One thing we all know is that Star Wars loves it’s twists. As we learned last episode, it turns out that Mando is in a cult. At least, that’s what Bo-Katan says. She realizes Mando’s inability to take off his helmet means he’s a member of the Children of the Watch. Which is a zealous cult that divorced itself from Mandalorian society and sought to restore the ancient Way.
Are the Children of the Watch directly related to the other Watch-based Mandalorian society: Death Watch?
Just What Are The Death Watch?
Death Watch were the ones responsible for the Mandalorian becoming a foundling. The final episode of The Mandalorian‘s inaugural season was full of revelations, some expected and leaked in the past while others came out of left field. One of the most important yet subtle of the episode was that of how the Mandalorian became such. Previous episodes had hinted at his childhood, dating back to the Clone Wars. This episode provided more information than ever about how now Din Djarin became a Mandalorian in the first place.
Originally led by Pre Viszla, Death Watch was a group that sought to not only retake Mandalore from the Duchess Satine Kryze but also return the planet to its former militaristic glory. After years of trial and error in achieving such goals, the group eventually splintered into two factions. One found new leadership in Darth Maul as the Mandalorian super commandos under his Shadow Collective. Meanwhile the remaining Mandalorians rallied under Bo-Katan Kryze as the Mandalorian resistance.
Here’s Where Darth Maul Comes In
That’s right, Darth Maul! That Darth Maul. The one that was obsessed with the Darksaber. That very Saber that Bo-Katan now wants and is in the hands of Moff Gideon.
He led the Death Watch with his brother Savage Opress. We also know that Darth Maul died in Rebels before A New Hope in his epic duel on Tatooine with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
But this isn’t the first time he cheated death, is it? More importantly though, he led The Death Watch with his brother Savage Opress. You may remember him from The Clone Wars story arc. The Nightsisters leader gave Savage a quest: to find his brother, Darth Maul, who had somehow survived his apparent death and was living in exile in the Outer Rim. Savage located Maul and became his brother’s enforcer in the Shadow Collective, but died when Darth Sidious confronted the two Sith warriors on Mandalore in episode 16 of the fifth season called “The Lawless”.
It Goes Deeper To The Armorer And More
Now here is where it gets interesting!! During the development of the show, a 4-episode story arc was planned by the series’ writers to tell Maul’s adventures following this episode. The episodes would have been titled “The Enemy of My Enemy,” “A Tale of Two Apprentices,” “Proxy War,” and “Showdown on Dathomir.” The show was cancelled before any of these episodes could be completed, but their stories were eventually depicted in the four-issue comic series entitled Darth Maul—Son of Dathomir. And we know this series isn’t afraid to put all the canon together.
Looking back, we now know that the Armorer is also a Child of the Watch, but her distinctive helmet had one huge difference from Mando’s — horn-like spikes.
When you look at the armorers helmet it looks like she is definitely paying homage to the Dathomirian race. She sent Din on his path to find the other Mandalorians and we know she can fight with how she takes down stormtroopers with her tools.
Could the secret villain behind all be a Dathomirian? Could the Armorer have her own agenda?
Comment below and let us know what you think! We can’t wait for tonight’s episode! After watching that that brings up another point….how did those Mandalorians fall to the Imperials….More on that later.
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