The Mandalorian S3 Finale: Moff Gideon's Scheme Was As Half-Baked As The Clones

Contains spoilers for The Mandalorian Season 3, Episode 8 — "Chapter 24: The Return"

"The Mandalorian" wraps up Season 3 with a rousing conclusion as Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) is seemingly defeated in a fiery blaze. Before his demise, he extensively revealed his dastardly plan to Din Djarin (aka "Mando," played by Pedro Pascal) and Grogu (voiced by sound editor David Acord), thereby sealing his fate. This typical bad guy move also provided some clarity on Gideon's sinister intentions with the force-sensitive youngling – he planned to harness and weaponize Grogu's mystical ability. 

Grogu has had quite the journey since we first met him back in Season 1. After evading harm and capture, he trained with the legendary Jedi Master Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), before becoming a full-fledged Mandalorian with his guardian Mando. In a heartwarming turn during the Season 3 finale, Grogu was adopted by Mando and dubbed "Din Grogu" as his new apprentice. Gideon's inevitable defeat finally allows Din and Grogu a moment of peace before embarking on their next exciting adventure.

Before Gideon is swallowed up by the catastrophic flames on Mandalore, his revelation gives us a glimpse into his unrelenting ambitions with the force. After consistently being thwarted by Force-users, he attempted to steal the power for himself. However, his plans fell flat as he made the mistake of stalling while unveiling his master plan, which proved to be less thought out than he originally thought. 

In "Chapter 24: The Return," Grogu and Mando find the hidden Moff Gideon clones during an eerie sequence. As Grogu investigates the uncanny being, it suddenly opens its eyes in a surprising jump scare. Mando then floods the room to destroy the dangerous clones, thwarting Gideon's malevolent scheme. When Mando and Grogu find Gideon, he's enraged over their destruction and that kick-starts an unforgettable showdown. 

Gideon's force-capable clones tie the entire season together and explain the relevance of Doctor Penn Pershing's (Omid Abtahi) intricate research. It even indicates why Gideon would've wanted to steal Grogu in an attempt to further study his natural force abilities. Given how dangerous and unsettling the towering villain is, his shortsighted plans are a bit disappointing, even with the gritty details.

A force-wielding Gideon would actually be a formidable enemy for Grogu and his fellow Mandalorians. However, it's clear his focus was on the result rather than an outlined plan for the execution. Not only was it relatively easy for Mando to destroy the defenseless clones, but what was Gideon's plan for himself once these beings gained consciousness? If they're anything like the original, they could prove difficult to control, showing his lack of vision that eventually led to his untimely end.