The Ending Of The Mandalorian Chapter 13 Explained
With just three episodes left in its second season, The Mandalorian presented one of its biggest episodes yet with Chapter 13, entitled "The Jedi." Major spoilers lie ahead for chapter 13, so if you haven't watched yet, turn back now!
"The Jedi" introduced one of the most highly anticipated Mandalorian characters yet: Ahsoka Tano, played by Rosario Dawson. Originally a character from the beloved animated Clone Wars series, Ahsoka, a fierce former Jedi scarred by the memory of watching her mentor Anakin fall to the Dark Side, arrives right as the episode opens, waging a small war on the town of Calodan and its magistrate, Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto). By the time Mando (Pedro Pascal) and The Child arrive, the magistrate tasks the bounty hunter with killing Ahsoka. But Mando knows he needs to track her down and keep her alive to help solve the mystery of The Child.
After helping Ahsoka infiltrate Calodan and confront the magistrate, Mando seeks her help with The Child. However, there's even more to the tiny creature than Mando ever imagined. From The Child's past to Ahsoka's mission, here's the ending of The Mandalorian chapter 13, explained.
What lies ahead for The Child?
"The Jedi" gave us the most information about The Child's background yet, courtesy of Ahsoka, who can telepathically glean information from the small being. Raised and trained by the Jedi on Coruscant, The Child — whose name is revealed as Grogu — has huge blank patches in his memory that Ahsoka says are "dark," which is The Child's way of erasing some of his life's most traumatic moments.
Ahsoka briefly tries to test Grogu and witnesses his Force skills for herself, but even so, she tells Mando she can't (or won't?) serve as his master. There's too much fear in him, she says. Beyond that, he trusts Mando above all else, an attachment that Ahsoka worries could turn him to the Dark side — and without mentioning him by name, it's clear that she's thinking of Anakin.
Unsettlingly, Ahsoka even indicates that Grogu could turn evil just like Anakin Skywalker before him, but even so, she tells Mando to travel to Tython, bring Grogu to a Jedi temple, and place him on a seeing stone, which may alert other Jedi to his presence. This raises some important questions: Once Grogu rediscovers his largely dormant Force abilities, is it possible that he could turn evil? Though Grogu definitely seems way too adorable to become a villain, Ahsoka's concerns about his possible future bring up some huge potential roadblocks for Mando and Grogu's journey ahead.
Who is Grand Admiral Thrawn, and why is Ahsoka hunting him?
In her masterful battle against the Magistrate, Ahsoka has one important question for the imperious woman: Where is the magistrate's master, Grand Admiral Thrawn? If that name doesn't ring any bells for you, here's why Grand Admiral Thrawn is so important, and what it could mean for Ahsoka's next moves.
As voiced by Lars Mikkelsen in the Rebels series, the blue-skinned Grand Admiral Thrawn is one of Star Wars' most enduring and frightening villains, first appearing way back in 1991 in the Timothy Zahn-penned Star Wars: Heir to the Empire, the first book in a series of novels now referred to as "The Thrawn Trilogy." When Disney bought Star Wars, it relegated Thrawn and the rest of the novels published to that point to "Legends" status, forging a new continuity outside of the movies. But fans were thrilled when he was included in season 3 of Star Wars: Rebels, the first time the character was included in "official" Star Wars canon. Now, it seems as if he could show up on The Mandalorian before long, his most high-profile inclusion yet.
The return of Thrawn also brings up another interesting part of Ahsoka's past — specifically, whether or not Rebels hero Ezra Bridger will return as well. As Rebels draws to a close, Ahsoka faces off against Vader to protect Ezra, who saves her from the fight in return only to disappear into a mysterious part of the galaxy with Thrawn himself. If Thrawn is set to appear on The Mandalorian, perhaps Ahsoka and Ezra will be able to reunite as well.
All in all, this action-packed installment of The Mandalorian answered several important questions and sets up an exciting back half of the season. The Mandalorian airs new episodes exclusively on Disney+ every Friday at 12:00 AM Pacific, and the first five episodes of season 2 are available to stream now.