Luke Skywalker is in his Prime in The Mandalorian

A look into Luke's Skywalker's special appearance in the season finale of The Mandalorian.

What a weekend it was for Star Wars fans. The finale of season 2 of The Mandalorian not only served as a great conclusion to an already great season, but served us something that few fans could have expected. LUKE MF SKYWALKER. It truly was return of the Jedi as we watched Luke pull up in his X-Wing, slay Dark Troopers, and show his compassion and willingness to train our little Grogu. There’s a lot to unpack and a lot to be excited about, so let’s just recap what we saw and what we know about Luke’s appearance in the season finale of The Mandalorian.

“One X-Wing? Great.”

Unlike Cara Dune, I’m pretty sure most of us knew what that one X-wing meant when we first saw it pull up to Gideon’s cruiser. It meant the return of Luke Skywalker. While we got to see Luke in the sequel trilogy, many can agree that a 60+ year old Skywalker was never going to suffice as the prime Luke that we all wanted to see. That X-wing pulling up meant something big was coming.

Return of the Jedi

If you weren’t convinced by the X-wing, the glowing green lasersword should have done the trick. It was Luke Skywalker and he came to the rescue. Making his way to the bridge of the ship, Luke is met with a platoon of Dark Troopers who have been shown to be a menace against even the toughest of warriors. Din Djarin, who we’ve seen take on almost anybody with ease, struggled with just one Dark Trooper. How could Luke take on a platoon?

True Jedi

Slashing and slamming his way through the Dark Troopers that have shown to be a tough opponent, Luke showed that he was truly in his prime, and that nothing was standing in his way. We got to see the Luke that we’ve always wanted to see: a fully fledged Jedi Master, with full command of his skills with a lightsaber and the Force. The closest thing we ever got to this was in Return of the Jedi on the sail barge, but let’s be honest, the choreography was definitely from 1983 and I don’t think they were ready for prime lightsaber action.

Like Father, Like Son

The action ends with a climactic final battle with about 10 Dark Troopers in a hallway, the only thing standing between Luke and the group. Just like Darth Vader in Rogue One, Luke makes his way down the hallway, slashing through his enemies like butter and finishing the final one off with an impressive showcase of the Force. This scene might be one of the best in Star Wars in my opinion.

Are you a Jedi?

Moving on to the face reveal, this is where some fans have a mixed reaction. While many were excited to see Luke, a CGI face surely threw some people off. Mark Hamill is said to have been on set to film the physical portrayal and provide the voice. While a de-aged Mark Hamill might not be the most appealing thing, it sure is great to know that the man who has played the character since the start, got to do it again for such an epic finale.

Luke, Grogu and R2-D2

While we are all crushed that Grogu and Din are parting ways, let’s not forget that this was the entire point of season 2 from the start. Luke is taking Grogu for some much-needed training, and it’s good to know that the baby is in the best hands. Luke goes as far to say that he “will give [his] life to protect the child,” which can only mean that Grogu will have his full, undivided attention and have a great protector. While all the events in the episode were amazing, seeing a cheerful R2-D2 alongside his buddy, Luke, was the cherry on top. The exchange between Grogu and R2 has left us questioning if they have met before, or if R2 was just excited to see another little green friend.

What will happen now?

As Luke, R2 and Grogu exited through the elevator and the season came to an end, it’s safe to say most of us are wondering what will happen next. The Mandalorian will return for a Season 3 and it will still be focused on Din Djarin, rest assured. Many fans believed the post-credit scene announcing “The Book of Boba Fett,” was basically going to be season 3 of Mando, but creators of the show have confirmed they are two separate projects. Season 3 of Mando was said to be releasing in December of 2021, but that has recently changed due to the Boba Fett show. Showrunner, Jon Favreau, stated that production of season 3 will begin after The Book of Boba Fett releases. We can only wait to see what goodness Star Wars has in store for us. It has been an amazing couple of months in Star Wars and it look like it’s only going to get better. What a time to be a Star Wars fan! Luke Skywalker is the GOAT. Thanks for reading and May the Force be with you.