Star Warshas introduced a shocking number of retcons with very minor details in the brand-new canon gameStar Wars Outlaws, and it makes one untold story inStar Warsmovies and TV showsabsolutely fascinating to me. Specifically,Outlawsconfirmedwhen the Purge of Mandalore happened, placing it around 3 ABY. This means that this tragic event took place approximately one year beforeReturn of the Jediinthe canonStar Warstimeline.
This surprising information has altered a number ofStar Warsstories, ranging fromAhsoka Tano’s whereabouts in the originalStar Warstrilogytorewriting the end ofStar Wars Rebels. However, these updates have also led to massive questions in theStar Warsuniverse, especially regarding events linked to the original trilogy. In particular,the new information provided inOutlawsraises serious questions about the Purge of Mandalore, leading to oneStar Warsstory I’m absolutely desperate to see on screen.
Why Did The Empire Bomb Mandalore… When Mandalorians Weren’t In The Rebel Alliance?
The Great Purge of Mandalore, also referred to as the Night of a Thousand Tears, was first mentioned inThe Mandalorianseason 1, and it has since been fleshed out even more inThe Book of Boba FettandAhsoka. This terrible event was a ruthless attack on Mandalore by the Empire, the death toll of which is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. However, this attack, particularly given the extent of its devastation, is surprising.
.
Star Wars' Latest Ahsoka Retcon Could Totally Rewrite Return Of The Jedi
A recent Ahsoka Tano retcon from Star Wars Outlaws could have massive implications for Luke’s Return of the Jedi story and for Star Wars more broadly.
Notably,this attack targeted the entire planet of Mandalore, yet the Mandalorians were not predominantly associated with the Rebels. Yes, there were clearly Mandalorians who fought alongside the Rebels (Sabine Wren being a very prominent example), but there were also plenty of Mandalorians who supported the Empire. In fact, Sabine herself had first worked for the Empire, joining the Imperial Academy on Mandalore. Most often, though, Mandalorians remained neutral during the Galactic Civil War.
Most often, though, Mandalorians remained neutral during the Galactic Civil War.
This makes this terrible onslaught all the more shocking. Presumably, Mandalore would not be a priority for the Empire as they were working to crush the Rebellion. However, it also seems as thoughStar Warsis changing the story of the Purge of Mandalore in the canon. After all, this information inOutlawsnot only offers brand-new insights into the tragedy but also represents a full retcon.
InAhsoka, the Purge of Mandalore was time-stamped as taking place just after the Emperor’s death and being linked to Palpatine’s disturbingly sinister Operation: Cinder, which was a contingency plan essentially meant to wipe out multiple planets, including those loyal to the Empire, following Palpatine’s death. However, now,Outlawshas suggested that the Purge instead took place about a year before Palpatine died, calling into question whether this was really linked to Operation: Cinder at all.
How Did An Imperial Moff Get Such Powerful Command Of Military Resources?
The Purge of Mandalore also extended beyond Palpatine’s story, asThe Mandalorianrevealed that Moff Gideon was also a key player in this terrible attack. Specifically,The Mandalorianseason 3, episode 7, confirmed that it was Moff Gideon who initiated the attack on Mandalore. In fact, this was how Moff Gideon obtainedthe iconic Mandalorian Darksaber.
Early in the Purge, Bo-Katan Kryze had actually met with Moff Gideon, attempting to end the attack before it caused too much damage. Bo-Katan even offered to surrender, and, despite tricking Bo-Katan into believing they had reached a truce, Moff Gideon betrayed her and carried out the massacre. In addition to this revealing how sinister Moff Gideon was, this also came as a major surprise.
As a Moff,it’s more than a little shocking that Gideon would have the agency to have a planet destroyed by the military. If this was indeed Moff Gideon carrying out an order from Emperor Palpatine posthumously, in light of Operation: Cinder, that would almost explain Gideon’s ability to make this call. However, given how scrambledOutlawshas made this timeline, it’s unclear whether that was the case or whether Gideon truly had agency in this situation.
Given how scrambledOutlawshas made this timeline, it’s unclear whether that was the case or whether Gideon truly had agency in this situation.
While addressing this question is certainly interesting and will no doubt need to be explored in upcomingStar Warsstories, presumablythe upcomingThe Mandalorian & Grogumoviein particular, there’s oneStar Warsstory tangential to this that I am much more interested in. Specifically,theAhsokashow revealed that Sabine Wren blamed Ahsoka Tano for the Purge. However, it’s unclear why Sabine would put that on Ahsoka, particularly in light of this newfound timeline.
Why Did Sabine Blame Ahsoka For The Purge Of Mandalore?
Ahsokasurprised viewers (myself included) by revealing that Sabine Wren had become Ahsoka Tano’s Jedi Padawan at some point betweenRebelsandAhsoka, despite not revealing Force-sensitivity prior to the new show. However,Ahsokaalso proved that the former master and apprentice duo had clearly not had an easy time, as Sabine ultimately didn’t complete her training, and there seemed to be some bitterness on both sides. Fascinatingly, though,Ahsokaimplied that part of the reason this master and apprentice duo developed bad blood was because of the Purge of Mandalore.
It’s heavily hinted inAhsokathat Sabine partially blames Ahsoka for what transpired, which suggests that Sabine had some degree of warning or inclination about what was going to happen on Mandalore, but, for whatever reason, Ahsoka didn’t listen or didn’t act. Given Sabine’s status as a Jedi Padawan at the time, there are a number of reasons Ahsoka could have ignored a warning about such an event. For one, especially given Ahsoka’s history with Anakin Skywalker, it’s possible she had concerns that her Padawan was acting out of fear alone—the dangers of which Ahsoka had seen firsthand.
Given Ahsoka’s history with Anakin Skywalker, it’s possible she had concerns that her Padawan was acting out of fear alone.
Related to that concern,Ahsoka may have chosen not to act because Sabine’s fears were undoubtedly linked to attachment. After all, Sabine’s family was on Mandalore at the time, and, tragically, they did die in the Purge. This would certainly explain Sabine’s animosity towards her former master. Potentially, Sabine blames Ahsoka for the death of her family.
Ahsoka Season 2: Story, Updates, Everything We Know
Ahsoka season 2 is confirmed and has received exciting new story and filming updates. Here’s everything we know about the Star Wars project.
Yet, this is only speculation, which makes me all the more eager forStar Warsto tell this story. In part, addressing why the Purge of Mandalore drove a wedge between Sabine and Ahsoka may clear up this now quite confusing timeline. Moreover, it would more fully address why Sabine and Ahsoka parted ways and what Ahsoka’s role may have been in the massacre on Mandalore. Perhaps the upcomingAhsokaseason 2 will finally reveal the lingeringStar Warsquestions regarding the Purge of Mandalore.
