The Mandalorianseason 3 actually repeated an inconsistency issue withStar Wars: The Last Jediby fixing one of the film’s mistakes before frustratingly repeating it.The Mandalorianseason 3’s endingconsisted of several strong episodes that overcame the earlier criticism the season was facing. One of the more exciting elements of this ending was an Easter egg to one of the manymovies of theStar Warssaga:The Last Jedi. The reference came in the form of the Praetorian Guards which, inStar Wars’New Republic timeline, were under Moff Gideon’s control.
Later in theStar Warstimeline, the Praetorian Guards are shown standing watchfully over the Supreme Leader of the First Order: Snoke. Snoke’s Praetorian Guards played a somewhat big role in one of themore divisiveStar Warsmovies,Star Wars: The Last Jedi.However, despite their excellent designs, many felt underwhelmed by them after they were swiftly defeated by Rey and Kylo Ren. Initially,The Mandalorianseason 3 rectified this mistake before going back on it in a frustrating fashion.
The Mandalorian Season 3 Showed How Dangerous The Praetorian Guards Really Are
The Guards Were Introduced As A Force To Be Reckoned With
InThe Mandalorianseason 3, episode 7, Paz Vizsla is shown sacrificing himself to save his fellow clan members. Paz mows down several Beskar-clad stormtroopers before being encountered by the Praetorian Guards, with the ensuing scene showing how effective and dangerous the Imperial protectors truly are. Paz was always showcased as one of the strongest warriors inTheMandalorian,often going toe-to-toe with Din Djarin and, as alluded to, defeating wave after wave of enhanced stormtroopers inThe Mandalorianseason 3.
The Praetorian Guards take little to no damage from Paz’s vibroknife before stabbing him multiple times…
Regardless of this strength, Paz was shown to be defeated by the Praetorian Guards with relative ease. The Guards are shown stalking Paz, slowly walking toward the bulky Mandalorian soldier until they surround him. Using their electrified weapons, the Praetorian Guards take little to no damage from Paz’s vibroknife before stabbing him multiple times. The Guards then simply walk away as if nothing had happened, with the camera lingering on Paz’s dead body before the episode cuts to black.
Thanks to this sequence,the Praetorian Guards are made to look exceedingly effective.The Last Jedisaw them defeated fairly quickly and, while they managed to seem somewhat threatening to an untrained Jedi like Rey, Kylo Ren did not overcome much difficulty to defeat them. However, thanks to this scene inThe Mandalorianseason 3, this perception that the Praetorian Guards were weak was changed slightly.
Grogu Then Ran Rings Around The Praetorian Guards
The Guards Were No Match For… A Baby?
AlthoughThe Mandalorianchanged the perception of the Praetorian Guards via their fight with Paz Vizsla, the show’s next episode went back on this, thus repeatingThe Last Jedi’s underwhelming depiction of them. In the finale ofThe Mandalorianseason 3, Grogu gets trapped in a room with the Praetorian Guards while Din Djarin is left outside fighting Moff Gideon. While Grogu is inherently powerful in the Force, he is still highly untrained and only a child, meaning he should realistically be no match for the elite warriors.
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Nonetheless, Grogu proceeded to run rings around the Praetorian Guards, figuratively and literally. Grogu lasted a long time on his own with them by jumping to a ring hanging from the ceiling and using the Force to block their attacks, giving Din enough time to subdue Gideon with Bo-Katan’s help and rush to Grogu’s aid. If the Praetorian Guards had been utilized differently than running after a Force-sensitive baby like they were with Paz Vizsla only a week earlier,The Mandalorianseason 3would not have repeatedThe Last Jedi’s disappointing mistake with their characterization.
Will Star Wars Ever Get The Praetorian Guard Right?
Naturally, the burning question afterThe Mandalorianseason 3’s treatment of the Praetorian Guards is whetherStar Warswill ever get them right. More aptly, the question should be whetherStar Warswill find a level of consistency in its depiction of them. Across the two projects the Praetorian Guards have appeared in, they have given a good fight to master Force wielders before being ultimately defeated relatively easily, defeated a seasoned veteran of a warrior Mandalorian clan without breaking a sweat, and been embarrassed by an untrained Force-sensitive baby.
This inconsistency has harmed the perception of the Praetorian Guards and has led many to wonder if they will be shown to have a more, well, consistent power base. This could be highlighted inupcomingStar Warsmoviesor TV shows, especially if the resurgence of Grand Admiral Thrawn means more Praetorian Guards are used to protect him or his more senior followers. Until then, however, the last experienceStar Warsfans had with the Praetorian Guards wasThe Mandalorianseason 3, which initially fixed a big problem they once had before immediately repeating it.
