Meticulous Planning, A Secret Base, and A Heightened Sense of Paranoia: Is Gideon Really Dead?

The Mandalorian season 3 finale ended the season with a bang. The fight for Mandalore finally arrived, and it feels that many got the closure they needed. Grogu and Djarin are off to find work and train, while Bo-Katan remains on the planet to rebuild their once-great civilization. The Empire was defeated in that space sector, and their biggest threat, Moff Gideon is dead. Or is he? 

Djarin and Grogu had destroyed his clones deep in the secret base, and Gideon had expressed his frustration with them. He said he was close to his perfect clone, a Force-sensitive version of himself, a creation that would be as equally dangerous to Palpatine as one can get. His lack of empathy, menacing demeanor, and lust for power made him one of the better villains to emerge from the Disney era of Star Wars, so that makes us ask the question, is Gideon truly dead? 

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Gideon’s Arrest and Version 2

This version of Gideon had perished in a fiery explosion that destroyed the Imperial Military base on Mandalore. But which version was it? The Season 2 finale had Luke Skywalker save the crew from the unstoppable Dark Troopers. We saw how much damage a lightsaber can do; Gideon witnessed firsthand as his perfect soldiers got sliced into pieces. Fans could see the paranoia in his eyes grow as he knew what the future held, his arrest by the New Republic, and his adaption of the armor and soldier inside. 

This takes us to earlier in season 3, where we learn that Gideon had escaped from prison and beskar fragments were found at the location. Gideon’s second take on Dark Troopers used forged beskar armor, but when did he give the order to use beskar armor for these troopers? As well as design his own beskar suit with robotic enhancements? It clearly must have been finished by the time he was broken out of the transport cell. 

Seasons 2 and 3 are two years apart. That gives one of Gideon’s clones two years to further develop the secret base and keep using clone research to perfect his Force-sensitive clone. The top-secret nature of this project suggests that only a limited number of people are aware of his antics, including the Shadow Council. They had expressed concern about his interest in cloning technology but did not imply they knew how far it has gone. 

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Gideo’s Top Tier Planning

Gideon has backup plans for his backup plans. He always seemed to be two or three steps ahead of his enemies, and his genius had proven that. His thirst for power shows that he will stop at nothing to get what he wants, so it would make sense that Gideon would have more secret bases around the Galaxy. There are a lot of unknown regions, asteroids, and caverns that would be a perfect host for Gideon’s goals. Plus, with his clearance level, he would have access to the location of the many, now vacant, Imperial bases around the Galaxy.

It feels hard to believe that after so many years of cloning obsessions, Gideon would not keep a backup for his clones at a different location. His level of paranoia would force him to plan three to four steps ahead of his enemies. He knows how dangerous the Mandalorians are because he called in dozens of reinforcements to secure his location, which also shows he knew they were coming. So Gideon was well aware of how foolish it would be to leave his “almost perfect” clones vulnerable. He is arrogant but not stupid. 

Gideon may have died in the explosion, but which version was it? And did Grogu and Djarin really destroy the only existing version of Gideon left? Many fans believe that isn’t the end of one the greatest villains to emerge from the Disney Star Wars era. 

Thrawn’s Imminent Return

With Ahsoka right around the corner, set to premiere in August, Thrawn’s live-action debut is imminent. His casting was announced and his return has continuously been hinted at in The Mandalorian. Gideon expressed his frustration in waiting for his return, as did a few other members of the Shadow Council. This returning villain has already established himself as a mastermind tactician, surpassing the genius of Gideon. But, he has Ahsoka hunting him down, and soon the rest of the Rebels crew. Gideon has the luxury of the Galaxy thinking he’s dead, allowing him to do what he does best, grow stronger in the shadows.

What are your thoughts about Gideon’s death? Do you think he will make his return? Thank you for reading. Don’t forget to enter your email to keep up with the latest and greatest Star Wars news.

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