if Bo-Katan tells more people about what she saw. While some may want to return to their home and fulfill the prophecy, others may not be on board with the idea of risking themselves and the community. It would be reminiscent of the past back when Bo-Katan and the Nite Owls broke off from the Death Watch after Darth Maul killed Pre Vizsla in the duel over supremacy.

Another possibility could see the legend take a backseat as the Children of the Watch believe Bo-Katan and provide unwavering support to her. Together, the Nite Owls and the covert fight against the phantom menace, pun intended, who has burnt down her home yet again. Several hints point towards Grand Admiral Thrawn being an antagonist in this season, which would also tie in with a cameo appearance by Ahsoka Tano.

However, the future of Mandalore is bound to come into play eventually. Between the Darksaber’s existence and a real Mythosaur being spotted, it’s only a matter of time before the Mandalorians start whispering about true leadership.

Watch The Mandalorian every Wednesday on Disney+