Spoiler Warning; this article contains some spoilers for The Mandalorian’s Season 2 finale
The Mandalorian’s Season 2 finale was recently released, and that meant it was time for the titular Mandalorian to finally take on Moff Gideon, the show’s current big bad, and it did not disappoint. Not only was the episode full of strong action scenes and dramatic tension, it was also a great showcase for what makes Moff Gideon a perfect Star Wars villain.
A good Star Wars villain needs an equally compelling evil plan, and Moff Gideon has certainly had that this season. His hunt for Baby Yoda makes him a danger to the show’s protagonist, and his desire to use the child to make an army capable of restoring the Empire makes him a threat to the Galaxy. Whether the show wants fans to worry about just two of its characters, or all of them, Moff Gideon has been used well to amp up the tension. Because most of his screen time is spent scheming, the show is able to use the character to hint at where the story is going next without revealing too much. It also helps that his plans are unambiguously evil. Star Wars is at its best when it has a truly despicable villain for the audience to root against, and he fills that role just like Emperor Palpatine did. He is a bad man, who wants bad things, and it is so much fun to watch him taken down by The Mandalorian’s protagonists. As satisfying as it is to see him when things are going well for him, it’s even better when his plans have all become undone, and he gets a well-deserved punch in the face.
Moff Gideon also likes to talk. Not only does he like to discuss his evil plans with his underlings, but in the Season 2 finale he showed a knack for getting out of a fight by persuading the Mandalorian to just take Baby Yoda and leave, though he immediately starts a fight when he thinks Mando’s guard is down. Seeing him almost get out of a fight with an opponent who had very good reasons to want him dead is a great example of just how he is able to get so many people to follow him (besides the use of force). The fact that he was almost able to start a fight between The Mandalorian and Bo-Katan is just another. It’s not enough for the audience to be told that a villain is a master manipulator, it’s important to see him actually able to manipulate people when it matters. It certainly helps that he is played by the very charismatic Giancarlo Esposito.
Something else that is enjoyable about a good Star Wars villain is when they are capable of taking on the hero in a good melee fight. One of the things that the prequel trilogy had going for it was its beautifully choreographed lightsaber duels, and Moff Gideon manages to hold his own surprisingly well against Mando. He is still outmatched, and the hero’s armor is at least partially to thank for that, easily holding back the worst the Darksaber had to offer. Whether or not it was an especially smart idea for the would-be dictator to take on the bounty hunter in a direct fight, the fact that he performed as well as he did shows he is a capable fighter, and that could add to the tension if he fights another of the show’s main characters in a future episode.
Moff Gideon has also shown himself to be capable of shaking things up, and surprising the audience. The image of his escape from his downed Tie Fighter using the Darksaber was one of the most talked-about parts of The Mandalorian’s Season 1 finale. When it looked like he was going to talk Mando into leaving and live to fight another day, it looked like he was going to surprise the audience again, even though it took all of a minute for him to go back on it. However, his most impressive twist of all was how he was able to almost defeat the main characters after being seemingly taken down himself. He’s captured by his enemies and surrounded by even more people who want him dead, but he’s not begging for his life. If anything, he’s calm. Within minutes he’s almost managed to turn his enemies against each other, and his reinforcements, which were flushed into space earlier in the episode, were on the way. Had it not been for the sudden appearance of a de-aged Luke Skywalker, he would have come out on top. He is able to keep the audience guessing what he might do, and that helps keep an episode from becoming routine or predictable.
Moff Gideon is a snake. Not only does he delight in doing what he deems necessary to bring back the Empire which oppressed the galaxy in the original trilogy, but he almost always manages to find a way to come out on top. Even now that he is in the custody of the New Republic, it isn’t certain that he won’t find a way to come back to menace Mando next season. He could be a pawn for another character, or he could manage to turn it around and continue to be The Mandalorian’s main antagonist; that army he was trying to create could still be around the corner. That potential is what makes him such a compelling villain. However the show plans to use him, he will live up to that role and be what the show needs him to be at the time; whether that be fighter, strategist, dictator, or an example of just how ridiculous men like him ultimately are. That’s why he’s a perfect Star Wars villain.
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