Star Wars’ Next Movie Finally Shows the Real Reason the Empire Returned

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Even though the Empire fell decades ago in the Star Wars universe, it continues to play a major role in both the movies and TV series. Recent shows are now delving into the aftermath of the Empire’s defeat, focusing on the remaining Imperial forces and their supporters. Series like The Mandalorian and Ahsoka feature characters who still support the Empire, from powerful leaders like Moff Gideon and Thrawn to everyday citizens. These shows also give us a detailed look at how the New Republic functioned and dealt with the challenges of this unstable time.

The sequel trilogy showed that the Empire didn’t really disappear – it just reappeared as the First Order. They had the same tools and leadership – stormtroopers, massive warships, and powerful dark side users. We never got a clear explanation of how the Empire evolved into the First Order between the original and sequel films. However, the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu movie might finally reveal that connection.

The Return Of The Empire Was Orchestrated Via Distractions

With recent Star Wars shows delving into the period between the original and sequel trilogies, Moff Gideon has become a prominent figure. As the main villain in The Mandalorian and a seemingly dangerous enemy, Gideon was a dedicated supporter of the Empire, repeatedly proclaiming his loyalty. However, despite appearing formidable, he ultimately served as a diversion from a much larger and more significant threat developing outside of the central star systems.

As shown in Star Wars: The Mandalorian Visual Guide, Moff Gideon represented a much bigger problem for the New Republic. They were stretched thin trying to deal with threats like him, as well as political opposition from Imperial sympathizers known as the Centrists. Even more concerning, while the New Republic dealt with these issues, the First Order was secretly growing in power in the Unknown Regions.

The new book, ‘The Mandalorian – Visual Guide,’ offers fresh details about the New Republic as seen in ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu.’ Even after Moff Gideon’s defeat, the strength he commanded showed just how much of a threat the remaining Imperial forces still posed. The Senate and its officials…

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The New Republic Never Really Had A Chance

The New Republic faced an uphill battle from the start, and likely never stood a real chance of long-term success. As detailed in The Mandalorian Visual Guide, it was constantly dealing with crises while trying to rebuild the galaxy, create a new government, and revive the Jedi Order – a nearly impossible task given the circumstances.

It’s especially disheartening considering how optimistic Return of the Jedi felt. The original trilogy concluded with a sense of renewal, suggesting the galaxy could finally move forward now that the Empire, Palpatine, and Vader were defeated. However, thirty years later, the galaxy is once again oppressed by a cruel power, and it’s become apparent that the years between weren’t peaceful at all.

Star Wars Still Needs To Connect The Dots

We’re starting to understand how the First Order rose to power, but Star Wars still needs to clearly show the direct connection between the old Empire and the First Order’s beginnings. And there isn’t much time left in the story to do that. While it’s obvious some Imperial supporters joined the First Order, we need to see more of how that happened and what else contributed to its rise.

For the First Order’s story to work, we still need to see Snoke fully appear, a large-scale military campaign needs to unfold, and they need to become powerful enough to wipe out the New Republic before The Force Awakens. This is a lot to establish, especially since The Mandalorian and Grogu is already set years after Return of the Jedi.

Despite this, The Mandalorian and Grogu actually seems like the perfect setting to reveal these connections. Considering Din Djarin and Grogu are now allied with the New Republic and actively searching for dangers – as shown in the trailer where they’re observing stormtroopers – this could be a fantastic way for Star Wars to show how the First Order first began and hint at future events. Only time will tell if that’s the direction the story takes.

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2026-04-14 22:18