Star Wars: The Untold Truth Of Tython

Contains spoilers for The Mandalorian season 2

The Mandalorian is always a wild ride, but the Disney+ sci-fi epic really turns it up to 11 in "Chapter 13: The Jedi." The episode reveals that Din Djarin's (Pedro Pascal) longtime traveling companion Baby Yoda is actually called Grogu, and introduces us to the person who's supposed to be in charge of training the force-sensitive green kid — none other than the Star Wars animated series veteran Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson). 

However, there's a catch. Ahsoka isn't just any old Jedi. She used to be the apprentice of none other than Anakin Skywalker, and she still remembers what happened when her old master switched careers and started Darth Vadering all over the galaxy. As such, she's not super delighted by the prospect of training Grogu, because she senses that the child is way too attached to Din, and thus too emotionally volatile. Even so, she does offer an alternative path. She tells Din to take Grogu to the planet Tython, and place him on a special stone at a mountaintop. "If he reaches out through the force, there's a chance a Jedi may sense his presence and come searching for him," Ahsoka advises. 

This, of course, leads to the exciting prospect of another Jedi showing up on the series. However, before the show gets to that, the viewers may be seeking an answer to a very different question: What kind of place is this Tython?

Tython is a relatively obscure planet, in that it has mostly appeared in Star Wars novels, comic books, and — most prominently – Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. That said, it's likely one of the more important locations in the galaxy far, far away.

Located in a system of the same name, the planet has a history as a massive Force hotspot. As such, it was a bit of a magnet for early interstellar-traveling races. Over time, people congregated on the planet and  figured out how to use the Force. Together, the newfangled Force users founded the precursor movement for the Jedi and the Sith, the balance-focused Je'daii Order. 

Because the planet turned out to be dangerous for folks who aren't Force-sensitive, all but the Je'daii evacuated, and the world enjoyed thousands of peaceful years. However, everything eventually went haywire, and a bunch of disastrous events caused a rift between proponents of the light and the dark sides of the force, with the light side ultimately winning and establishing the more alphabetically succinct Jedi Order.

Of course, chances are that Din Djarin and Grogu won't be greeted by a planet full of harmonious Jedi when they find Tython. By the time The Mandalorian takes place, the light side users have long since moved on, and Tython is a barren planet where only grotesque Flesh Raiders roam. If our two traveling companions actually do reach Tython, it looks like Mando might find a use for his newly acquired Beskar staff sooner rather than later.