The follow post contains minor spoilers for The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 7.

The Mandalorian has been full of twists and turns, but this character introduction might usher in the beginning of a new storyline. This week’s episode, “The Spies,” introduced a character with a fairly significant history in Star Wars, dating back decades.

That’s Gilad Pellaeon, who appeared in old Star Wars novels (which aren’t technically even considered part of current Star Wars continuity) he was essentially the right-hand man of Grand Admiral Thrawn — the major Star Wars baddie who has been alluded to several times in recent Star Wars TV (including the recent Ahsoka trailer). In the opening scene of “The Spies,” Pellaeon assures the Shadow Council of remnant Imperial officers that Grand Admiral Thrawn will soon make a major comeback.

THE MANDALORIAN, Season 3
Lucasfilm Ltd.
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READ MORE: The Mandalorian Season 3 Has Forgotten Why People Liked This Show

One of the Shadow Council’s major goals is to make sure that the leftover Mandalorians aren't able to retake their home planet. Thrawn still hasn’t shown up onscreen yet, but perhaps he’ll make his debut in next week’s Season Finale. In the meantime, Moff Gideon has trapped the newly reassembled Mandalorians, hoping to wipe them out in order to use Mandalore as his new base of operations (and to use the planet’s beskar to make even better armor for his forces.)  While most of Pellaeon’s prior appearances were in the “Legends” timeline of stories that are no longer considered official canon, he did show up on an episode of the animated Star Wars: Rebels a few years ago.

The Mandalorian Season 3 concludes with the final episode next Wednesday on Disney+.

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