Throughout its first two seasons, The Mandalorian has shown more and more of the remains of the Galactic Empire gradually became the First Order. As the series has progressed, the Imperial remnant led by Moff Gideon has slowly become a more present and serious threat, culminating in their capture of Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) at the end of the latest episode, “The Tragedy.” Though Gideon’s force seemed ragtag at first, viewers are starting to see more of the foundation that led to the First Order.
From the moment Darth Sidious was killed (at least sort of) and the second Death Star was destroyed, the creation of the First Order was set in motion. Escaped officials and leading member of the Empire fled to the Unknown Regions where they began rebuilding their strength under a new banner, waiting for the moment to strike. Palpatine’s resurrection on Exegol spurred the creation of a great fleet of new Star Destroyers, while agents of the cause sparked dissent and fragmentation within the burgeoning New Republic. Eventually, from this multi-pronged movement, the First Order was born.
The Mandalorian is showing its own piece of that process through Gideon’s remnant in several ways. Earlier in season 2, it was revealed why the Moff wants Grogu so badly – the Child’s blood, high in midi-chlorians, is necessary for some sort of biological experiment. It’s heavily implied that the real purpose is to aid in either Palpatine’s resurrection or Snoke’s creation – both of which are key moments in the First Order’s creation. Now in “The Tragedy,” another reference to the sequel’s fascistic villains has appeared.
During the battle where Din, Boba Fett and Fennec Shand face off against a squad of Imperial forces, the Stormtroopers arrive in landing craft that strongly resembles those of the First Order. The ship design is easily recognizable but absent from the original trilogy, suggesting that it was either a model produced in the very late days of the Empire, or that Gideon’s forces are already in the process of creating new weapons and equipment. Either way, it’s an interesting nod to what the remnants of the Empire become.
If Gideon’s landing craft is a new design, that suggests he could be more connected to the Imperials in the Unknown Regions than previously thought. It could be that he is less of an independent warlord, and more of an agent sent back to the Outer Rim for a specific purpose. That fits with the theory that Grogu will be used to create Snoke or Palpatine clones, and it also explains why the show’s characters are so surprised to see the kind of strength Gideon actually wields. While these questions remain unanswered for now, they’ll likely have a lot more light shown on them by the time The Mandalorian finishes its second season.