THE MANDALORIAN Spoilers: Season 3 Finale Finally Reveals The Truth About Moff Gideon's Cloning Experiments

THE MANDALORIAN Spoilers: Season 3 Finale Finally Reveals The Truth About Moff Gideon's Cloning Experiments

The season finale of The Mandalorian provided fans with a lot of overdue answers, including what Moff Gideon has been up to with his sinister cloning experiments. Was he trying to create Supreme Leader Snoke?

By JoshWilding - Apr 20, 2023 04:04 AM EST
Filed Under: The Mandalorian
Source: SFFGazette.com

This article was originally published on SFFGazette.com; be sure to keep checking that site for all the latest updates on Star Wars and The Mandalorian!

From the very start of The Mandalorian, we've known about the interest the Imperial remnants have in cloning. That was, after all, why they wanted Grogu, and the prevailing theory online has long pegged Moff Gideon as the one who created future First Order leader, Supreme Leader Snoke. 

There have been hints that might be the case (including snippets of the villain's theme from the sequel trilogy snaking its way through certain scenes), but the truth was finally revealed in yesterday's season 3 finale, "The Return."

It turns out Gideon was creating clones of himself, using the genetic material he acquired from Grogu to give those replicas the force, something he's never had. This was all part of his plan to make an "unstoppable army," but Din Djarin killed them before they could draw their first breath before clashing with the real deal. 

While some might feel this reveal has come out of nowhere, Doctor Pershing said Gideon was creating clones for selfish reasons and last week's cold opening made it clear Commandant Hux (one of the eventual founders of the First Order) has been tasked with exploring the potential of cloning for "Project Necromancer." 

That codename is quite obviously a reference to the Empire's desire to resurrect Emperor Palpatine, something we know lead to the birth of failed clone Snoke. 

However, while bringing back the Emperor might not have been Gideon's endgame, his actions have almost certainly led to it eventually happening. There's a strong chance this cloning research will find its way into the rest of the Shadow Council's hands, and as he's perfected a means of creating clones that can wield the Force, Snoke's impressive abilities may have finally been explained. 

Another way of looking at it, of course, is that Din's actions in this finale have actually set the Empire back far enough for it to explain why, decades later, Palpatine is a shadow of his former self in hiding on Exegol, controlling a reject like Snoke. 

Whatever the case may be, Gideon has been stopped. For now, at least

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FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 4/20/2023, 4:09 AM
They wrapped everything up, so if the show never comes back, nothing’s left dangling. But it was all a bit meh.
tylerzero
tylerzero - 4/20/2023, 4:13 AM
@PlusUltra -

Yeah, I’m now officially indifferent to whether there is a fourth season.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 4/20/2023, 4:56 AM
@PlusUltra - I can always expected season 3 to be the retaking of Mandalore from Gideon and season 4 to be some conflict between the Mandalorians on Mandalore. Still looks like that can be the case
Doomsday8888
Doomsday8888 - 4/20/2023, 4:12 AM
Boring af season but it's ok...Ahsoka will be the main thing...at least for me.

Mandalorian walked so Ahsoka could run.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 4/20/2023, 4:55 AM
I only started watching this season this week, and I actually quite like it. Exploring the other Mandalorians was pretty cool, and I liked that Pershing episode a lot (because returning to Coruscant is always nice).

As for this reveal specifically, it really works for me. It is obviously tied with the Sequels, but it's not a direct set-up. Just let's us know something is going on out there. Multiple things even, if you also consider Thrawn's coming.
Repian
Repian - 4/20/2023, 5:19 AM
The next season will no doubt use ideas from "Rangers of the New Republic" with Din, the new IG-11, and Cobb Vanth hunting Imperial heads.

I think of Inglourious Basterds in the Star Wars universe.
Vigor
Vigor - 4/20/2023, 6:23 AM
@Repian - that sounds fun and I hope so. Throw Cal in there lol
Mugens
Mugens - 4/20/2023, 6:32 AM
Let's face it. There is no satisfying everyone. Some loved the series, some just liked it, some hated it, and some thought it was just meh, which also applies to this last episode. As for me, for the most part I enjoyed the series and was quite happy with the season finale.
Cap1
Cap1 - 4/20/2023, 7:11 AM
Lame ass ending to a lame ass season. Hardly trying on the most basic fundamentals. Clearly Dave and Jon have their eyes set elsewhere
GhostDog
GhostDog - 4/20/2023, 7:34 AM
The writing in this episode was lazy as [frick]. What a disappointing ending.
Mykull
Mykull - 4/20/2023, 8:19 AM
What happened to R5, after he flew off they never showed him again.
MrDandy
MrDandy - 4/20/2023, 10:16 AM
Seemed more like a series wrap up. I’m guessing they will be shelving Mandalorian for a time. It was a solid enough episode but kind lacked teeth imo. Overall I’ve enjoyed the season but it is certainly the weakest season of Mandalorian.
supermanrex
supermanrex - 4/20/2023, 10:20 AM
the episode and the season were great. its obvious gideon is not dead with all that beskar on him. i think it wouuld have been cooler if they only got a piece of the planet back and from there they did books, games and comics about the fight to reclaim mandalore from gideon. it just wrapped up too quickly for me. maybe they werent 100 about a season 4. Giancarlo is too much talent to not keep hanging around as a real deal villain.
HeavyMetal4Life
HeavyMetal4Life - 4/20/2023, 2:53 PM
This cloning storyline should have been expanded upon more this season, instead of being saved for the finale. And it would have been great if Joe of the clones was shown to have survived in an after credits scene.
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