A new era of Star Wars kicked off with The Mandalorian when it became the first of what will be many original Disney+ series set in the Galaxy far, far away. The series, thus far, has impressed fans new and old, both the casual and the hardcore. One of its most impressive feats is how it constantly surprises fans in the best way, doing things that the audience never expected when the show first started.
This could be the appearance of loved characters, of which there are many new and exciting story threads, or just a change in narrative direction that fans did not see coming. No matter what it is, The Mandalorian is full of surprises.
IG-11's Return & Sacrifice
When Din Djarin shoots and kills IG-11 in the first episode of The Mandalorian, audiences thought that was it for the fun assassin droid. More of him would have been good but was, of course, not needed. His return was a welcome surprise.
What was even more welcome was the arc the droid underwent upon his return. Becoming a nurse droid who ended up living to protect Grogu, IG-11 turned into one of the most likable characters on the show. He even helped develop Din's character, showing him that not all droids were like those who killed his parents. IG-11's second death shocked fans again and was far better and more emotional than his first.
Migs Mayfeld's History
With only three appearances in the show, Migs Mayfeld has become one of the series' best and most popular recurring characters, but it was not until "Chapter 15: The Believer" that fans got a deeper appreciation for his character.
Migs' past as an Imperial was explored in the episode and the criminal was massively humanized. He was a part of Operation Cinder and witnessed the burning of 10,000 people on Burnin Konn, civilians and soldiers alike. One of the most fist-pump-worthy moments of season 2 is when Mayfeld shoots Valin Hess, the Officer responsible for what went down on the Burnin Konn, in an iconic scene for the character in The Mandalorian.
The Appearance Of Imperial Cloning Facilities
Following the return of Palpatine in The Rise Of Skywalker, the exploration of cloning and the various facilities that utilize it seems to be a priority in canon, with it thus far getting showcased briefly in The Bad Batch and The Mandalorian.
Din, Cara, and Greef coming across an Imperial laboratory containing deformed - almost Snoke-esque - clones was a surprise. It is unlikely that the idea of Imperial cloning will return in the show, with Grogu gone and the natural narrative being to focus more on Mandalore from this point. But, with Mount Tantiss in The Bad Batch, holes will inevitably get filled in by Star Wars TV soon enough.
Cobb Vanth's Appearance
Before season 2, when casting news revealed that Timothy Olyphant had gotten a role in the show, hardcore fans had predicted that he would play Cobb Vanth from the Aftermath trilogy. The idea of the character appearing before that point was a pipe dream.
Few believed a character like Cobb Vanth would appear. He was only a fun, albeit great, character from a book trilogy. Thankfully he did, and not only that, he got embraced by the more casual audience members who grew to adore him in his one appearance.
Gideon Wields The Darksaber
Gideon immediately made his impact as an intelligent and powerful Star Wars villain for a show with The Mandalorian's scope. He shocked many in the season 1 finale when he emerged from his crashed TIE Fighter wielding one of Star Wars' most iconic weapons.
Nobody expected Gideon to have possession of the Darksaber. The last fans saw of it, it was in the hands of the brilliant Bo-Katan Kryze. With her appearances on the show, Gideon's continued survival, and Din being the new owner of the blade, the show's next season will add a lot of history to the Darksaber.
Ahsoka Tano
From the get-go, there were fans who predicted that Bo-Katan Kryze could and would pop up in The Mandalorian. Ahsoka, though, seemed far more unlikely. More surprising than her actual appearance in the show was what she did in her one episode.
For one, the beloved character revealed the name of Baby Yoda/the Child to be Grogu. On top of that, what she is doing in the show is on the hunt for Thrawn, seemingly continuing where audiences left off in the Rebels finale when most fans expected that to kick off in a sequel to the animated show or in Ahsoka's Star Wars series.
The Destruction Of The Razor Crest
Across one-and-a-half seasons of the show, fans grew accustomed to the Razor Crest as the central home and main badass ship of Din Djarin and the series overall. Pretty shockingly, in "Chapter 14: The Tragedy," the ship gets destroyed.
Falling victim to Imperial assault, the ship is blown to smithereens, with only Boba Fett's armor retrieved from it on time. Similar to how seeing the likes of the Millennium Falcon destroyed would be surprising, fans were taken aback by the decision for Din's home to leave the show. Although, a new home may come the way of the Mandalorian going forward.
The Book Of Boba Fett Reveal
The season 2 finale of The Mandalorian is an exhilarating piece of television, full of badass action, emotion, beautiful character moments, and surprise twists and reveals. One of the biggest actually comes when the episode finishes.
In a post-credit scene, Boba Fett and Fennec Shand arrive at Jabba, the Hutt's iconic palace where Bib Fortuna sits as Daimyo. Fett kills Fortuna, takes the throne for himself, and The Book Of Boba Fett gets announced to awe-inspired audiences.
The Reveal Of Grogu
Fans were not entirely sure what to expect from The Mandalorian outside of some high-octane action. This gets delivered in season 1, but so does one of the most shocking reveals in Star Wars history, Baby Yoda aka Grogu.
The reveal helped make The Mandalorian the wildly popular show that it is, as well as lay the groundwork for the rest of the show. It also kicked off the Baby Yoda phenomenon that still rules over pop culture. Absolutely nobody saw it coming. It was a well-protected secret and a wonderfully crafted reveal that left the audience's jaws on the floor.
The Return Of Luke Skywalker
Star Wars has this ethereal ability to transport the viewer to a safe and wondrous place where the problems of the world take a backseat, if only for a few minutes. Luke Skywalker's return at the end of The Mandalorian's second season is one such moment.
While there was some debate following Ahsoka Tano's admission that perhaps a Jedi out there will hear Din and Grogu's message, it was too much for most to think that Luke Skywalker could appear in the show. Then he did, and it blew everyone's minds. It is not even just that he appeared -- it is the manner in which he did. The whole sequence got handled with such care, and it was as emotional as it was kickass. It is perhaps the most incredible surprise appearance/cameo in Star Wars history.