Is Mando on your mind?
Maybe not, considering The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi have both wrapped and season three of The Mandalorian isn’t due until early 2023, but it is that part of the dog days of summer when going back in for some rewatches are on the agenda.
One fan currently giving season one a rewatch brought us a happy yet saddening reminder of a character of very few words who stole our hearts back in 2019.
Voiced by Nick Nolte and played by Misty Rosas under the costume, Kuiil comes to help Mando out a great deal during his time in season one.
However, despite his straight-to-the-point way of talking — who doesn’t love simply saying, “I have spoken” — and his ability to reprogram the droid voiced by Taika Waititi from an assassin into a protector, and his willingness to help Mando on his cause to save the child aka Baby Yoda aka Grogu, he still meets a sad and untimely end.
On Reddit, a fan dubbed DiscoveryZoneHero posted a photo of Kuiil after he was gunned down and killed with the title “Rewatching Mando S1 and still feel this man deserved better.”
We agree that he did, as did a lot of fans, and yet, some fans added to the thread to say that his death actually gave some meaning and merit to a Star Wars world where things seem to have lower and lower stakes and predetermined outcomes.
The most upvoted comment says it succinctly and best, as colemanjanuary said, “He did. I have spoken.”
After another fan chimed in to say that his death was good because “something felt permanent in Star Wars again,” which led to a discussion of the scenes right afterward that did not do Kuiil justice, and even led to some tongue-in-cheek jokes that maybe, just maybe, Kuiil could go the route of Palpatine and return, somehow.
Others agreed that his death, while being bittersweet, served a purpose within the storyline and made The Mandalorian much better by investing in a character, then having them face such sorrowful consequences of trying to be a hero. Something that the other shows in the Star Wars universe often lack.
Recall that Kuiil was once an indentured servant under the Empire, and he worked to pay off his debt and gain freedom. He helped Mando learn to ride a Blurrg so that Mando might drive away all the bounty hunters and others, once again restoring peace to Kuiil’s world.
Drawn back into the fray, Kuiil almost gets the ultimate hero moment by saving Grogu, but he is gunned down just before he reaches the ship, allowing the battle over Baby Yoda to continue on with even higher stakes.
The Mandalorian returns to TV screens early next year, with a trailer for season three having potentially leaked online recently.