The Mandalorian Chapter 11 recap: Breaking down the big reveals

The Mandalorian Chapter 11 introduced a host of new characters from the Star Wars universe and brought some old favorites to life.

The Mandalorian Chapter 11, “The Heiress,” packed in a lot of action—and a handful of surprising character reveals, especially for fans of the Star Wars animated shows. We recap the episode and break down those reveals and why they matter so much to fans of this Disney Plus show.

The Mandalorian Chapter 11 – The Reunion

Following the previous episode’s harrowing events, The Mandalorian Chapter 11 finally gave viewers a resolution to Frog Lady’s mission to get back to her husband with her remaining spawn.

Sadly, the Razor Crest, which had already taken a beating, had a tough landing on the oceanic moon of Trask—they almost made it but fell into the water at the last minute. That poor ship. But at least a Mon Calamari shipbuilder can fix it for 1,000 credits. Eagle-eyed fans will notice the throwback to The Empire Strikes Back in the shot of the Razor Crest being pulled out of the water.

Despite the journey to Trask, Frog Lady  — who still doesn’t have a name — is reunited with her husband, who points Mando to a nearby inn. Here he will get much-needed information about his fellow Mandalorians and a path to the Jedi.

At the inn, a Quarren sailor offers to take Mando and the Child to the other Mandalorians, for a heavy price.

The Mandalorian Chapter 11 – The Heiress

Fortunately for Mando, he has a fair amount of money with him, and it grants him passage on a fishing ship. The seas are rough, but the sailors are friendly. They seem to be enjoying Mando and the Child’s company, even offering to let the duo watch how a tentacle creature is fed.

These moments in The Mandalorian Chapter 11 are fascinating until the creature begins to rise to the surface, and one of the Quarren sailors shoves the Child’s cradle, with the Child in it, directly into the creature’s mouth. When Mando leaps into the water to save his charge, the Quarren lock him under the ship.

It looks like the galaxy’s favorite father-son duo is going to come to a crushing end when blaster fire knocks the Quarren off their feet and a blue Beskar-armored Mandalorian lands on the ship, followed by two more. The new Mandalorians make short work of the Quarren and pull Mando out of the water, then one of them fights the creature to save the Child.

Mando is relieved to have completed one part of his mission until the Mandalorians take their helmets off. This is most definitely not the way.

The lead Mandalorian introduces herself—Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), leader of the Nite Owls, sister of Satine, and Mandalore’s rightful ruler. Fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, you may now squee seeing the voice of Bo-Katan bring her into the live-action universe.

Alongside Bo-Katan are Axe Woves (Simon Kassianides) and Koska Reeves (Mercedes Varnado, aka Sasha Banks).

These Mandalorians don’t believe in wearing their armor all the time—that’s the creed of the faction known as the Deathwatch. But it’s the only Mandalorian way Din Djarin has ever known, so he parts ways with Bo-Katan and her crew without information about the Jedi.

The Mandalorian Chapter 11 – A New Mission

Not for long. The Quarren on the ship had family, and they want revenge on Mando, whose bad week just keeps getting worse in The Mandalorian Chapter 11. Fortunately for Mando, the Nite Owls return and save him. They really do want to help him, and they know how he can find the Jedi. But they need his help first.

An imperial cruiser with a truck-ton of weapons is leaving Trask soon—this really isn’t a savory planet (pardon the pun), but what can we expect in the wake of the Empire’s reign?

The Nite Owls want those weapons to free Mandalore, but they only have a small window to take down the cruiser. Mando is in—but first, he needs to leave the Child in Frog Lady’s care so he can complete this mission.

Mando has been a bounty hunter for so long that he, the audience, are surprised by how organized the Nite Owls are. They effortlessly take down the stormtroopers on the deck and in the outer levels, leading the Imperial Captain (Titus Welliver) to sequester himself and his pilots on the bridge.

But the Nite Owls don’t stop coming. They make their way to the cargo hold, where an Imperial officer manages to barricade them — to save himself more than anything else, in the cargo control room.

The glee with which he announces his achievement to the captain is only matched by the laughter of viewers as the Nite Owls adjust the controls to vent the hold and the Imperials with it,  beginning the next stage of the plan. These Imperials are idiots.

The Mandalorian Chapter 11 – A Lead, At Last

Bo-Katan was once a member of the Deathwatch and stood against her sister, Satine. That ruthlessness hasn’t left even after all these years of fighting, as we see in The Mandalorian Chapter 11. She told Mando they wanted the weapons, but she changes the terms of their agreement—he has to help them take the ship.

Mando has little choice but to agree, though he tries to stay as far away from trouble as possible. It’s surprising to see Mando falling back in a fight, but the Nite Owls are just that good.

However, when the team is eventually pinned down, and the ship hurtles to a watery end. The Imperials may be cowards, but they’re quick to sacrifice themselves if ordered to. Mando uses his wits to take down the last of the stormtroopers and helps them take the bridge.

While Mando and Koska Reeves steady the ship, Bo-Katan questions the captain. Where is the Darksaber? Does Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) have it? As viewers of the first season of the show will know, the answer to that is yes.

The Darksaber rightly belongs to Bo-Katan, Sabine Wren bequeathed it to her in Star Wars: Rebels. The fact that Moff Gideon has it in his possession is bad news for the galaxy. But the captain dies before revealing how the Nite Owls can find Gideon.

Once the ship has been steadied, Bo-Katan tells Mando where to find Ahsoka Tano, who will show him the way to the Jedi. Fans can take this moment to squee again.

Final Thoughts: The Mandalorian Chapter 11 Expands the Galaxy

One of the reasons why Star Wars fans loved the animated shows was that there were so many characters beyond the films’ central protagonists. The universe felt massive and real—, and The Mandalorian Chapter 11 captures that feeling by bringing in those characters and expanding our understanding of the universe.

Having said that, I am a bit confused by Bo-Katan’s age. She should be around the same age as Darth Vader, but she doesn’t look it. Is Beskar armor that good for your skin?

I enjoyed Bryce Dallas Howard’s directing of this episode. She included subtle nods to the films while extending the ethos of the show as we know it. Despite not having the transitions of earlier episodes, a nod to the original trilogy, Howard made this episode feel like the more modern versions of Star Wars, in the same vein as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

The Mandalorian Chapter 11 looked great, added so much to the live-action universe, and re-introduced fan-favorite characters.

As someone who loves Ahsoka Tano, I cannot wait to see her again. It is most likely that Rosario Dawson will be playing the character, but considering her history with transphobia, seeing Ahsoka Tano in live-action will be bittersweet for fans.

What did you think of The Mandalorian Chapter 11? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

The Mandalorian streams weekly on Disney Plus.