12 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching The Mandalorian Season 3, 1 Year Later

Summary The Mandalorian season 3 fell short of viewers' expectations, with mixed reviews and divisive story choices.

Despite captivating visuals and performances, the season left many feeling it fell short of its potential.

Upon rewatching, the harsh realities of The Mandalorian season 3 are even more noticeable.

It's officially been one year since The Mandalorian season 3 finished, and there are still some harsh realities that are hard to face upon rewatching. As the first live-action Star Wars TV show and the flagship show of the Disney+ streaming platform, The Mandalorian has long since been revered and set a high bar for itself - but unfortunately, season 3 didn't meet that bar for many viewers. The Mandalorian season 3 was met with mixed reviews, and it divided audiences with some of its highly ambitious story choices.

The Mandalorian season 3 still tells a captivating tale, and it does so with breathtaking settings, mind-blowing special effects, and brilliant performances. The reality, though, is that many viewers acknowledge the story as one full of wasted potential; the story that's told is good and entertaining, but it still could have been even better. There are quite a few elements that factor into this, creating harsh realities that become glaringly present upon rewatching the TV show's latest season - and here are 12 of them.

Related All 3 Seasons Of The Mandalorian, Ranked Worst To Best As Star Wars' first live-action TV show, The Mandalorian has grown quite a legacy with high praises - & here's how all 3 seasons of the show rank.

12 Grogu's Return Isn't Explained

Din Djarin & Grogu's Reunion Happened In A Completely Different Show

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For many viewers of The Mandalorian, this TV show is just one small part of a much bigger franchise, and they have diligently watched all the additional Star Wars movies and shows as they have come out - including The Book of Boba Fett. For others, however, this isn't the case. Unfortunately for the latter, some major plot points happen for Din Djarin and Grogu in The Book of Boba Fett, including their long-awaited reunion following their emotional goodbye in The Mandalorian season 2 finale.

Rather than offering a more substantial recap for the casual The Mandalorian audience as to why Din Djarin and Grogu are back together in season 3, they allow Mando to simply say "It's complicated." He briefly explains that he completed his quest of bringing Grogu back to the Jedi and that Grogu came back to him, but that's all the recapping the events of The Book of Boba Fett get. This is hardly enough for viewers who missed this key event, and it proves this reunion really should have happened in The Mandalorian.

11 The Convert Is Still Wildly Out Of Place

Episode 3's Non-Mandalorian Story Has Not Yet Received Substantial Payoff In Star Wars

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As arguably the most controversial The Mandalorian episode to date, "Chapter 19: The Convert" is the TV show's longest episode - and spends the least amount of time on the show's titular character. With Din Djarin garnering a whopping 14 minutes of screentime in a 58-minute-long episode, viewers weren't exactly thrilled to travel to Coruscant with Doctor Penn Pershing and Elia Kane. This is a shame, given the brilliant visuals, directing, and incredible performances by the lead actors, but the story unfortunately doesn't fit.

Following a thrilling, and lengthy, opening scene that sees Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze narrowly escaping the Mandalore system unscathed by Imperial TIE interceptors, viewers are whisked away to Coruscant to follow Pershing's struggles in the New Republic Amnesty Program, where he's manipulated by Moff Gideon's henchman, Elia Kane. These two storylines, however, have nothing to do with each other. Pershing's story remains sandwiched between two connecting parts of Din Djarin's, and Star Wars has yet to make good on this story that took precious time from The Mandalorian's core conflict.

10 The Mandalorians' Battle Strategy Makes No Sense

As The Galaxy's Greatest Warriors, The Mandalorians Should've Been More Organized

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All throughout Mandalorian history, it's clear that these warriors are the greatest in the galaxy. As the only people who could become worthy enemies of the ancient Jedi Order, the Mandalorians are revered for their skill in battle, their strong armor, and their quick and effective thinking. Despite the division in their forces following the Great Purge, the Mandalorians still should have been able to display this while fighting against Moff Gideon's Imperial Super Commando forces on Mandalore, yet they did not.

When the Super Commandos suddenly begin to retreat from their surprise-attack on the Mandalorians at the Great Forge, Bo-Katan doesn't hesitate to give the order to advance and chase down the Imperial forces. This leads them directly into a trap they should've known better to avoid, especially once the corridors began to emulate Imperial architecture that, at the very least, Bo-Katan or Din Djarin should have recognized. Even after this point, the Mandalorians have no strategy going into their attack and instead fight in a storm of utter chaos - though it at least works out for them then.

9 Din Djarin's Face Is Never Seen (Not Even Once)

The Mandalorian Season 3 Failed To Continue This Beloved Tradition

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It has long since been known that Din Djarin cannot remove his helmet according to his Mandalorian Creed, but this hasn't kept viewers from seeing his face in the past. In The Mandalorian season 1, it's seen for the first time when IG-11 heals Din Djarin of his fatal wounds; in The Mandalorian season 2, it's seen twice - first when Mando gets the coordinates to Moff Gideon's light cruiser and second when he says goodbye to Grogu. This has been a fond tradition for viewers, but season 3 failed to deliver on it, presumably due to its storyline of redemption.

Given the immense talent Pedro Pascal is, along with the fellow Din Djarin actors who step in the suit alongside him, The Mandalorian viewers are always hopeful for a glimpse at Pascal's face whenever they can get it. This makes the lack of a helmet-less Din Djarin scene in season 3 even more obvious and disappointing. Though this season cracked down on Mando's devoted adherence to the Creed through his redemption, there were still chances to see his face in private moments, just as season 1 was able to do - but none were followed through on.

8 The Mythosaur's Appearance Is Underwhelming

The Live-Action Debut Of This Important Creature Failed To Meet Expectations

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The Mythosaur is the symbol of all Mandalorians, a uniting figure that calls back to the origins of Mandalorian society as a whole. The Mythosaur was first seen in its iconic silhouette on Boba Fett's armor in the original Star Wars trilogy, which made its eventual live-action debut even more anticipated over the years. When it finally happens in The Mandalorian season 3, it's an absolute wonder, but the weight of this moment fails to carry throughout the entirety of the season.

The Mythosaur is mostly a sleeping figure in The Mandalorian season 3.

With just a quick glimpse of the creature in the Living Waters of Mandalore in both episode 2 and episode 8, the Mythosaur is mostly a sleeping figure in The Mandalorian season 3. Though it was clearly meant to shape the path of the story, particularly for Bo-Katan after she witnessed its presence, it somewhat fails to live up to the expectations set upon its debut. Not once does it emerge from the waters, and the only characters who speak of it are Bo-Katan and the Armorer - which alone sets up yet another harsh truth about this creature.

7 ... & Bo-Katan Never Tells Din Djarin About The Mythosaur

Bo-Katan Keeps This Secret Even After They Become Trusted Allies

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When Bo-Katan sees the Mythosaur in the Living Waters, she's with Din Djarin, but he's clearly incapacitated due to him nearly drowning just moments before. Once Bo-Katan finds out Mando didn't see the Mythosaur, she keeps the secret to herself, up until she asks the Armorer about it in episode 4. While this makes sense due to the state of Bo-Katan and Din's relationship at the time, it doesn't line up with how their friendship evolves over the course of the season.

Despite them becoming trusted allies later on, to the point where Bo-Katan openly defends Din Djarin in front of her Nite Owls, Bo-Katan never tells Din about what she saw while they were in the Living Waters. This is surprising, especially given the fact that Din was also present in the mystical waters at that point and should have been high on Bo-Katan's priority list for hearing about this. Instead, Bo-Katan keeps this secret between her and the Armorer, which somewhat takes away from her friendship with Din Djarin.

Related The Mandalorian Cast & Characters Guide The Mandalorian has created a long list of new Star Wars characters and brought back some familiar ones, with an incredible cast to match.

6 Din Djarin Escapes Captivity Much Too Quickly

The High Stakes Of His Capture Disappear Immediately In The Next Episode

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Din Djarin's capture at the end of "Chapter 23: The Spies" had audiences holding their breath for the week leading up to the season 3 finale, with some viewers even thinking that Mando could meet his fate after Paz Vizsla's sacrifice massively increased the stakes. In the opening scene of the finale, however, Din Djarin does what he does best: fights his way to freedom. It's an absolutely incredible fight scene, with some remarkable moves from stuntman Lateef Crowder, but this entire event occurs much too soon.

Since Din Djarin escapes captivity so quickly, the stakes for him and the rest of the episode are lowered straightaway. It also prevents his capture from making good on Moff Gideon's order in the previous episode, when he directs his Super Commandos to take Mando "to the debriefing room." What information Gideon wanted from him, or whatever interrogation plans he might have had, are left unknown, and it overall makes Din's capture feel somewhat pointless.

5 Paz Vizsla's Sacrifice Feels Somewhat Meaningless

The Events Of The Finale Make Paz's Death Seem Null

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Paz Vizsla's sacrifice in "The Spies" is one of the most emotional yet incredible moments in the entire series, as it shows the death of a beloved character who was first introduced in The Mandalorian but also shows the true might of the Praetorian Guard. This sacrifice, however, is a testament to how Paz has changed over the course of the series, as he lays down his life so that others - even those he doesn't see eye-to-eye with - may live. Unfortunately, the events of the finale did not necessarily make good on Paz's heroic sacrifice.

The reasoning behind Paz's sacrifice was to let the Mandalorians get away without the Super Commandos pursuing them, or to at least buy them some more time. This, in theory, should have allowed the Mandalorians to regroup and decide on their next course of action, which would have taken some time. Instead, in what feels like just minutes after Paz's death, the Armorer tells Bo-Katan that her reinforcements have arrived, and the Mandalorians fly into battle - right where Paz had just died. This timeline thus makes Paz's sacrifice feel unnecessary.

4 No One Acknowledges The Darksaber Destroying Mandalorian Society

The Ancient Weapon & Its History Is Revered, Not Challenged

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First introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the history of the Darksaber is a complicated one. There's no denying, however, that this history is just as destructive as it is complicated. It's mentioned by the Armorer herself in The Book of Boba Fett that many attribute the reason for the Night of a Thousand Tears taking place was because of Bo-Katan accepting the Darksaber rather than winning it in combat, thus cursing the planet to destruction. This belief, however, is never touched upon in The Mandalorian season 3.

Nobody seemed to point a finger at Bo-Katan for supposedly cursing the planet.

When Bo-Katan wins back the Darksaber by defeating Din Djarin's captor early on in the season, there are no qualms about her once again possessing the ancient blade. Even before then, nobody seemed to point a finger at Bo-Katan for supposedly cursing the planet; even the Armorer, who spoke of this belief, welcomed Bo-Katan into her tribe with no hesitation. This history, then, seems somewhat pointless, especially when the Darksaber itself is destroyed in the finale.

3 The Workings Of Mandalorian Society Are Never Explained

How Do The Children Of The Watch Function Vs. Bo-Katan's Mandalorians?

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As a story focused on Mandalore and its culture, it's odd that none of the inner workings of Mandalorian society are ever explained or clarified. The only key difference between Din Djarin's Children of the Watch and Bo-Katan's Nite Owls on the surface is the helmet rule, which leads Axe Woves to call Din Djarin a "religious zealot." Oddly enough, however, both groups spawned out of Death Watch, which makes the reasoning behind these differences even more unclear.

This reasoning isn't explained at all in season 3, nor is the organization of either of these societies. While Mandalorian clans and houses are touched upon in shows like Star Wars Rebels, The Mandalorian had the chance to clarify them in this season and didn't take it. As a result, it becomes more unclear why Grogu earns the name "Din Grogu" rather than "Grogu Djarin" upon being adopted by Din Djarin. Since there's no information on how the clans, houses, and more work, viewers are left confused about where things stand in this society.

2 The Darksaber Storyline Makes No Sense

The Ancient Weapon's Role In The Mandalorian As A Whole Is Made Uncertain

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Before The Mandalorian season 3 was released, one major conflict was set up and teased: Bo-Katan fighting Din Djarin for the Darksaber. This was encouraged by promotions that showed both Din Djarin and Bo-Katan with the Darksaber, as well as trailer footage that seemed to pit the two against one another. This ends up not being the case, and certainly for the better - but in avoiding this conflict, this season also avoids doing anything significant with the Darksaber as a whole.

The most important value of the Darksaber is the right to rule Mandalore while in possession of it, which is something Moff Gideon outright reminds audiences of in The Mandalorian season 2 finale. Din Djarin earns it in that very same episode and carries it for a while, but never once does he make an attempt to lead Mandalore - and never once do others see him as fit for such a role. Bo-Katan is only its wielder for two episodes before it's ultimately destroyed, making its role in The Mandalorian overall feel somewhat pointless.

1 Din Djarin's Character Arc Has Completely Pivoted

What Mando Was Set Up For In The Mandalorian Season 2 Never Came To Pass

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The biggest disappointment for many The Mandalorian viewers in season 3 was the way Din Djarin's character arc felt so lacking. With Bo-Katan taking much of the focus this season, some felt that Din Djarin was sidelined, though the problem goes beyond that. Others attributed it to Mando doubling down on his helmet rule and seeking redemption rather than abandoning his Creed, but this was also never foreshadowed nor expected to happen in The Mandalorian, aside from fan theories. Rather, Din's story pivoted in a different way.

Earning the Darksaber in combat without actually wanting it, after a season of him effortlessly building a team of unlikely allies, simply begged for him to be Mandalore's next leader.

It was clear in The Mandalorian season 2 finale that Din had been set up as the reluctant leader of Mandalore. Earning the Darksaber in combat without actually wanting it, after a season of him effortlessly building a team of unlikely allies, simply begged for him to be Mandalore's next leader. Even The Book of Boba Fett seemed to somewhat back up this storyline for Din Djarin. Instead, Mando was given no such path in The Mandalorian season 3, as he instead retreated back to the familiar - which is perhaps the harshest reality of this season.