'The Mandalorian' Villain Moff Gideon May Be Force-Sensitive

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Welcome back fellow Force adepts and scoundrels! We are getting closer and closer to that sweet, sweet second season of one of Disney+'s fantastic exclusive shows The Mandalorian. So spoiler alert now. If you have not seen the show, stop yourself right now and head over there to treat yourself to a wonderful addition to the Star Wars franchise.

Okay, you are still here. Great! So the season finale revealed Giancarlo Esposito's character Moff Gideon holding the legendary Darksaber, which he used to escape his crashed transport. The actor has said that Gideon could very well be Force-sensitive, and many fan have latched onto this with a Mandalorian crushgaunt like grip.

For those unaware, Espositio is perhaps best known for the role of drug kingpin Gustavo Fring in the highly praised TV series Breaking Bad from AMC Network. Esposito earned the previous role almost entirely from just a very stern and creepy Care Bear stare at the casting crew, so villainous roles are well within his wheelhouse. It made sense that he would be cast in The Mandalorian as the show's ultimate no-nonsense bad guy who appears to be an unstoppable force. Of course, there were points when the villain was slowed down by the protagonists, much to his character's disdain.

After the Empire suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Gideon rose through ranks and became Moff, leading an imperial remnant force of various troops that were primarily stationed out of a planet called Nevarro. His first onscreen appearance was the crowning episode of the first season of The Mandalorian, which revealed that the fearsome leader wields a old and very unique style of lightsaber. The weapon in and of itself being introduced in the animated show Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Seeing such an iconic weapon into the live-action space attenuates many fans' worries that some of the older show's content would be lost in Disney's newer media.

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Holding such as stunning and absolute legend of a weapon really heightens the threat level that is gunning for titular character Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), who has appointed himself as guardian of The Child (commonly referred to as "Baby Yoda" by fans). Din Djarin starts the show off by taking up random well-paying bounties. On one of these hunts, he encounters The Child and turns him over to imperial forces. Shortly after, he has a change of heart and decides to retrieve the adorable green alien baby the only way he knows how.

During an interview with the Entertainment Tonight, Espositio turned the conversation from his recent appearance with the video game Far Cry 6 toward The Mandalorian, specifically his character on there. Being the enigmatic fellow that he is, Esposito dropped a few subtle hints regarding the Force's involvement with his character:

"To have this saber means that I can use it, and I can do my own dirty work, that I'm a fighter, that I'm a warrior. That's part of me. It also creates the possibility that he is one of the ones. He possibly has that, and that to me is interesting because is he really that fallen hero? Is he a descendant of Darth Vader? Who is he?"

It is a safe bet that we can exclude the possibility of Gideon being a descendant of Darth Vader, simply due to timeline placement and just the unlikelihood of Disney wanting to touch that sore spot after the latest Skywalker saga film. However, if we are to look back at other previously established canonical pieces such as Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi and last year's smash hit video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, there are numerous Force-sensitives out in the galaxy far, far away. Additionally, the Galactic Empire has been known to employ either brainwashed or converted Force-users toward their cause.

All in all, with a hot pursuit that's sure to take place in season two of this Disney+ series coming out this October, we are sure to see more development from this sinister baddie.

Source: Screen Rant