Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian season 3, episode 7.The Mandalorian season 3, episode 7 ended tragically with Paz Vizsla being killed, the Empire closing in on the Mandalorian fleet, and Din Djarin being captured by Moff Gideon, with the latter element hinting at Din's death. Throughout much of The Mandalorian season 3, Din's character has been somewhat sidelined in favor of the rise of Bo-Katan Kryze as Mandalore's leader. While Bo-Katan being the person to unite the Mandalorians makes much more sense than Din, The Mandalorian season 3 failed to give Din much of an arc in episodes 1 through 6.
That being said, the ending of The Mandalorian season 3 episode 7 set up a potentially big story for Din in the finale of season 3, with the penultimate episode offering up a great outing for the titular Mandalorian. Now that Pedro Pascal's Din has been captured by Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon, the stakes are set for the final episode of The Mandalorian season 3. This explosive culmination seems to be set to include one heartbreaking plot point that has been foreshadowed throughout the season thus far: the death of Din Djarin, The Mandalorian himself.
6 Moff Gideon Has Captured Din Djarin & Killing Him Would Make A Statement
Arguably the biggest hint that Din will be killed in The Mandalorian season 3 is the return of Moff Gideon. For much of season 3, Moff Gideon has worked from the shadows with "Chapter 23: The Spies," proving how formidable the Imperial leader still is. From a fully-fledged Imperial base deep within the Great Forge of Mandalore to Gideon's new Mandalorian-style armor for him and his soldiers, the Mandalorians seeking to reclaim their planet walked headlong into Moff Gideon's trap. This resulted in the capture of Din, which forced the other Mandalorians to retreat. Now that Gideon has Mando, it is more likely that Din will meet his end.
Din is the main character of the entire show, and a rivalry between him and Gideon has been slowly built over the course of three seasons. This culminated in the season 2 finale in which Din bested Gideon in combat, something that Gideon will likely seek revenge for. Also, Gideon knows of Din's importance to the Mandalorians as one of the central leaders of the Children of the Watch. All of this, combined with Gideon knowing that Din's death could lead him to Grogu, whom he has been pursuing since season 1, seems to hint at Din's death at the hands of Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian's season 3 finale.
5 Bo-Katan Has Already Replaced Din Djarin In The Mandalorian's Story
Alongside hints from the director of The Mandalorian season 3, episodes 7 and 8 - Rick Famuyiwa - the season's story thus far has made it clear that Bo-Katan has slowly replaced Din as the titular Mandalorian. While the title of the show can certainly apply to any Mandalorian, it was clear throughout seasons 1 and 2 that Din was the central character the title referred to. Throughout The Mandalorian season 3, however, this has become less evident, with Katee Sackhoff's Bo-Katan Kryze taking more of the spotlight as the leader of Mandalore.
After The Mandalorian season 2 finale, many thought that Din's ownership of the Darksaber would lead to him becoming a reluctant leader of Mandalore, akin to Jon Snow's character arc from Game of Thrones. However, The Mandalorian season 3 has certainly proved this not to be the case. With Bo-Katan holding favor with the Armorer, the Children of the Watch, and the former Mandalorians under her rule, she has been positioned as the person to unite Mandalore. This was only enforced when Bo-Katan reclaimed the Darksaber, with Bo's role eclipsing Mando's, which all points towards the latter's death in The Mandalorian's season 3 finale.
4 Killing Din Djarin Fits With How Star Wars Treats Fathers
The death of Din Djarin in The Mandalorian season 3 would also fit with how the wider Star Wars franchise seems to culminate the stories of paternal figures. Beginning with Anakin Skywalker's redemption and subsequent death in Return of the Jedi, Star Wars has had a long history of fathers being killed off as a means of furthering their children's stories. Vader's death led Luke to the end of Return of the Jedi and the rebuilding of his Jedi Order, as is seen briefly in The Mandalorian's timeline.
This only continued with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, in which Han Solo was killed by his son, Kylo Ren/Ben Solo. This not only served as a satisfying yet cruel end for one of Star Wars' most beloved characters but also allowed Kylo Ren to be explored in a much deeper light in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The prequels saw the death of Jango Fett as his son Boba watched on, leading the latter to become the bounty hunter fans know and love today. Similarly, the death of Luke's father figure Owen Lars was the catalyst for A New Hope, kickstarting the entire journey of the original trilogy.
All of this just goes to show the roles many paternal figures play in Star Wars. Throughout The Mandalorian, Din has transitioned from a cold bounty hunter into one of the more sympathetic, fan-favorite paternal figures in all of Star Wars through Grogu. Given that Grogu's long life means he will likely continue into Star Wars' future, Din's death could once again be the catalyst for Grogu's character going forward, as has been the case with many of Star Wars' father figures in the past.
3 Pedro Pascal Rarely Appears In The Mandalorian (So Killing Din Djarin Is Easier)
Another reason why Din Djarin could be killed off in The Mandalorian season 3 is somewhat meta in that it links to behind-the-scenes elements of the show's production. As has been known since The Mandalorian season 1, Pedro Pascal has provided the voice for Din Djarin. However, due to the character's tendency to wear his helmet most of the time, other actors often portray Din on set, such as Brendan Wayne for example. Most other Mando characters tend to either never remove their helmet or frequently remove it, meaning the same actor can be used for each character.
This is not the case with Din, as Pascal has only appeared three times across The Mandalorian's three seasons. This has meant that many body doubles have needed to be used, as well as extensive ADR work for Pascal. Therefore, killing Din Djarin in The Mandalorian's season 3 finale would simply make the process of making the show a lot easier, as the same actors can be used regularly rather than the more difficult process that faces the portrayal of Din.
2 Din's Death Could Be The Catalyst To Uniting Mandalore
Din's death could also be the catalyst to unite Mandalore. While the members of Bo-Katan's former tribe do not respect the Children of the Watch, Paz's sacrifice and the other elements of The Mandalorian season 3, episode 7 have certainly bridged the gap between the two halves of Mandalorians somewhat. This could be solidified in The Mandalorian season 3 finale, with Din potentially heroically sacrificing himself to save Bo-Katan and the other Mandos. This could be the catalyst for uniting Mandalore, with the respect gained for the Children of the Watch through their actions and Din's sacrifice leading to the other Mandos joining them under Bo's leadership.
1 The Mandalorian's Creators Hint At A Heartbreaking Ending
Finally, in the run-up to The Mandalorian season 3, episode 8, many creatives involved in the show have hinted at a tragic ending. The co-creator of the show Dave Filoni recently spoke about how fans may feel watching the finale of The Mandalorian season 3 with Collider. Filoni stated that he thinks fans will be cheering and satisfied by the finale before stating that after the initial excitement, there is time to reflect and realize this is a true ending while setting up future events. The latter comments could hint at Din's death, providing the "ending" Filoni spoke about while also leading into Ahsoka and Filoni's freshly-announced Star Wars film.
Similarly, the aforementioned body double for Din Djarin, Brendan Wayne - via @TheFirstOkiro - took to Instagram after The Mandalorian season 3, episode 7 to address excitement for the coming finale. Wayne cryptically stated that the next episode will leave fans wishing they had not asked for more. Wayne also stated that the episode may be too painful, causing much dread for what may be tackled in The Mandalorian season 3's finale.
This is clearly a hint at a tragic story for The Mandalorian season 3, episode 8. While this could easily apply to other character deaths like Bo-Katan, the Armorer, or any of the other Mandos, the comments coming from Din Djarin's actor certainly hint at the titular Mandalorian himself meeting his end. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how The Mandalorian's season 3 finale will play out and whether Din Djarin will face his tragic destiny as a catalyst for the unification of Mandalore.
New episodes of The Mandalorian release every Wednesday on Disney+.
Sources: Collider, Brendan Wayne (via Okiro)