The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5, "The Jedi" introduces the Magistrate - a.k.a. Morgan Elsbeth - and confirms a connection to Grand Admiral Thrawn. Here's what we know about her past and her ties to the major Star Wars villain. Ahsoka Tano finally made her live-action debut in the most recent episode of The Mandalorian, which immediately set up her conflict with the Magistrate in the city of Calodan on the first moon of Corvus. The ominous figure has information that Ahsoka wants, and it isn't until the end of their climactic fight that the show reveals what it is.
Prior to the showdown between Ahsoka's two white lightsabers and Magistrate's beskar staff, the former Jedi explained what she knew about the Magistrate to Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal). Her real name is Morgan Elsbeth, and she comes from a civilization that was massacred during the Clone Wars. This drove Morgan to help build the Imperial Navy by conquering worlds and taking their natural resources, and this led her to her command over Calodan. But Ahsoka isn't interested in the Magistrate because of her unlawful rule, but rather because of the information she possesses about her master.
The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5 reveals Morgan's master is none other than Grand Admiral Thrawn. Although the episode doesn't spell out exactly how close they are, there are a few hints of their connection. The most obvious tie between the Magistrate and Thrawn is the Imperial Navy. Thrawn's meteoric rise through the Imperial ranks led him to assume command of the Seventh Fleet and achieve the title of Grand Admiral. Presumably, Thrawn and Morgan Elsbeth could have crossed paths through the Imperial Navy, with Morgan potentially becoming a pawn in Thrawn's larger schemes.
The episode also includes a subtle reference to Thrawn that proves Morgan is closely tied to the Grand Admiral. She uses HK-87 droids throughout the episode to fight Ahsoka and Din, and while these droids make another Legends idea canon, they are also shown in The Mandalorian with some Thrawn branding. The HK-87 droids have the insignia of the Seventh Fleet painted on the side of their face. This highlights just how closely aligned the Magistrate is to Thrawn, if she is using droids with his personal markings on them. It could even indicate that Morgan was part of the Seventh Fleet for a time.
With the Magistrate's close connection to Thrawn, The Mandalorian's decision to not show what she did when confronted by Ahsoka is curious. Ahsoka had a lightsaber at her throat and said she wouldn't give Morgan a choice to not give up the information she sought. But, it isn't clear if the Magistrate did tell Ahsoka where Thrawn is located. Not only is the Magistrate's fate left up in the air, but so too is the future of Thrawn. It would seem unlikely that he'll appear by the end of The Mandalorian season 2, but he could return in season 3 or a possible Ahsoka spinoff. Either option could bring more details about how the Magistrate and Thrawn are connected.
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November 30, 2020 at 05:00AM
