The Mandalorian is back in business for season three as of this morning, and the premiere of the Disney Plus darling’s latest run all but fully embraced a “welcome back” vibe for not only the series itself, but for Star Wars as a whole.
Back in the driver’s seat, of course, is Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin, who begins a brand new quest of redemption after he broke the Mandalorian Creed by removing his helmet in the last season, and Grogu, the internet’s favorite alien who proved he had his priorities straight during the events of The Book of Boba Fett. Elsewhere, friendly faces such as Greef Karga and Bo-Katan Kryze make a return, and it’s entirely possible that we’ll get a grand comeback from IG-11 at some point this season.
The Mandalorian never forgets where it came from, and was happy to sport a variety of the galaxy’s most beloved fauna to prove it. Indeed, the Kowakian monkey-lizards, a long-time staple among Star Wars‘ colorful creatures, looked to be a point of fascination for young Grogu, while the Anzellans, the pint-sized handymen that Resistance member Babu Frik belongs to, will hopefully mark their return from The Rise of Skywalker with a successful repair of IG-11.
And if Star Wars knows one thing better than fan service, it’s spectacle, and while we’re not quite sure what the name of the titanic, crocodile-esque monster that nearly made a buffet out of the Mandalorians is, it certainly made an electrifying entrance.
After the human-heavy Andor left us wowed for entirely different reasons, there’s a heartwarming familiarity to seeing so many of Star Wars‘ extraterrestrials back on the screen, and we can’t wait to get stuck back into this shade of a galaxy far, far away again.
The Mandalorian is available to stream on Disney Plus, with new episodes of the third season releasing every Wednesday until the season’s conclusion on April 19.