Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Mandalorian season 2, episode 4, "The Siege."
The Mandalorian season 2 is starting to lay the foundation for the origin of the First Order in the Star Wars universe. The fourth episode of the follow-up season, titled "The Siege," saw the return of the Imperial remnant led by Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). While more of their current plan was uncovered, the series made it a point to tease what the future will hold for the survivors of the Empire.
The First Order was prominently introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens as the military and political faction that took over years after the fall of the Galactic Empire. Comprised of Imperial remnants, Centrists, and other New Republic enemies, the First Order was directly influenced by the Empire's fascist ideologies. The first installment of the sequel trilogy took place in 34 ABY, and by that point, the Order was well established as the autocratic government ruling the galaxy. The formation of the Empire's successor was said to ramp up in 21 ABY when funding increased, but it wasn't a fully public threat until nearly a decade later.
The Mandalorian is set approximately five years after the fall of the Empire, which would be sometime around 9 ABY. Granted, the timeline is many years away from the birth of the First Order, but the presence of surviving Imperial sects remains worrisome nonetheless. Season 1 introduced Moff Gideon as an Imperial leader who had his eyes set on acquiring the Child for research. "The Siege" confirmed that Imperial scientists need the Child's blood to carry out crucial experiments involving midi-chlorians. The episode also insinuated that there are mysterious events happening throughout the galaxy, connecting to the eventual origins of the First Order.
How The Mandalorian Hinted At The Formation Of The First Order
It was established early on in The Mandalorian that the Imperial remnants have a heavy presence in the Outer Rims, but their focus looks to be set on greater areas of the galaxy. Toward the end of "The Siege," New Republic X-wing pilot Carson Teva interviewed Greef Karga about the base explosion on Nevarro. He noted that "something is brewing and we need to put a stop to it," suggesting that the New Republic is starting to hear rumblings about the Empire's plans to build another military governance. The pilot then spoke to Cara Dune, inviting her to join the New Republic due to the obvious Imperial expansion.
The episode closed with a sequence that revealed Moff Gideon on a very large Arquitens-class cruiser as he looked over the abundance of black Imperial mech suits. Just before that, an Imperial crew member spoke with the Nevarro mechanic that put a tracker on Din Djarin's ship. The mechanic spy was promised a hefty reward in the "new era," which was yet another nod to the Empire's future transformation into the First Order. The Mandalorian will surely follow the remnants' progress since they will eventually succeed whether Moff Gideon is still around or not. While the First Order and its Supreme Leader will wreak havoc on the galaxy, their reign will be relatively short-lived thanks to Resistance's efforts in a new rebellion.