Did you spot the Mandalorian contingent in the final battle of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker? One of the running themes in the Skywalker saga's final installment is that the Resistance are supposedly alone in their fight against the First Order. Running low on troops and resources, the dregs of Leia Organa's group are staging one final stand against the resurgent Emperor Palpatine and have their hopes pinned almost entirely on Rey, the last known Jedi in the galaxy who isn't an evil would-be dictator.
While Rey is busy taking on Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker's climactic sequence, the Resistance have worries of their own, as the decaying Emperor raises a mammoth fleet of upgraded Star Destroyers from the planet's surface, ready to seize the galaxy with a sweeping display of military power. All that stands in their way is a small band of Resistance fighters, but what the First Order don't account for is people. Thanks to the charm of Lando Calrissian, the Resistance finds allies from all corners of space, and a hastily-assembled fleet of ships led by the Millennium Falcon pulls up on Exegol to help take down the foreboding Destroyers.
This scene includes an array of familiar vessels from previous Star Wars movies and TV shows, as well as a cameo from Wedge Antilles himself, Denis Lawson. However, the final battle scene between the Final Order and the people-powered Resistance also appears to include a nod to Mandalore. In several shots, a Mandalorian Fang Fighter is briefly but clearly glimpsed. Debuting in the Star Wars Rebels TV series, Fang Fighters are commonly associated with the Mandalorian Protectors, the personal guards of Mandalore's leadership.
Although the ships are of Mandalorian origin, there's no guarantee they're being piloted by Mandalorians, and the ships could be simple Easter eggs that nod towards another part of Star Wars history. As revealed in The Mandalorian, a mysterious purge has left the remaining residents of Mandalore in hiding, living a nomadic lifestyle after the events of Return of the Jedi. There are still many unanswered questions over the status of Mandalore and its leadership in the sequel trilogy era, with the Empire supposedly looting the planet's treasures. Consequently, the Fang Fighters could've been seized by any number of smugglers or rogues.
With that said, it makes little sense to include Mandalorian ships in a scene if not to convey the presence of actual Mandalorians. Although any allegiance between Mandalore and the Republic/Jedi would be tenuous due to the historic animosity between the two, The Mandalorian made it abundantly clear that the various clans harbor a deeper hatred for the Empire following the events of the purge. This was demonstrated when a small army of Mandalorians helped Din Djarin rescue Baby Yoda - any excuse to take down some Stormtroopers. It probably wouldn't have been too difficult for Lando to talk some Mandalorians (either in hiding or back on their liberated home planet) into aiding the Resistance's fight against Palpatine, and this could account for the appearance of the Fang Fighters.
Whoever's in the cockpit, the inclusion of Mandalorian ships in The Rise of Skywalker's final scene is a neat way of paying homage to a group of characters that have become increasing prominent thanks to Disney+, and the Fang Fighters add to the overriding theme of different people coming together for a common cause.