The highly-anticipated third season of The Mandalorian is set to connect the show’s storyline to the larger Star Wars universe, revealing the mystery behind Palpatine’s cloning program and the rise of the First Order.

Season 3 debuted on March 1, and fans are eagerly awaiting what more the show’s creators, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, have in store for them. With the release of the trailer, fans have been speculating about how the new season will connect to the larger Star Wars universe, particularly to Palpatine’s cloning program and the rise of the First Order.

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In the trailer, Captain Teva warns of a dangerous situation that will become too late to act upon, while Dr. Pershing, who was part of the danger, is seen cruising on Coruscant, potentially to testify about his work.

Since season one, the question of what the Empire wanted with Grogu has been central to the series. Moff Gideon revealed in the season two finale that he had already obtained what he wanted from Grogu – his blood. Gideon claimed that Grogu had rare properties that could bring order back to the galaxy.

Favreau and Filoni have been known to flesh out the world building of the Star Wars universe, particularly the origins of the First Order. Their efforts seem to aim at bolstering the slapdash world-building of the sequel trilogy. Almost every Star Wars series, including The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and The Bad Batch, seems to foreshadow how Palpatine returned. Giancarlo Esposito, who plays Moff Gideon, hinted that season three will start to connect the show’s storylines with the rest of the galaxy, unifying the disparate pieces of the sprawling Star Wars universe.

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With the guidance of Filoni and Favreau, season three of The Mandalorian may finally reveal the mystery behind Palpatine’s cloning program and the rise of the First Order.