Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Season 3, Episode 2 of The Mandalorian.Took him long enough, but Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal/Brendan Wayne/Lateef Crowder) finally got to the Living Waters of Mandalore. In "The Mines of Mandalore," The Mandalorian takes us to the homeworld of the Mandalorians, a place "every Mandalorian can trace their roots back to," according to Djarin, in its first-ever live-action appearance. The Living Waters are buried deep down the planet's surface, a sacred place in Mandalorian culture and a new addition to Star Wars lore, providing the redemption our hero has desperately sought since his appearance in The Book of Boba Fett.
After being kidnaped by a weird alien cyborg creature, Mando was rescued by Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), who then agreed to take him to the Living Waters chamber to show him "there's nothing special" about them. By now, we all know Bo-Katan is an important player in recent Mandalorian history and one that should be respected for her efforts in protecting Mandalore and its people against the Empire, but, respectfully, we disagree. In fact, Bo-Katan herself may have changed her mind after the events of "The Mines of Mandalore," because it turns out the Living Waters are pretty special, indeed. So hold on to your Mythosaurs, because we're going to dive in and see why.
What Is the Role of the Living Waters in Mandalorian Culture?
The Living Waters' first ever mention in Star Wars was when the Armorer (Emily Swallow) told Din he could only have his redemption for removing his helmet if he were to bathe in them. This set very high expectations for the fans, and for a number of reasons. First, because that's an awesome name, let's face it. Second, the promise of redemption and atonement for one's sins is often connected to an effort that must be made - in this case, a pilgrimage. If the Living Waters are located beneath the Mines of Mandalore and the planet was devastated by the Empire, well... That's one hell of a pilgrimage. Nevertheless, Din made it and even dragged Bo-Katan along with him.
When they get to the chamber where the Living Waters are, they indeed don't seem like much, at first, just a big well with stairs going down into it. But what's sacred usually doesn't hold that status due to impressive visuals, but to what it represents for the faith that considers it as such. Bo-Katan was born and grew up in an age of Mandalorian renaissance, her family being the ruler and ushering an era of peace and prosperity, and exiling the fanatics to the moon of Concordia (where Din grew up, but more on that later). For her, the Living Waters were trivial, like going to church on the weekend.
That was before they lost Mandalore, though. The planet had already endured centuries of fighting among Mandalorian clans, but, when the Clone Wars ended and the Empire rose, Mandalorians were scattered to the four winds after the Night of a Thousand Tears, in which Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) laid waste to the planet and turned most of its surface to glass. The only things left were the ruins of the domed cities of old. The Living Waters are located beneath one of those, the capital Sundari, where most of the action in the animated series The Clone Wars took place.
Even after all that destruction, the Living Waters somehow survived, along with most of the underground structure of the city and its mines. Bo-Katan explains that's where she took the Creed, implying that it's the place where the ritual can be properly carried out. That said, the Waters hold their sacred status due to their role as a place of birth in Mandalorian culture, where even those who've sinned can be forgiven and get a new chance. From now on, in fact, "rebirth" may be the word people Mandalorians think of when talking about the Living Waters.
What Do the Living Waters Mean for the Future of Mandalore?
Anyone who was raised as Catholic knows the importance of the rite of baptism, both on personal and religious levels. Being baptized means that, from that moment on, one may truly achieve salvation and be accepted into the kingdom of Heaven. From then on, one is truly part of the Catholic Church. Season 3 of The Mandalorian has already shown us in its first episode how taking the creed is similar to being baptized, and now we get another religious allegory.
The moment Din Djarin enters the Living Waters is extremely emotional, as we all know how unshakable his faith in the Mandalorian Creed is and how being called an apostate hurt him. Not only that, but he's also the holder of the Darksaber and, therefore, the ruler of Mandalore, so his taking this ritual is symbolic of both his current and future roles. He is taking the Creed again, like Jesus being baptized in the Jordan River. In fact, there's even an equivalent to John the Baptist in Bo-Katan, who dives into the river after Din was dragged down by the Mythosaur. The mythical beast, the ultimate symbol of Mandalorian culture and religion, also bears its own meaning, as if Mandalore itself (or God Himself) accepted Din back into the Creed and anointed him as the savior.
After centuries of being divided and being at odds with one another, Mandalorians will finally have a place to go back to, a sacred location where their roots still lie even after facing oblivion. The Living Waters, then, are not only the place where young foundlings are inducted into the Creed, but also where this belief itself is effectively reborn through Din Djarin. Those are the Living Waters, they inspire life into those who enter them and are faithful, there's no one better than Din to fit that role. As far as we know, they even brought back the Mythosaurs, so their role is much more than merely ceremonial. They may not have mystical or special properties, but, as a matter of fact, they don't have to. Even though things are sacred because of how we see them, the Living Waters now have played an active role in the rebirth of Mandalore.
The first two episodes of The Mandalorian Season 3 are streaming now on Disney+.