The Mandalorian season 3 will release on Disney+ in March 2023, and could potentially include some huge Star Wars surprises. Throughout The Mandalorian's first two seasons, some big surprises were kept secret by the cast and crew until the respective episodes aired. In The Mandalorian season 1, the biggest surprise was that of Grogu, lovingly named Baby Yoda throughout season 1 by the Star Wars fandom before his name was learned in season 2.
The Mandalorian's sophomore season, however, managed to include an even bigger surprise: the return of Luke Skywalker. In a recent panel at CCXP 2022 to tease the upcoming season, The Mandalorian's star Pedro Pascal hinted at season 3 having potentially even bigger surprises than this, insisting there were more secrets to keep. With that in mind, here is every potential surprise that could be included in The Mandalorian season 3 to rival the show's prior reveals.
A Maul Flashback Showing The Darksaber's Journey
One of the biggest surprises of The Mandalorian season 3 could be another live-action appearance of Maul. While this could seem out of place, The Mandalorian season 3 promises to have one major object central to the story that could see an appearance from the former Sith Lord: the Darksaber. At the end of The Mandalorian season 2, Din Djarin took possession of the Darksaber from Moff Gideon, something that used to be owned by Bo-Katan Kryze. Before Bo-Katan, the saber was owned by Sabine Wren, who obtained it from Maul's lair on Dathomir.
While the Darksaber's history can be tracked to this point, going back to the Clone Wars when Maul obtained it from Pre Vizsla, there is a stretch of time when the Darksaber's whereabouts were unknown alongside Maul's. Between Maul's exit from Order 66 and his appearance in Star Wars: Rebels, not a lot is known of his activities outside of his brief cameo appearance in Solo: A Star Wars Story, a time in which he owned the Darksaber. Given how The Mandalorian season 3 will likely feature the Darksaber to a large extent, the show could flashback through the weapons journey and therefore feature a surprising cameo from Maul himself.
Snoke’s Origins As Teased By Seasons 1 & 2
Another potential Mandalorian season 3 surprise that has been set up somewhat throughout the first two seasons is Supreme Leader Snoke. The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2 have centered around the Empire attempting to catch GroguWith the cloning doctor in season 1, and the facility on Navarro in season 2, many have theorized the Empire wants Grogu to create Snoke, Palpatine's clone as revealed in The Rise of Skywalker. If these theories become true, The Mandalorian season 3 could feature Snoke's origin story, setting up the sequel trilogy over 20 years before it begins.
Leia Is Part Of The New Republic In Mando’s Timeline
One character's appearance in The Mandalorian season 3 that could rival the surprise of Luke Skywalker is Leia Organa, though this would undoubtedly be difficult to achieve. In terms of the Star Wars timeline, a potential Leia appearance would make sense. The Mandalorian takes place around 9ABY, with the New Republic running the galaxy before the emergence of the First Order. At this point, Leia would be raising a young Ben Solo. However, both before and after Ben's birth, Leia was part of the New Republic.
Given how Din Djarin has had his fair share of run-ins with Star Wars' New Republic, a Leia cameo is not out of the possibility. However, this would be a complicated moment given Carrie Fisher passed away in 2016, meaning a CGI creation of Leia like Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian season 2 and The Book of Boba Fett could be deemed disrespectful to Fisher's legacy.
Han Solo Could Be Tied To Mando’s Underworld
Like Leia and Luke, the third member of Star Wars' big three - Han Solo - would be a massive surprise appearance. Unlike Leia's potential appearance, a Han Solo role could tie to The Mandalorian's story. As is known of Han from before the Galactic Civil War, he was a smuggler and linked to various crime gangs across the galaxy. Din Djarin, through being one of Star Wars' many bounty hunters, is also primarily connected to the underworld of the Star Wars galaxy. While The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2 have moved Mando further away from this world, season 3 could see him needing to return to his roots, which could lead to a surprise Han Solo appearance.
The only drawback with this is the unlikelihood that Harrison Ford returns as the character. Ford has made it clear his distaste for the character and the franchise, with The Rise of Skywalker likely being his last performance in the Star Wars universe. However, a similar process could be used as was with Luke Skywalker in The Book of Boba Fett, with a stand-in body and an AI-generated voice performance. However, similarly to Leia, a Han Solo appearance is unlikely despite the fact that it would be a revelation to rival Luke's, given replicating Ford could appear disrespectful to the actor himself.
Who Saved Grogu From Order 66
Despite all of these potentialities, arguably the one that is most likely is the revelation of who saved Grogu from Order 66. The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett have both mentioned Grogu's survival of the event, with the latter physically showing Grogu's experience through Force-flashback. However, one thing that has still not been made clear is just how Grogu survived and ended up on Arvala-7 at the beginning of The Mandalorian season 1.
This plot point has seen many theories thought up by Star Wars audiences regarding who saved Grogu from Order 66, with speculation ranging from Anakin Skywalker to Mace Windu. Through these theories, The Mandalorian season 3 could have major appearances. The two mentioned would be huge surprises, with Anakin being the one who murdered the younglings in the Jedi Temple and Mace Windu apparently dead at that point. Regardless, the shows in Favreau and Filoni's Mandalorian universe so far have been hinting towards this question being answered, meaning the potential savior of Grogu's Order 66 ordeal could lead to a massive surprise in The Mandalorian season 3.