What are the weird creatures Grogu glimpses in ‘The Mandalorian’ season three premiere?

This article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian season three premiere

Much of The Mandalorian‘s season three premiere was spent reintroducing us to the characters and setting up Din Djarin and Grogu’s mission to delve into the Mines of Mandalore. This journey to the ruined and (apparently) poisonous home planet of the Mandalorians looks set to take up at least the first half of the season, but along the way we got an interesting tease of a creature never previously seen in live-action.

This comes early on when Din and Grogu are traveling through hyperspace, with Grogu glimpsing giant creatures doing the exact same thing. Din either doesn’t notice or doesn’t mention them, and their true identity will be a mystery to all but the most ardent Star Wars fan.

These are purrgil, known colloquially as “Space Whales.” These massive creatures live in deep space and travel between star systems, accessing hyperspace without technology using “simu-tunnels”. So rare that most believe they’re legendary, pilots encountering them consider them dangerous, as colliding with one while in hyperspace would be lethal.

That being said, the presence of purrgil may hint at a major character’s impending comeback. In Star Wars: Rebels, Jedi Ezra Bridger is able to establish a connection through the Force with a herd of purrgil, uniting with them to attack Grand Admiral Thrawn’s fleet while trying to liberate the planet Lothal. Could their appearance here be teasing Bridger’s return?

Seeing them in live-action was a treat, and a reminder that there are still some mysteries out there in a galaxy far, far away. Here’s hoping this glimpse of purrgil teases their full arrival in future episodes.

The Mandalorian airs Wednesdays on Disney Plus.