The Mandalorian is full of twists and turns. Some of the biggest surprises in Star Wars history have occurred in the first two seasons of the Disney+ streaming series. While some of the developments of the show have been anticipated, there have been a lot of moments Star Wars fans never saw coming.
From the very first episode to the shocking final shot of season two, The Mandalorian has given fans a reason to celebrate and cry, often in the same moment. But all of it has been surprising, even to the most ardent Star Wars fans.
Discovering Grogu
One of the most shocking moments in the entire Star Wars saga happened at the end of the first episode. Din Djarin's discovery that his bounty was a child, and specifically a member of Yoda's species, was completely unexpected.
While fans had seen one other member of Yoda's unnamed people in the prequels, Jedi Master Yaddle, the saga has pretty strenuously avoided any other details on them. Grogu has been light on details, too, but promises more than fans ever could have imagined.
IG-11's Sacrifice
IG-11 is a unit of the same make and model as IG-88, one of the greatest bounty hunters in Star Wars. His evolution from cold and calculating killer to hero was one of the best things about the first season of the show.
While fans may have anticipated the assassin droid being reprogrammed, they likely didn't expect his sacrifice in the final battle on Nevarro. His sacrifice for Grogu was one of the most moving moments of the series.
The Darksaber
The mysterious Moff Gideon generates a lot of questions. One of the biggest emerged at the end of season one, in its shocking final moment: he emerged from the wreck of his TIE Fighter with the Darksaber in hand.
A number of significant characters have wielded the Darksaber, an ancient Mandalorian weapon that carries with it immense political power. How exactly he got the saber and when remains a mystery, though fans now know he won it in combat from Bo-Katan Kryze.
Where Is Grand Admiral Thrawn?
The appearance of Ahsoka Tano in Chapter 13, "The Jedi," is one of the series' best moments. Thanks to some rumors and speculation, it was one of the more anticipated events in season two. What fans likely couldn't have expected was Ahsoka's most intriguing line: "Where is Grand Admiral Thrawn?"
It seems clear now that Thrawn is the object of her quest in Ahsoka's upcoming limited solo series on Disney+, a journey set up in the final moments of Star Wars: Rebels.
Bo-Katan
Once the Darksaber appeared, it opened the door to a lot of other Star Wars lore. It wasn't certain what happened to Bo-Katan after Star Wars: Rebels when she took possession of the sword and pledged to reunite Mandalore.
Her appearance in Chapter 11 was a huge surprise, but given where the story was going both with the saber and Ahsoka Tano, it's only natural that she would have appeared when she did. It's clear now Bo-Katan will play a major role in the future of the series.
The Dark Troopers
The Mandalorian has given fans a lot of Easter eggs from Star Wars canon and Legends. One of the most surprising was the powerful Dark Troopers. The Dark Troopers have made appearances in the books, comics, and video games, and in season two, they finally became canon.
The relentless power of the droid soldiers improved on the Battle Droids of the prequel trilogy. They would have overrun Din Djarin and his comrades in the finale if not for the timely appearance of a powerful Jedi.
The Return of Boba Fett
The season premiere of The Mandalorian shocked fans with the reappearance of Boba Fett's armor. It then went one better and gave fans the man himself.
The return of Boba Fett is one of the best changes to the story of Star Wars, resurrecting the bounty hunter from his ignominious death in the Sarlacc Pit. Things got even better from there, as Boba Fett showed he's still got it against a squad of Stormtroopers. His story will continue in the upcoming series The Book of Boba Fett.
The Book of Boba Fett
Speculation about the return of Boba Fett had been swirling since Disney acquired Star Wars all the way back in 2012. A possible movie was in the works but never came to fruition. The shocking post-credits scene at the end of season two of The Mandalorian finally gave Boba Fett fans what they've been waiting for.
Fett and Fennec Shand walking into the throne room of what had been Jabba's palace and killing (mostly) everyone was completely unexpected, as was Fett's taking the throne from Bib Fortuna.
The Destruction of The Razor Crest
Din Djarin lost a lot during the second season. One of the most shocking losses he endured was the destruction of his ship, the Razor Crest. The signature craft of the entire series became a smoking crater in Chapter 14 after Moff Gideon destroyed it from orbit with a single laser salvo.
That came back to bite Gideon, but it was nevertheless a shocking development, as Din Djarin remains without a ship. Perhaps he will obtain another one similar to the Razor Crest, or a new one entirely.
Luke Skywalker
Fans anticipated a Jedi could show up after Grogu reached out through the Force at the Jedi temple on Tython. There had been debate over whether The Mandalorian should feature Jedi at all, but that largely went out the window when Luke Skywalker appeared.
The arrival of such a major figure from Star Wars lore and his utter dismantling of the Dark Troopers was the most electric and surprising scene in the entire series to date.