"The Mandalorian" Trilogies, comics, video games... How the series links all the Star Wars universes

As season 2 of Lucasfilm's live series comes to an end, the last eight episodes have taken the great pubic on a journey to well-known planets while introducing characters appreciated by the most initiated. Deciphering a phenomenon that connects the nine main films of the intergalactic saga to the most distant satellites of the Star Wars galaxy.

It is a series that will have marked the year, and not only for the fans of the mythical saga. After the first eight episodes that set the stage and introduced the protagonists at the end of 2019, season 2 of The Mandalorian - whose final episode comes out this Friday - has given a huge boost to the plot since it began airing on October 30. Chapters 9 to 15, available on Disney+, have achieved the feat of drawing in fans from the very beginning while opening Star Wars to new horizons.

For the galaxy created by George Lucas is gigantic and goes far beyond the three trilogies released in the cinema. From the first film in 1977 to Skywalker's Ascension, discovered in theaters exactly one year ago, it is a whole extended universe that was born in different declinations: spin-off, animated series, novels, comic books and video games. In other words, hundreds of characters and planets more or less known to the general public, which Disney has decided to reunite since the acquisition of Lucasfilm for 4 billion dollars at the end of 2012. And while The Mandalorian initially sought to impose its own style, the first live-action Star Wars series gradually took its place on ground that everyone agreed on. Franceinfo has dissected the phenomenon to better understand how this season 2 comes to make the link between a multitude of references long scattered, while revealing some of their mysteries.

The trilogies: a return to the sources of the myth

The plot of The Mandalorian is set five years after Episode 6, The Return of the Jedi, which concluded the original trilogy, and 25 years before Episode 7, The Awakening of the Force, the first part of the postlogy. An ideal choice to target both historical fans and the new generation. "There's a real desire on the part of the showrunners to go back to the genesis of Star Wars, to return to the atmosphere of the early days with that slightly 'cracra' western atmosphere, weird creatures," describes Fabrice Leclerc, film journalist for Paris Match. For this fine connoisseur of the saga, the first objective of the two minds behind the series, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, was to "talk to everyone, to unite": "It was their coupled will that created The Mandalorian. Favreau wanted to relive the magic of the first trilogy, the authentic side, without the deluge of special effects of the prelogy. And Filoni brought his panoramic vision of Star Wars to gradually plunge the audience into the extended universes". 

The project for the series, born in the middle of working on the episode 7 released in 2015, could not then take into account the very mixed reception of the critics for the Disney version postlogy. Despite the recent disenchantment of a part of the community not necessarily seduced by episodes 8 and 9, The Mandalorian does not aim to erase the conclusion of the Skywalker saga from the memories. It could even make the link with the latest movies and bring answers to questions still pending: "We can guess it in chapter 12, when Mando visits a base invested by the Empire. The next season might well provide answers on the creation of Snoke or on the return of Palpatine in Episode 9", imagines Fabrice Leclerc. As for the prelogy, references are far from being absent since we now know that Grogu (the real name of "Baby Yoda") was initiated into the Force and then hidden during the purge that followed Order 66, which aimed to exterminate all the Jedi. Everything is therefore done so that those who only know Star Wars through movies can follow the series.

The animated series: characters finally brought to light

The Mandalorian began a real shift towards the extended universes of Star Wars at the end of season 1, before accelerating in each episode of season 2. References to the animated series The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels then multiplied: "The first wink is when Moff Gideon appears in chapter 8 with the black saber, a true emblem of these two series. It's a mythical weapon that symbolizes the struggle between the Mandalorians and the Jedi," explains LainAnksoo, literary critic on the Star Wars Universe website. In Rebels, the sword is in the hands of Bo-Katan Kryze, a Mandalorian who makes her first live appearance in chapter 11 of The Mandalorian.

Even more obvious is the long-awaited encounter of Chapter 13 with Jedi Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker's apprentice and protagonist of both anime series. "It's a much-loved character who finds herself for the first time played by an actress (Rosario Dawson)," says this specialist in the extended universe. Heroes who are already known to the most enthusiastic fans find themselves propelled to the front of the stage with the success of the Disney+ series. All of this is done in a progressive and cautious manner, so as not to lose anyone along the way: "The characters are introduced well enough to be able to understand the plot without having seen the series. But also to make people want to see them to find out more," says LainAnksoo. 

"This season 2 is a gold mine of references for lovers of the extended universe".

Books and video games: recognition of the extended universe

Since the acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney, Star Wars has gone through lightning speed: three films, two spin-offs and a series in the space of five years, but also a real desire to bring together all the elements that make up the myth of the saga in the same ship. "Before the arrival of Disney, films took precedence over everything else," notes LainAnksoo, who writes chronicles about each book in the saga. Since the end of 2012, series, novels, comic books, video games and anything else with the Star Wars stamp is considered 'canon'. There is a desire to harmonize content, orchestrated by a dedicated working group at Lucasfilm". Every character seen in a Star Wars comic book or game is now likely to be brought to the screen.

This is the case, for example, of Grand Admiral Thrawn: this emblematic villain from the extended universe of Legends is at the heart of the plot of Timothy Zahn's trilogy of novels The Black Crusade of the Mad Jedi. He is the one sought by Ahsoka Tano in chapter 13 of The Mandalorian. "Another reference, the planet Tython in chapter 14 comes to us from the comic book Doctor Aphra," adds LainAnksoo. Similarly, Tatooine's Marshal Cobb Vanth, seen at the beginning of season 2, is a live variation of a hero from the extended universe, as he is from the Riposte trilogy of novels. And Star Wars video games are not to be outdone: Operation Ashes, mentioned in chapter 15, is a battle from the game Battlefront II, on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Just like the impressive Dark Troopers who kidnap Grogu, already present in the game Dark Forces released in 1995. "For all the fans who have been reading about Star Wars for years, it's exciting to see that all the elements of the saga are now on an equal footing," said the critic.

Marketing: Baby Yoda as a superstar

Even if the charismatic and phlegmatic Mando (Din Djarin of his real name) quickly seduced the public, the Disney+ series would certainly not have been such a dazzling success without his touching child, commonly known as Baby Yoda. "It's a great idea, a crazy find," enthused journalist Fabrice Leclerc. I had doubts at first, I thought that after the Porgs of episode 8, it was still a bit big for Disney to make a child Yoda with big round eyes. Eventually it became iconic all at once, like lightsabers or droids. It appeals to everyone, young adults, children, older ones who grew up with Yoda... He is the nugget of The Mandalorian." Blessed bread for the firm with big ears, which took advantage of the excitement to multiply derivative products bearing the effigy of the man whose real name is Grogu: "Marketing is the basis of Star Wars, it's Lucas himself who invented it with the figurines from his first trilogy," recalls this saga specialist. Doing something new with old, it's always been seen and now it works perfectly. The proof is that I would love to get a Baby Yoda for Christmas, and my little nephew too, even though we're 40 years apart". 

"It's the first real pop phenomenon in decades."

It's a generational bond that is also made possible by the clever touches of nostalgia served to historical fans since the beginning of season 2 of The Mandalorian. "The scenario is not always terrible and the rhythm of the episodes is quite repetitive, but the fan service makes up for all these weaknesses," says Matthieu Mondoloni, a journalist at franceinfo and co-author of the book and podcasts Génération Jedi with Baptiste Schweitzer. When I saw Boba Fett's armor and then when I saw the actor (Temuera Morrison*) at the end of the first episode of the season, I was like a madman. I thought to myself : but so he didn't die in the sarlacc in The Return of the Jedi. This crossover between all the universes, it works really well, it creates a coherence between the series and what we knew before. That's the recipe for its success: bringing together the old and new generation of fans."

"The Mandalorian succeeds in doing what George Lucas himself failed to do with Episode 1."

What's next: a season 3 and spin-offs

At the conclusion of a season 2 rich in connections with all the systems of the galaxy far, far away, The Mandalorian alone announces the powerful will of Disney and Lucasfilm to expand their empire even further. When the projects were presented to the group's investors last week, no less than ten series were already announced for the coming years, including two directly derived from the adventures of Mando: Ahsoka and Rangers of The New Republic (plus a surprise to be discovered at the end of chapter 16 of The Mandalorian). "There's a willingness to go exploring what will make the junction with the postlogy," says Sidemaul, a well-known fan of the community thanks to his videos on YouTube. All its gateways, this very clear desire to highlight the extended universe, is something that gives enormous pleasure to all Star Wars lovers."

At the risk of losing some of them in flight, after this avalanche of new titles linked to the license? "Too many Star Wars can kill Star Wars", warns Matthieu Mondoloni, for whom "each new title in the saga must remain an event". "There is a "folie des grandeurs" side to it, yes, the number of series surprised me too," Fabrice Leclerc adds. But there is also a real appetite and expectation on the part of the public with the success of the series. I wouldn't be surprised to see one day Mando coming to the cinema in his turn...". In the meantime, season 3 of The Mandalorian is already scheduled. But we will have to wait until Christmas... 2021.