Creed of Integrity in “The Tragedy”

Love Thy Nerd is excited to bring you reflections on each of the episodes of season two of The Mandalorian.

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Throughout The Mandalorian series, we encounter suspense, sadness, tension, anger, relief, elation, and nostalgia. We experience all those feelings as we take in the galactic settings, the masterful plot, the striking characters, and dynamic conflict. In “The Tragedy,” director Roberto Rodriguez opens the floodgates and inundates the viewers with all these storytelling elements, from the beautiful landscape of Tython to the highly anticipated reveal of Boba Fett and everything in between. (I’m still freaking out!!) Every second seems more intense than the second before, beginning with Grogu using the force atop the seeing stone, the thrilling fight against the stormtroopers, and ending the episode in the most jarring way, as Moff Gideon captures Grogu by utilizing the Dark Troopers. (I’m not crying. You’re crying!) Between beholding Boba Fett wield his father’s armor for the first time in years, to witnessing in dismay as Grogu angrily uses the force to chokehold storm troopers, there are absolutely no lack of topics to discuss. However, one of the most compelling themes from “The Tragedy” was revealed as Mando and Boba Fett encountered each other for the first time.

Unaware of Boba Fett’s history, Mando responds defensively when Boba asks for his Beskar armor back. When asked about the creed, Boba responds, saying he pledges allegiance to no one, but claims the armor is rightfully his because it first belonged to his father. Mando was unwilling to oblige Boba’s request, as he felt he was going against his own code of honor to give sacred Beskar armor to an irreverent warrior. Since he would not give up the armor, Boba countered with a deal: his armor returned in exchange for the safety of Grogu. They are interrupted by an attack orchestrated by Moff Gideon, and amidst the battle against the Storm Troopers, Boba slips into Mando’s ship, the Razor Crest, dons his armor, and defeats the rest of the stormtroopers. Unfortunately, amidst the battle, Boba, Mando, and Fennec are unable to keep Moff Gideon from capturing Grogu. As the dust settles, Boba is able to prove to Mando that the Beskar armor legitimately belongs to him because of his lineage, and he reveals that his father was a Foundling as well.  Faced with this new information, Mando realizes that he and Boba shared a heritage and are bound to each other by it. He acknowledges that the Beskar armor rightfully belongs to Boba. As Mando prepares to leave, he is surprised when Boba reminds him that Fennec and himself are actually indebted to Mando until Grogu is safe, further proving Boba’s honor.

Boba and Mando both personify integrity. Mando displays that by his unwavering faithfulness to the Creed throughout this series. When he encounters another Mandalorian, his allegiance is evident when he initially refused to acknowledge Boba as a person worthy of the Beskar armor, since they did not share the same allegiance. However, during the course of the episode, Boba displays not only his amazing combat skills but his honor as well. After he had obtained the armor, he proved to Mando that he was honest about his claim to the Beskar by displaying his lineage. Further demonstrating his faithfulness to his word, he goes above and beyond what Mando had expected of him by insisting that he would be allowed to keep up his end of the bargain. Boba Fett inserts himself into Mando’s life, forcing him to acknowledge that action is a greater indicator of integrity than appearance or words. This realization should not just be profound for the Mandalorians, but also for the rest of us in the galaxy.