Credit: LucasfilmIt’s hard to imagine a time when live-action Star Wars TV shows didn’t exist, despite the fact we’re only on the second with The Book of Boba Fett (2022). But then we’ve already seen two seasons of The Mandalorian (2019 — 2020), which is longer than any Star Wars trilogy!
And with the news of more live-action shows, such as Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) and Ahsoka (TBC), and with animated shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 — 2020), and more recently Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021), far behind us, it’s no surprise that the idea of Star Wars TV shows now excites us more than new Star Wars movies!
But before we get even deeper into these shows, we should probably take a look back at where it all started, by calling out some of the very best episodes from The Mandalorian. As much as we’d love to rank all 16 episodes, we think it’s only fair that we list the most memorable entries!
So, looking for our top five episodes from both seasons of The Mandalorian? This is the way…
“Chapter 3: The Sin” – Season 1
To say that things really get going in Deborah Chow’s “Chapter 3: The Sin” might suggest that the first two episodes of The Mandalorian Season 1 are boring, but this isn’t the case. After all, it would have been a little premature to see Mando (Pedro Pascal) have a life-altering change of heart in the first or second episode. As such, it makes his third outing the perfect time for him to rescue “the Child”, AKA “Baby Yoda”, from the Client (Werner Herzog).
It’s also fascinating to see Mando interact with other Mandalorians when the Armorer (Emily Swallow) forges him new beskar armor. But it’s the moment in which he returns to the Imperials on Nevarro to rescue the youngling that makes this episode what it is. After killing several stormtroopers, Mando faces a small army of bounty hunters on the streets – with Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) included – but other Mandalorians soon come to his rescue!
“Chapter 8: Redemption” – Season 1
Directed by Taika Waititi, “Chapter 8: Redemption” is the final episode in The Mandalorian Season 1. Picking up from the previous episode, “Chapter 7: The Reckoning”, we find Mando, Cara Dune (Gina Carano), Greef Karga, Kuiil (voiced by Nick Nolte), and IG-11 (voiced by Taika Waititi) trapped in a stronghold on Nevarro, while a small army of stormtroopers – led by Imperial officer Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) – wait outside for the return of the Child.
The episode gets off to a pretty thrilling start, as reprogrammed droid IG-11 inadvertently avenges Kuiil, who was killed in the previous episode, by beating the two scout troopers responsible to a pulp. In fact, this episode is crammed with many more scenes that will have you punching the air, whether it’s watching the Armorer, IG-11, or even the Child, obliterate storm troopers, or, with his brand-new jetpack, Din Djarin taking the fight to the Moff’s TIE fighter!
Related: Here’s How ‘The Mandalorian’ Could Do a Major Time Jump
“Chapter 11: The Heiress” – Season 2
At this stage in the series, despite having seen Temuera Morrison (Boba Fett) at the end of Season 2’s “Chapter 9: The Marshal”, we still hadn’t quite reached the point of cameos-galore. But Bryce Dallas Howard’s “Chapter 11: The Heiress” marks a major turning point for the series, with Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) making her live-action debut, having only appeared in The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels (2014 – 2018).
Sackhoff shines as the Mandalorian Death Watch leader, who is accompanied by fellow Mandalorians Koska Reeves (Sasha Banks) and Axe Wolves (Simon Mario Kassianides), and it’s thrilling to see some real connective tissue between The Mandalorian and the animated shows. There’s no shortage of action here, either, as the ‘Nite Owls’ lay waste to several Imperials in style. And Bo-Katan’s techno-theme is certainly a first for the Star Wars universe!
“Chapter 14: The Tragedy” – Season 2
The Mandalorian Season 2’s “Chapter 14: The Tragedy” might be the shortest episode so far, but director Robert Rodriguez delivers an explosive entry which features the official, long-awaited return of Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison). The iconic bounty hunter had been presumed dead by fans for decades, after they last saw him falling into the Sarlacc pit in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983).
Upon his return, Boba helps Din Djarin to protect Grogu from the Empire, but things go awry when Moff Gideon sends the Darktroopers to kidnap the youngling while he’s trying to reach out to the Force from the ruins of a Jedi temple. The moment Boba is first seen in his armor sends some serious chills down our spines, and seeing Grogu snatched and then the Razor Crest blown to smithereens certainly lends to the anticipation for the finale!
“Chapter 16: The Rescue” – Season 2
After Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) sends Din Djarin on a mission to find a Jedi who can help Grogu in the episode “Chapter 13: The Jedi”, theories as to which Jedi was going to show up included Ezra Bridger from Rebels and Plo-Koon from The Clone Wars and the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999 – 2005). But not many people suspected that Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) himself would be back in action in the epic Season 2 finale!
Not only was it a truly special experience to see Luke Skywalker tear through the Darktroopers like a hot green lightsaber through butter, but everything about Peyton Reed’s “Chapter 16: The Rescue” is perfect. From the ‘girl power’ moment with Cara Dune, Bo-Katan, Koska Reeves, and Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), to the gut-wrenching goodbye to Grogu, we just couldn’t quite take it all in! And how can we forget seeing little “Baby Yoda” play with our favorite droid, R2-D2?!
The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, along with all things Star Wars, are now streaming on Disney+.
What are your favorite episodes from The Mandalorian?
