The Mandalorian season 1, episode 8: 7 Star Wars references and easter eggs you might have missed

We learn the Mandalorian’s real name and get a glimpse of a legendary ‘Star Wars’ weapon in the action-packed finale of the Disney+ series

The Mandalorian concluded its first season with an explosive finale that finally gave us some answers about the masked bounty hunter’s past.

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“Chapter 8: Redemption” picks up where the previous episode left off, with the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) trapped on Nevarro by the villainous Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) and Baby Yoda in Imperial clutches.

Gideon wastes no time in revealing he has done his research on the trapped heroes, announcing that Mando’s name is in fact Din Djarin. Reprogrammed bounty hunting droid IG-11 (Taika Waititi, who also directed the episode) reunites Baby Yoda with his Mandalorian protector, prompting a skirmish in which Din is badly injured.

The heroes escape, and make their way through the tunnels of Nevarro, before eventually taking down Gideon’s Tie Fighter in a climactic battle.

Here are seven Star Wars references you might have missed in The Mandalorian’s season one finale.

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1. Stormtroopers can’t aim

The scene near the start of the episode featuring two ex-Imperial stormtroopers failing miserably to shoot at a target is a cute reference to the soldiers’ notoriously awful aim in the original Star Wars trilogy.

2. E-Web heavy repeating blaster

The heavy machine gun-like mounted laser weapon wielded during the skirmish is an E-Web heavy repeating blaster, first seen in The Empire Strikes Back.

3. Flametroopers

The pyromaniacal bad guys kitted in Imperial armour are flametroopers – first seen (in a slightly different iteration) in Episode VII – The Force Awakens.

4. Alderaan

Moff Gideon reveals that Cara Dune is originally from Alderaan – the peaceful planet, home to Princess Leia, that was blown up by the Death Star in the original Star Wars.

The Mandalorian makes amends with Greef Karga (Carl Weathers), his former foe (Disney+)

5. “Mandalorian isn’t a race. It’s a creed.”

Cara Dune’s statement confirms something many people had already speculated about – that the identity of “Mandalorian” could be assumed by anyone willing to take the oath and join the creed. This is in keeping with the original Extended Universe lore, which Disney had previously said is no longer canon (necessarily).

6. R2-unit

The robot that steers the gang through the lava-filled tunnel looks like an R2 unit – albeit one modified with extra-long appendages.

7. The Darksaber

At the end of the episode, Gideon uses a special weapon to free himself from the wreckage of the Tie Fighter. That weapon is a Darksaber – a black lightsaber, first created by a legendary Mandalorian Jedi. It has previously appeared in some of Star Wars’ animated spin-offs, but has not been seen in live-action until now.