Another season of The Mandalorian has come to an end, and while the Season 3 finale wasn’t quite the cameo-fest some had hoped for, it still leaves us with plenty to think about. For one thing, what exactly happened to Moff Gideon? It may seem obvious, but Star Wars isn’t above surprising us with a twist, so let’s take a closer look at Moff Gideon’s fate in The Mandalorian Season 3 finale.
(This should go without saying, but SPOILERS AHEAD.)
Is Moff Gideon Alive or Dead?
Let’s back up for a second. After Moff Gideon made his dramatic return at the end of The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 7, Episode 8 begins with Din Djarin and Grogu setting out to defeat the Imperial warlord once and for all. They make their way through the Empire base (with some help from Din’s R5 unit) and find themselves face-to-face with Gideon and his hydraulics-powered, beskar-reinforced new armor.
This fight takes up the bulk of the episode (while the rest of the Mandalorians engage in jetpack combat with Gideon’s forces in the background). Gideon calls in his Praetorian Guards, who chase after Baby Yoda; and Bo-Katan Kryze drops in to even the odds. Eventually, Bo, Din, and Grogu work together to take down Moff Gideon, but that doesn’t seem to be enough. Thankfully, they’re not alone.
Up in the sky above Mandalore, Axe Woves is piloting his ship straight into the Imperial base. Everyone evacuates except for Bo, Din, Grogu, and Gideon. As the entire building erupts in flames, Grogu creates a Force shield to protect himself and his friends. As for Moff Gideon, we see him consumed by the explosion.
On the one hand, this seems pretty conclusive. Moff Gideon was burned alive. He’s dead. But then again, maybe not.
Why Moff Gideon Is Still Alive
When it comes to a franchise like Star Wars, no one is ever really dead, The Emperor came back, so why not Moff Gideon? Plus, we didn’t technically see his life end. We just saw flames cover up his beskar armor. So it’s totally possible that he managed to survive and The Mandalorian just didn’t show it.
Of course, there’s also the question of clones. Mando destroyed a room full of Gideon clones in this episode of The Mandalorian, but is it possible there are more hidden away on some other planet? Maybe one of those clones can carry on the original Moff Gideon’s mission.
The fact that The Mandalorian Season 3 closed on such an open-ended note means anything is possible. Then again, it could be a very long time before we see The Mandalorian Season 4. So we may not find out Moff Gideon’s true fate for years.
