Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Mandalorian, season 3, episode 3.The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3 "Chapter 19 - The Convert” just showed why the New Republic failed to quell the First Order in the sequel trilogy. After the destruction of the Death Star II during the Battle of Endor, the Empire splintered and broke apart without its superweapon of terror. From the ashes and confusion, Princess Leia Organa helped form and guide the New Republic to take the reins on the galaxy, with Mon Mothma becoming its new Chancellor. But because many systems were still scarred from the Empire, the New Republic had a difficult time figuring out how to enforce their laws.
The recent episode of The Mandalorian is dividing fans for including a massive subplot about Dr. Pershing (played by Omid Abtahi) that takes place on Coruscant. How this part of the story ties into Din Djarin and Grogu has yet to be revealed, but seeing what’s happening with the New Republic on Coruscant helps tie The Mandalorian to the sequels more than ever before. In the subplot, Dr. Pershing assists the New Republic in a boring desk job where he catalogs materials from the Empire that are being decommissioned and thrown away. In other words, the New Republic is wasting most of what it received from the Empire.
The Mandalorian Season 3 Shows The Decommissioning Of The Alliance Fleet
As the Chancellor of the New Republic, Mothma attempted to run the galaxy as it was in the days before the Clone Wars. As such, the New Republic’s laws centered around peacefully disarming both itself and its enemies. Without the use of force, it relied on political negotiations to remain on friendly terms with other systems. Mothma believed that it was time for the galaxy to heal its wounds, which is why she chose to discard anything from the Empire. Not only were the few ships left from the Alliance retired, but the remaining Imperial Star Destroyers were torn apart, as well.
During the Empires's rise, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order showed that many of the old Republic’s Venator-class Star Destroyers were cut up and repurposed to build the Imperial Star Destroyers. But when Dr. Pershing and Elia Kane (played by Katy M. O’Brian) attempt to steal resources from a decommissioned Star Destroyer, it's clear that the New Republic has no intentions of reusing anything from the Empire. The New Republic was defeated easily in the sequels because it weakened itself in The Mandalorian. Without any weapons or battleships to defend itself, it was only a matter of time before an opposing force armed itself and took over.
Why The New Republic Made Such A Bad Mistake
Chancellor Mothma had a vision for how to peacefully run the galaxy after the Empire’s reign of terror, but it was badly executed with the abrupt Military Disarmament Act. Leia Organa opposed the sudden waste of the Empire’s weaponry, as she believed that the New Republic would not be able to govern itself using politics alone. But while Leia was wary of the Empire’s remnants reigniting the conflict, the New Republic was too busy celebrating its newfound freedom. Ultimately, Mothma made the mistake of believing that the Empire was finally defeated once and for all.
Star Wars’ canceled Rangers of the New Republic show would likely have explored Mothma’s mistake even further. The majority of the New Republic’s law enforcement was left to a handful of X-wing patrols, which Din Djarin has been pulled over by multiple times in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Yet the Rangers never have the wherewithal to actually punish him or pose a threat. In other words, the New Republic is mostly built on mutual hatred for the Empire, along with the freedom to self-govern. Yet many in the galaxy take advantage of the New Republic since they know there are no teeth behind its bite.
The New Republic Failed To Rearm Even When The First Order Appeared
The day that Leia feared and Mothma ignored eventually came in the sequels. Construction on Starkiller Base began in the early days of the Empire, which made it almost easy for the First Order to finish the project. While the New Republic was busy discarding the Empire’s old battleships and weaponry, the First Order reused and repurposed what was left to create its own powerful military. Still, Mothma and the New Republic—fearing another long and arduous war—refused to rearm themselves in the wake of the First Order.
Eventually, the New Republic passed the point of no return. Despite Mothma’s best efforts to find a peaceful and diplomatic solution, the First Order was intent on rekindling the war for dominance. The New Republic allowed the rise of the First Order by not challenging it sooner. Their lack of battleships also helps explain why Leia is so mad at Poe Dameron for wasting what few ships they have in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, since the Resistance inherited whatever was left of the New Republic's nonexistent military. Ultimately, the New Republic was doomed from the moment it disarmed itself, and The Mandalorian proves it.
New episodes of The Mandalorian release every Wednesday on Disney+.