Star Wars: The Mandalorian Episode 3 Easter Eggs Explained

This Star Wars article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian. 

With “The Sin,” The Mandalorian is in full swing. Mando is an orphan trying to help another orphan, but as he discovers late in the episode, he can also can rely on his adopted family, the prickly but staunchly loyal Mandalorians. In episode 3, he decides to do the right thing, but this decision is easier said than done. With crowded scenes and a surprising wealth of exposition from this often dialogue-light show, there are plenty of Star Wars hints to unpack.

Below is a list of the easter eggs and references we’ve found so far. Do note that we didn’t cover the basic stuff introduced in the first two episodes here, such as the Mandalorian’s real name, info on the Mandalorian tribe, and more on Yoda’s species. You can find our discussion about all that in our episode 1 and episode 2 easter egg guides. As for episode 3, shoot us a comment if you spot anything we didn’t…

The Razor Crest

– Mando’s ship is battered and old, one job away from falling apart … not unlike the Millennium Falcon when Han Solo first joined the Rebellion. Mando’s “piece of junk” features a hyperspace lever similar to the one on the Falcon. This lever gains prominence in episode 3 when Baby Yoda plays with the top of the handle. 

The Mandalorians 

– The Code: Like in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, these underground Mandalorians have their own ideas of wrong and right. In this case, it’s codified as the Way of the Mand’alor. (Mand’alor is traditionally the name of the culture’s leader. It’s unknown whether an individual holds this title in the time of the New Republic.) The Armoror has authority over the other Mandalorians, and reminds them of one of the tenets of their culture: it’s critical to never remove the helmet or have it removed by others. “This is the Way,” she reminds them. 

– Signets: Since he killed a Mudhorn, Mando gets the right to wear a symbol of the animal as his signet. He turns the opportunity down, since the baby Yoda helped him win that fight. Perhaps other Mandalorians later in the show will display signets of their own. 

– Vibroblades: When Mando fights with the heavy infantryman who questions his profiting from Imperial beskar stolen from the Mandalorians, their knives shimmer. These are probably vibroblades, an Expanded Universe staple capable of cutting through various metals. Mando puts this blade to good use later against the Client’s stormtroopers.

– The “Whistling Birds,” small guided missiles, are a new weapon. Launched from the wrist, they are a visual echo of Boba Fett’s grappling rope. 

– The Mandalorians suffered a “Great Purge” at the hands of the Empire at some point during the Emperor’s time in power, just as the Jedi Order did. This is why the Mandalorians now live underground in secret.

Alien Races

– In the bounty hunters’ cantina are several Zabraks, the same species as Darth Maul. They may not be from the same planet, though. Maul was raised as a captive on Dathomir, while many Zabraks hail from Iridonia or elsewhere across the galaxy.

– Greef references “Twi’lek healing baths” as a place for Mando to relax. Introduced in Return of the Jedi, Twi’leks hail from Ryloth. A Twi’lek, who — like most of the denizens of this planet — looks like she’s seen better days, is part of the crowd Mando walks through near the beginning of the episode.

– Mando’s next bounty — before he decides to go back for Baby Yoda — is a Mon Calamari nobleman. This race was first introduced in Return of the Jedi through its most well-known member, Admiral Ackbar.  

– Plenty of other alien races are on display in this episode, including Jawas, Keteerians, Kyuzo, Melbu, Nikto, and Rodians. Many of these aliens suffer gruesome deaths at the hands of the Mandalorian in the episode’s climactic shoot out.

The Empire, The New Republic, and The Underworld 

– “To hang it on his wall”: Mando’s boss Greef suggests the Client might want to do this to the child. It’s likely a reference to carbonite freezing. We saw frozen prisoners in Mando’s cargo hold in episode 1. Of course, this method of imprisonment is also familiar to Star Wars fans from Han Solo’s capture and rescue in the Original Trilogy. 

– The Empire is gone, Greef says, but there are pockets of Imperial sympathizers left, mostly as warlords and mercenaries. Some Imperial governers, such as Ubrik Adelhard on Anoat, didn’t let slip to his followers that the Empire had fallen, meaning they were still fighting the war years later. By the time of The Mandalorian, the Battle of Jakku has already been fought and won, and the Empire is well and truly scattered. 

– Despite having won, the New Republic isn’t all-powerful. When Greef suggests reporting the Client to the New Republic, the Mando scoffs. “That’s a joke.” Whether this is because he himself would be turned in as a criminal or because the nearest New Republic office is inept at solving local problems, the establishment of a new government clearly didn’t make everything safe for the people of the Outer Rim.

– “A camtono of spice”: Han Solo smuggled spice in the Original Trilogy era. “Camtono” is the same word the Client used to refer to the beskar, meaning it probably indicates a type of container rather than an amount.

Planets

– Mando doesn’t visit any new planets during the episode, but Greef does make a reference to a world called Karnac, which is apparently known for its ocean dunes. It remains to be seen if this is where Mando is headed to next. 

The Rest

– A Clone Wars-era B2 Super Battle Droid shows up during Mando’s flashback. It looks like the battle droid was pretty close to killing young Mando before someone saved him. 

– Hanging above Dr. Pershing in his lab is an IT-O Interrogation Unit, the Empire’s standard interrogator droid, the same model that once tortured Princess Leia on the Death Star in A New Hope.

Megan Crouse writes about Star Wars and pop culture for StarWars.com, Star Wars Insider, and Den of Geek. Read more of her work here. Find her on Twitter @blogfullofwords.