Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian season three episode three.
Din Djarin’s life has never been easy, and The Mandalorian season three has been consistently seconding the fact since it kickstarted. Judging by the third episode of the Star Wars series, it is becoming more and more obvious that his future isn’t going to be rosy either, as the current chain of events seems to be setting up the loyal Mandalorian for a major betrayal in the not-so-distant future.
Ever since Mando unknowingly won the Darksaber from Moff Gideon, fans have been waiting with bated breath for Bo-Katan to retaliate. According to tradition, she can only become the ruler of Mandalore if – and only if – she wins the weapon in a duel, and Mando robbed her of the chance she had been looking for years.
On the surface, Bo-Katan has been very aloof about the entire situation, and even saved Din when he became Star Wars’ latest damsel in distress. But it has been evident that she is up to something shady, and episode three just made it impossible to misinterpret her seemingly malicious intentions.
Yes, Bo-Katan is loyal, but her ambitions of becoming the new ruler of Mandalore far outweigh her principles. The flames of the existing theory of her eventually backstabbing Mando to get the Darksaber have been fanned from the very first episode when she told him exactly where the Living Waters in Mandalore are.
It felt a lot like a setup seeing as it came from someone as resourceful as Bo-Katan — it is hard to believe she didn’t already know about the danger awaiting him there — and it all ended with Mando needing her to come to his rescue, effectively putting him in her debt.
In fact, if we actually put logic to the whole rescuing sequence in episode two, Bo-Katan is now the real owner of the Darksaber — the cyborg-like creature overpowered Mando, which unknowingly made him the new wielder of the weapon, and then Bo-Katan defeated him, which, in turn, transferred the Darksaber’s ownership to her.
And now, episode three… Well, it is just overflowing with signs that Bo-Katan is planning to double-cross the ever-trusting Mando:
- She deliberately hides the truth about the Mythosaur not being a myth from Din, which followed her silently sitting on the stairs next to the Living Waters. Was she plotting how to use the knowledge for her benefit?
- The TIE fighters ambush them out of nowhere and then destroy Bo-Katan’s home base. Even though she knew that they outnumber her, she still went after them. Was it because she knew Din would seek refuge with his clan and only destroying her temporary home would ensure that he takes her with him?
- She revealed on purpose about Din’s drowning in the Living Waters and how she swooped in to save him. She already knew that by Creed, a Mandalorian submerging themselves in the Living Waters is instantly redeemed. How many times have we seen her with her helmet on unless she is in face-to-face combat? And yet, she keeps it on after saving Din. Is it because she knows that it was the only way the Armorer and the cult would accept her?
It is highly possible that her original plan was to just get the Darksaber, but after she saw the Mythosaur, her hopes of the mighty Mandalore flourishing again has risen. But with her comrades gone, she needs a force of loyal warriors backing her, and who better than the members of the Child of the Watch to become her new force?
At this point, it is becoming more and more evident that it is not a matter of if, but rather when Bo-Katan will betray Din Djarin.
The Mandalorian season three episodes air weekly, every Wednesday, on Disney Plus.