What The Mandalorian Fans Need To Know About The Gotra

The Mandalorian has given a new team of creators a chance to explore a side of the Star Wars universe that often goes overlooked in the main film series. Many characters serve as callbacks to the original trilogy while the series as a whole explores the often-ignored period between the fall of the Empire and rise of the First Order. Along the way, it seems as though the show has a deep interest in expanding what general audiences know about the lore of this galaxy, and that means hardcore fans aren't the only ones who have heard of something like the Droid Gotra.

If you've never heard of this organization, you're not alone. Outside of a few Star Wars novels, the Gotra hasn't made much of an impression in the main continuity, but by all accounts, that could change very soon with The Mandalorian. The group was mentioned in Chapter 9 of the series when the titular hero (Pedro Pascal) interrogates Gor Koresh (John Leguizamo). Gor has an interesting piece of dialogue when he claims, "I swear it by the Gotra." You weren't alone if you were caught off-guard by the line, and it helps for a bit of background just in case the clan makes an appearance later in the show. 

The Droid Gotra made its first appearance in the 2014 book Tarkin: Star Wars by James Luceno. In the novel, we learn how this organization consists of repurposed battle droids who have a list of grievances against the Galactic Empire. Despite their having served in the Clone Wars, the Empire abandoned these droids, leaving them to fend for themselves. As a result, the organization is dedicated to fighting for droid rights, not unlike L3-37's character arc in Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Based on various Star Wars-related sources, it can be surmised that the Gotra confines itself to the underworld of Coruscant. The droids work for the Crymorah syndicate and aid in an array of crimes throughout the galaxy, including extortion, kidnapping, and robberies. Think of them like the robot mafia, but with a much more sinister final goal.

The Gotra's aim is to build its own army of droids to distribute throughout the galaxy, embedded with sleeper codes. When the time is right, the Gotra will send out an activation signal that will tell the droids to rebel against their masters and rise up, eliminating all "inferior biologicals."

The Gotra's connection to The Mandalorian isn't clear as of Chapter 9. Is Gor's swearing by them just an allusion to the fact there's a massive droid syndicate out there somewhere, or is it a hint of what's to come? After all, some bounty hunters, like IG-88, started out in the Gotra but then went rogue and became bounty hunters. With Mando and The Child still on the run from authorities, perhaps they'll run into some droid gangsters during one of their adventures.