Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3.
The Mandalorian continues to tease the importance of the Empire’s cloning research, and one genius Star Wars theory links it to the Expanded Universe’s Thrawn story. Between The Mandalorian season 2’s Grand Admiral Thrawn namedrop and Ahsoka bringing live-action versions of Star Wars Rebels characters, Thrawn's live-action debut has never been closer. Though Thrawn was brought into the Star Wars canon in 2017, the character’s Expanded Universe legacy is difficult to forget.
Grand Admiral Thrawn’s importance to the Star Wars franchise was recognized when the character was brought into Star Wars Rebels season 3, despite Disney’s Lucasfilm deeming all Expanded Universe stories as Legends. Unlike the Star Wars EU, Thrawn’s canon Star Wars story has been mostly set during the age of the Empire. This is now set to change, as Thrawn seems an obvious choice for The Mandalorian era’s big bad.
The Mandalorian Era Is Clearly A Thrawn Trilogy Adaptation
Decades before Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the Star Wars universe had its first “Episode VII” in the form of Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy. Set right after Return of the Jedi, much differently from The Force Awakens' inevitable 30-year time jump, Heir to the Empire continued the story from where George Lucas had left off by introducing several new concepts, characters, and storylines. Though Lucas never considered the Expanded Universe canon, those stories helped keep the Star Wars franchise alive until the prequels. Arguably the Expanded Universe’s greatest addition to Star Wars, Grand Admiral Thrawn is now set to be revisited in live-action during The Mandalorian era.
Even if Thrawn does not appear in The Mandalorian season 3, the “Mandoverse” as a whole is very much a Thrawn trilogy adaptation. The idea of picking up the story shortly after Return of the Jedi flips what the sequel trilogy tried and brings this Star Wars TV show universe closer to what Zahn’s Heir to the Empire did. Not only is Thrawn directly involved with the Mandoverse’s story – Ahsoka is looking for Thrawn, as revealed in The Mandalorian season 2 – but the idea of the Empire not really being gone added to mysteries of Imperial cloning research echoes what the Thrawn trilogy introduced.
The Empire Could Have Another Reason For Seeking Out Grogu
Grogu’s importance to the Star Wars universe goes far beyond how popular "Baby Yoda" is. The Mandalorian met Grogu precisely because of how many people were after the Child, with the show later establishing that Moff Gideon was the main agent looking for the baby. Though Moff Gideon’s plans were still a mystery during The Mandalorian season 1’s finale, The Mandalorian season 2 all but confirmed that Gideon only wanted Grogu to study his blood. The Mandalorian season 2 also heavily hinted that Gideon and other remaining Imperial Forces were conducting cloning research, which has now been revisited in The Mandalorian season 3’s Coruscant subplot.
Whatever is left from the Empire, be it under the leadership of Moff Gideon or Thrawn, has clearly not given up the cloning research that traces back to the Clone Wars era. The Empire even absorbed the Kaminoans' research and continued exploring the possibilities of cloning. That said, as much as it seems obvious that the Empire is trying to create Force-sensitive clones to serve as hosts for Palpatine or to create something like Snoke, there could be another reason for them to seek out Grogu. One possibility is the creation of ysalamiri creatures, who could repel the Force in the EU, which would make a Thrawn trilogy concept canon.
What Part Would Ysalamiri Play In The Mandalorian Era?
The ysalamiri were brought into the Star Wars canon thanks to Star Wars Rebels season 3, in which a pair of sculptures clearly based on the Expanded Universe’s species could be spotted in Grand Admiral Thrawn’s office. That said, whether the Disney Star Wars canon ysalamiri creatures referenced in Rebels have the same ability to suppress the Force as their Expanded Universe counterparts is unknown. Still, if Grogu’s blood and the cloning research are being used to develop a creature that could repeal the Force, something like the ysalamiri would be an interesting addition to the Mandoverse – and not necessarily to The Mandalorian season 3.
Lizards that can suppress the Force around them would not mean too much risk for The Mandalorian’s titular character, as Din is not Force-sensitive. That said, the Mandoverse has Force-sensitive heroes, namely Grogu, Ahsoka, and Luke Skywalker. With Thrawn expected to be Ahsoka’s villain in the upcoming Star Wars show, the canon Grand Admiral could meet canon, clone-created ysalamiri and use them against Tano. Rebels’ Ezra Bridger must also be considered in that scenario, especially because Ezra usually gets along with creatures that are somehow powerful with the Force. Even if the Empire’s clone plans don’t have to do with ysalamiri creatures, those could still be revisited, as their designs exist in Star Wars canon.
New episodes of The Mandalorian release Wednesdays on Disney+.