The Mines of Mandalore Reveal a “Myth” in Chapter 18 of The Mandalorian

“Alright kid, ready for an adventure?”

The Mandalorian has captured the hearts and minds of Star Wars fans worldwide. The show’s combination of old-school Western vibes, stunning visuals, and lovable characters has made it a fan favorite. In the latest episode, “The Mines of Mandalore”, Din Djarin and Grogu’s adventure continues as they travel to the Mandalorian homeworld to redeem the sin of removing his helmet in the “Living Waters” of the mines.

There are so many great scenes in the episode, but here are our favorite parts.

Peli Motto

Peli, the lovable mechanic/con artist, returns as Mando travels to Tatooine (yes, Tatooine again) hoping she can find him the needed droid part to fix IG-11. I love this character’s over-the-top used car-salesperson “sales techniques” and her ability to convince customers to buy what she is selling. We see this during the episode when we see her negotiating repairs of a racing speeder with a potential Rodian client. Once the deal is made, and the Rodian is out of sight – enter the Jawas to help Peli with her repair scam.

Where Mando is a Father figure and in my opinion, Greef an Uncle to Grogu, I would say that Peli is a “Grandmother”. When she is with Grogu, her affection for him is fun and infectious, and even goes out of her way to spoil him, just like a Gramma.

R5-D4

One of my favorite droids appears in the episode, and we get to see more of his character, or lack of. In the episode, Peli offers to sell Din R5 for his mission to Mandalore. The droid is visibly unhappy with this arrangement, and we see a funny exchange between Peli and the coward droid. Is the Force warning R5 of the danger? (check out “Skippy the Jedi Droid” to understand that reference)

We see just how much of a reluctant helper R5 is when they land on the surface of Mandalore and the shaky droid refuses to scout the area for toxins. He has to be forced by Mando out of the ship. I hope we see more R5-D4 in future episodes.

Tatooine – Boonta Eve Festival

I know what you are thinking, “There are so many worlds in the Star Wars galaxy to visit; why Tatooine again?” I know that we have been here in previous seasons as well as in the Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Book of Boba Fett series already, but, I will argue that not only is Tatooine a beloved and iconic place in Star Wars canon but that it makes sense to go there for the type of help that Din needs. What better place than a “hive of scum and villainy” to get all your illegal and shady needs?

The scene opens with fireworks blasting and speeders racing in the city center in the Boonta Eve celebration. The celebration in a festival that honors the Hutt, Boonta Hestilic Shad’ruu to “godhood”, looks like a blast! The race isn’t on the scale and grandeur that we saw for the Podracing in the prequels, but it does have a chaotic city/rally feel and excitement I love.

Mandalore

Although we have seen Mandalore in other shows, including The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, seeing it in live-action was exciting.
While exciting to see, the desolate and destroyed state that the once proud world it is in is unfortunate and dark. During the episode, we get commentary from both Din and Bo Katan about what the planet used to be like, and as these stories are told, we see that this memory is a distant past.

We see the capital city of Sundari or what is left as Din eventually reaches his destination – The Mines of Mandalore.

Grogu

We continue to see growth in the character of our favorite little “Baby Yoda,” and this episode shows many instances.

We Grogu display some Jedi-like agility as we see him jump away from dangers and into the Naboo fighter. Grogu also helps save Din as he has grown and learned from his “father” and travels to Bo-Katan to ask for her help. Adorable and heroic! Our boy is growing up!

Mandalore Monsters

To say that Mandalore is dangerous would be an understatement, and the episode shows us some creatures you might want to avoid.

Both Din and Bo encounter and battle humanoid cave-dwelling creatures called, Alamites. These creatures are huge and scary and attack in numbers. But numbers weren’t enough as both Mandalorians dispatched the beasts in a fantastic display of martial prowess. Din is captured and later rescued from a creepy mechanical/biological creature that feels similar to a General Grievous. Not only does he cage up Mando, but, he connects a machine that seems to be draining the blood from his body to sustain its own life. A real horror movie scene!

Bo Katan (again)

Bo’s emotions change throughout the episode. When Grogu arrives to ask for help in saving Mando, she is angry and reluctant, but then her inner warrior and duty kick in and she leaves to Mandalore.

When they arrive on Mandalore, Bo’s demeanor changes to a more depressed state as she looks over Sundari and remembers what it used to be. There is still trauma there and you can understand her hopelessness. Bo also seems bivalent regarding Mandalorian lore and traditions; you can see how she is confused and fascinated by Din’s dedication to what she perceives as ancient superstition. But by the end of the episode, it looks as though Din’s passion for Mandalorian history is making her rethink her bitter feelings about the past.

The Mythosaur

There is a Mythosaur in the “Living Waters” of the Mandalore! (anyone else saying “The Mines or Moria” accidentally)

The Mythosaur is a legendary creature in the Star Wars universe that the Mandalorians revere. The Mythosaur is a massive, horned beast with tough and scaly skin. According to Mandalorian lore, the Mythosaur was once hunted to (near) extinction by the warriors, who used its bones to create their distinctive armor and weapons. The creature’s image also appears on the sigil of the Mandalorian clan, further emphasizing its significance to their culture.

In the finale of the episode, as Din walks into the “Living Water” of Mandalore, he is taken down into the deep. Quickly, Bo follows and finds him at the bottom. She is jetpacking back to the surface and encounters a MASSIVE slumbering MYTHOSAUR! I can’t wait to see this legendary creature awaken! My prediction is that the Mythosaur will play a pivotal role in the finale of the season and will be tamed and ridden by Bo-Katan (after she wins the Darksaber back from Djarin)