The Mandalorian takes place in an era of Star Wars relatively unexplored in canon: roughly five years after the events of Return of the Jedi. This post-Empire phase of galactic history has been addressed somewhat in books and comics, but now the Disney+ streaming series is diving in full steam. A major focus of this era is the Imperial Remnant.
The Imperial Remnant is the remaining Imperial forces that survived not only the Battle of Endor but the Battle of Jakku. The Mandalorian has been exploring their status and intent, but many questions about them remain.
Is Moff Gideon In Complete Control?
Cara Dune, a former Rebel shock trooper, described her post-Endor adventures as 'hunting down Imperial warlords." Fans know that some Imperial forces escaped to the Unknown Regions and ultimately became the First Order.
That means most of those that remained were exterminated or arrested. Is Moff Gideon the major - or only - Imperial holdout in the Outer Rim? Are there others? A Moff is a sector governor in Star Wars, meaning he oversaw or oversees numerous systems. This is just one of the many questions fans have about Gideon.
How Large Is The Remnant?
Another major question about the Imperial Remnant is its size and disposition. So far, fans have only seen limited cells on Nevarro and other Outer Rim worlds. Moff Gideon commands from a Star Destroyer, as seen in Chapter 12.
But how vast is the Remnant fleet? Is there even a fleet? The fleet at Endor was not the Imperial fleet in total. Another was similarly destroyed at the Battle of Jakku, but again was not the sum total of Imperial forces. How many other Imperial starships remain in service?
What Is Their Plan?
It's clear Moff Gideon has some kind of plan given his interest in The Child. But is there a greater objective for the Imperial Remnant? Is it mere survival?
They clearly don't have the forces necessary to assault the New Republic directly but they don't appear to be small enough to eliminate completely. Is the objective of the Remnant to establish the Empire? If so why doesn't Moff Gideon declare himself Emperor of the remaining territory he holds?
Where Do They Get Their Supplies From?
A major problem the Imperial Remnant has is maintaining a supply chain. This is clear from their first appearances in The Mandalorian. Their armor and equipment is unkempt and out of date. Once Moff Gideon showed up, fans saw that his immediate command is more supplied than his ground forces. How?
It's likely that the New Republic has disrupted Imperial manufacturing systems or destroyed them altogether. In Chapter 12, Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze (in one of her best moments) stormed a cruiser carrying weapons for the Empire. Gideon dispensed of it with ease, raising the question of if he needed it.
What Do They Want With The Child?
Answers to what the Imperial Remnant wants with The Child started to emerge in Chapter 12. Still, the whole picture is not clear. The Remnant was taking blood from The Child to use in a dangerous experiment that, on the surface, appears to involve cloning.
Cloning who? Why? Why The Child and not say another Force-sensitive person or creature? Is there something special about The Child? There are many theories for The Child's future, but as many or more about his past.
Are They Developing Dark Troopers?
The mystery of The Child appears to be directly tied to the mystery of the new and strange troopers teased at the end of Chapter 12.
This new army appears to be made of Dark Troopers, who originated in the 1995 LucasArts video game Star Wars: Dark Forces. Depending on the source material, all now non-canon, the Dark Troopers were droids, suits of exo-armor, or in some cases, aged clones. Given the fact that cloning seems to be a factor in The Mandalorian, it's a question of who these troopers really are.
Are They Still Using Clones?
In The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren suggests to General Hux that they use a clone army after apparent defections in their ranks. Repeating old Imperial behavior is just one of the most egregious things in the movie, but the Imperial Remnant may have more cause.
With limited forces and equipment, Moff Gideon may feel it necessary to turn back to the concept of a clone army. The Dark Troopers could be just one aspect of that. In canon, clone troopers were phased out in favor of conscripts and volunteers in the Imperial Army.
Why Hasn't The New Republic Stopped Them?
The New Republic has a small presence in the Outer Rim. It seems their focus is on the Core Worlds at this juncture in Star Wars history. The books and comics track how the New Republic took their eye off the ball with the First Order, but it's a fair question why the Imperial Remnant persisted.
It could be that the Remnant is so small to go undetected, which would explain the lack of supplies and need to acquire weapons. Even so, it would seem that the New Republic would be more focused on hunting down any remaining Imperial forces.
Will Remnant Characters From Legends Appear?
Many characters from books, like the Boba Fett armor-wearing Cobb Vanth, have appeared in The Mandalorian. The Imperial Remnant was a major aspect of the Legends range of books and comics, including major characters like Grand Admiral Thrawn.
He appeared in Star Wars Rebels (and was one of its least likable characters) and could appear again, given how Rebels characters are doing in live-action. Could other characters like Captain Pellaeon from Heir To The Empire show up as well?
What Is Their Connection To The First Order?
The First Order emerged from the ashes of the Empire. Is there a direct link between the eventual forces of Kylo Ren and those of Moff Gideon? A lot of questions remain about how the clone resurrection of Emperor Palpatine connected to the First Order.
Did the Imperial forces that fled into the Unknown Regions even connect to the Remnant in the Outer Rim? Did Gideon join them? Or does he meet a separate fate, perhaps tied to Mandalore and the Darksaber?