‘The Mandalorian’: What Are Mythosaurs & Why Are They Important?

Season 3 of The Mandalorian continues to expand on the Mandalorian mythos that has always been just as interesting as the lore of the Jedi and the Sith in the world of Star Wars. Episode 2 of season 3 allowed us to see more of the story behind Mandalore and the Mandalorian people as it involved a rare encounter with a creature that has always been a huge part of the culture of the Mandalorians. We are talking about the Mythosaur, which appeared near the end of episode 2. So, what are Mythosaurs?

The Mythosaur is a gigantic creature that is native to the planet of Mandalore. It symbolizes Mandalorian culture because Mandalore the Great once tamed a Mythosaur and rode it to battle. That is why the Mythosaur skull has become the emblem of the Mandalorians. However, they are thought to have gone extinct.

The return of the Mythosaur in episode 2 of season 3 of The Mandalorian is a welcome one when it comes to the storyline of the Mandalorians, as we can get to know more about the culture and history behind these people. Of course, the appearance of the Mythosaur is a great way for the series to usher in the dawn of a new Mandalore and how Din Djarin could have a hand in the rise of the Mandalorian people.

What Are Mythosaurs?

If there’s one thing we know about The Mandalorian, it wasn’t shy about focusing on the titular character, Din Djarin, and the culture of the Mandalorians. Season 3, however, focuses a lot on the Mandalorian people as Din is now looking to find a way to redeem himself from breaking the creed of the Mandalorians when he removed his helmet in front of a living person during the events of season 2. That is why he is now looking to bathe in the Living Waters in the mines of Mandalore so that he can redeem himself and become a Mandalorian once more.

Din Djarin found a droid that allowed him to go spelunking in the ruined cities of Mandalore, as that was when he got captured by a creature that now calls this place home. With the help of Grogu, who got to Bo-Katan and asked her for help, Din could escape certain death from the creature that seemingly wanted to harvest him. And that was when he decided to head deeper into Mandalore to get to the mines and the Living Waters.

Because Bo-Katan lived on this planet when she was still a young girl, she knows her way through the city, and that was why she decided to accompany Din Djarin in his quest to bathe in the Living Waters. Of course, she hesitated initially because these were children’s stories that she had never really believed in. After all, Mandalore was already a thriving civilization that had turned its back on its traditions while she was living on the planet. But because she knew that Din wouldn’t be able to get to the Living Waters alone, she decided to go with him.

Din decided to take his equipment off without removing his armor when they got to the Living Waters. But before that, Bo-Katan told him how this area used to be the home of a Mythosaur, which Mandalore the Great once tamed. And as Din entered the water, something seemingly pulled him in deep, as it was up to Bo-Katan once more to save him.

As they were submerging from the Living Waters, Bo-Katan saw the eyes of a creature that she didn’t think she would ever see her entire life. It was a Mythosaur that pulled Din into the water. So, what is a Mythosaur?

This wasn’t the first time that the Mythosaur was mentioned in The Mandalorian. In season 1, Kuill mentioned it when Din tried to ride a blurrg. He said that the ancient Mandalorian people used to ride Mythosaurs into battle, and that was why he was telling Din that he could learn to ride a blurrg.

Specifically, the Mythosaur is a gigantic reptilian creature that seems terrestrial and aquatic. Mandalorian legend says that the Mythosaur once lived in the Living Waters of Mandalore but was tamed by Mandalore the Great. After taming the creature, it became the symbol of the Mandalorian people.

However, the thing about the Mythosaur is that it is said to have gone extinct long ago and before the fall of the Mandalorian civilization. That means that no one expected the Mythosaur to be real, as it had been hundreds or thousands of years since a Mandalorian last saw one. Not even Bo-Katan, who once ruled Mandalore, believed that Mythosaurs existed.

Why Are Mythosaurs Important?

The appearance of the Mythosaur in The Mandalorian changes a lot of things. As mentioned, the Mythosaur is the most symbolic creature in the history of the Mandalorians as the people of Mandalore even use it as their symbol due to how it played an important part in the history of the Mandalorian people when Mandalore the Great helped them rise and become the powerful warrior race that they were known to be.

Of course, we all know that Bo-Katan Kryze has long wanted to rally her people and unite them to take back Mandalore and make their homeworld great again. But, despite being part of the royal family of Mandalore, she always lacked the legitimacy of a true Mandalorian leader because she never won the Darksaber in single combat. That was why all of her attempts to make Mandalore great again failed.

But the Mythosaur could change all of that. We know that the Mythosaur is arguably more important than the Darksaber, which is said to be the symbol of legitimate leadership in Mandalore. That’s because the Mythosaur and its symbolism in Mandalorian culture date back to the time of Mandalore the Great, long before the creation of the Darksaber.

So, if any Mandalorian were to tame the Mythosaur, this would allow them to have a legitimate claim to the leadership role of the Mandalorian people. While we do know that Bo-Katan has long wanted to be the one to lead Mandalore, we also know that there is a conflict of interest because Din Djarin is the one wielding the Darksaber.

Of course, as Bo-Katan mentioned in the episode, she believes that the infighting between her people contributed to the fall of Mandalore. That could mean that she has no desire to fight Din Djarin for the right to wield the Darksaber, as she knows what infighting could mean for the people of Mandalore.

As such, there’s a good chance that if she could end up taming the Mythosaur or if Din Djarin ends up being the one to do so, Bo-Katan and the titular character of The Mandalorian might have to work together to bring forward a new future of the Mandalorian people, just like what Mandalore the Great did back when he first tamed the Mythosaur.