The Mandalorian just introduced something new to the Star Wars universe, and something that connects to The Rise of Skywalker. Episode 7 of the show’s first season recently dropped on Disney+ and helped set up the events of the season 1 finale. While there is much to discuss on that front, and we can speculate all day about what might happen in episode 8, there is something new that expands our understanding of what the Force can do that has potentially huge consequences.
Warning: spoilers ahead for The Mandalorian chapter 7 and minor spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ahead. Read on at your own risk. The episode sees our hero making his way back to the planet Nevarro, which is where Mando stole Baby Yoda in the first place, after betraying the Client and making off with his bounty. Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) invites Mando back to the planet with a proposition, and the possibility to make things right with the Guild. The offer is too appealing to pass up. So, with reluctance, Mando agrees. Baby Yoda, aka The Child, is along for the ride, as are Cara Dune (Gina Carano) and Kuiil (Nick No).
During an overnight camp before the dangerous rendezvous, the group is attacked by several unidentified but deadly winged beasts. Most of them escape with their lives, but Greef is injured rather badly and has poison coursing through his body, leaving him on death’s doorstep. At this point, Baby Yoda wanders over and extends a hand to Greef’s injury. In mere seconds, the wound is healed. Baby Yoda managed to entirely heal the wound by using the Force. This is something we’ve never seen before in the official Star Wars canon, and the implications are significant.
What we know for sure is this does come up in Star Wars 9. I will do my best to avoid discussing specifics here, but this is also a Force power that is explored in a couple of key moments in Episode IX. That’s significant because it means this power isn’t limited to one Force sensitive being. It also means that there is some major connective tissue between the movies and TV shows, which is something many were hoping for.
This notion has been explored in the old expanded universe, but hasn’t been brought into the new canon. The Mandalorian isn’t a Jedi-focused show, and the main characters are all very foreign to the ways of the Force. So the fact that this little creature can use this mysterious power is all strange to them. But what does it mean now that we know Jedi can heal people with the Force? How does this power work exactly? Are there consequences for the one who did the healing?
Yoda was one of the most powerful users of the Force in history. Is it possible that his species is more attuned to the Force than others? Is that why Baby Yoda can tap into this power? Hopefully, we’ll explore this a bit more in The Mandalorian season 1 finale, which arrives on Friday, December 27 on Disney+. One thing is for sure, our understanding of the Force continues to grow during the Disney era of Lucasfilm.
