The latest trailer for Season 3 of The Mandalorian is filled to the brim with Mando madness, putting a dozen or so different armored warriors on display and making clear the path forward for Din Djarin involves a trip to the ruins of Mandalore. Fans who have been following the story of the war-torn planet through the animated series The Clone Wars and Rebels are sure to feel giddy at the prospects of The Mandalorian following through on those unresolved arcs but it’s another unresolved arc that caught the attention of fans upon first seeing the trailer.
During Luke Skywalker’s time with Grogu as seen in The Book of Boba Fett, the Jedi Master helped the young Force-wielder tap into his memories, giving audiences a glimpse into his tragic backstory. As seen in the flashback, Grogu bore witness to members of the 501st murdering a trio of Jedi who protected him. The scene brought to life the events that Grogu communicated to Ahsoka Tano in Season 2 of The Mandalorian. After communing with Grogu through the Force, Ahsoka shared that Grogu was raised at the Jedi Temple and was taken from it during Order 66. The identity of his savior, however, remains unknown though it may not stay that way for long.
At around the 1:07 mark of the new trailer, a shot of the interior of the Jedi Temple can be seen and close attention to the door in the center of the frame seems to indicate that not only will Season 3 of The Mandalorian revisit Order 66 once again but that its most terrifying myrmidon may make an appearance.
The door in frame is clearly being cut open by a lightsaber, leaving the only question to be who is using it on the other side. Following the debut of the trailer, fans immediately began to speculate that Anakin Skywalker is the unseen menace behind door number one and that Grogu will come face-to-face with Hayden Christensen. There is, of course, another option in play, however. While it’s entirely possible Christensen will make an appearance in the series (he did reprise the role of Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi, after all and could have filmed his Mando scenes then), it’s equally possible that the shot is a bit misleading and that Grogu’s savior stands behind the door.
One of the more popular theories about the identity of Grogu’s savior revolves around the idea that the traitor Barriss Offee, who was a prisoner of the Jedi during Order 66, may have played a role. In the Summer of 2022, during production on the live-action Ahsoka series, a rumor made the rounds that Lucasfilm was looking to cast an actress as Barriss Offee. Given pickups and reshoots for Season 3 of The Mandalorian took place during the time Ahsoka was filming, it’s possible the actress could appear in both. Given Offee had gone to the dark side, her reasons for taking Grogu might be a bit mysterious, but obviously whoever is behind that door didn’t kill the Youngling.
Without any strong evidence at this point, the identity of the person holding the lightsaber will remain a classic 50/50 scenario until the third season of The Mandalorian debuts on March 1st.
