Things took a very different route in The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 3 and it all came to a head with Dr. Pershing strapped to what he refers to as a Mind Flayer, so you might be wondering what exactly it is in the Star Wars universe. With the success of Stranger Things, which also featured a Mind Flayer, it’s hard not to draw references to Dungeons & Dragons.
It’s not the first time the device has been featured in The Mandalorian, though. In Season 1 Episode 8 when facing the final assault from Moff Gideon, Cara Dune mentions it. As a former Shock Trooper she believed that if she was caught that she’s be strapped into one for torture.
AdvertisementAt the time, Greef Karga says that those things aren’t real and they were just a part of the Imperial propaganda machine. However, as a fully paid former member of the Empire it makes sense that she’d sort of know the truth, which has now been confirmed in Season 3 Episode 3, The Convert.
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter to see more news and updates on upcoming TV, films, games and more. You can also see additional info on the series with the official Disney+ Twitter page at https://twitter.com/disneyplus.
So what is a Mind Flayer in the Star Wars universe?
Other than the reference at the end of Season 1 of The Mandalorian there are no mentions of a Mind Flayer in the Star Wars Universe. It’s something completely new, but if you consider the Finn decided to turn away from the New Order in Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens you can see why it would be useful to the dark forces of the galaxy.
From what we’ve seen in the new episode, it looks like it’s a device that can be used at low levels to sooth and calm the mind. However, as you see in The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 3 it can also be used for torture and to wipe the memory of the recipient… literally flaying their mind!
AdvertisementIt happens when former Imperial communications officer Eleia Kane sets up the doctor and somehow manages to be left alone with him when he’s strapped to the Mind Flayer. The double cross is pretty brutal and in all fairness it came as a complete shock, which is a nod to the acting skills of Katy M. O’Brien (Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania), who plays the character.
In the scene, the Mon Calimari operator refers to the device as a 602 mitigator, but Dr. Pershing is adamant that it’s a Mind Flayer. To start with he looks pretty content in the headset with the soothing visuals, but when Kane gets the place to herself it’s clear that the adaptation has left in all of the bad bits too.
RELATED: Star Wars Jedi Survivor release date and age rating
We’ll have to wait for the next episode of The Mandalorian to find out more about how the doctor comes out the other side. It should also give us more information about Eleia’s motives in setting him up and wiping his mind, but clearly she’s not just trying to improve the New Republic.
The other thing to consider is that we’ve seen dark torture devices before in Star Wars with the likes of the IT-O Interrogator droid or the device Rey was attached to when she’s being interrogated by Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens. The Mind Flayer is the latest addition and as we’ve seen with Bacta Tanks, once tech has been introduced to the lore of Star Wars it goes on to become a regular feature.
AdvertisementWe’re still not sure why the New Republic is so messed up with its processes for prisoner rehabilitation, but from the look of things it’s got a long way to go. Firstly, why wouldn’t you have the device capped or supervised during implementation, or at least have data monitoring or cameras in room. Secondly, why would you just leave a non-medical staff member alone in the control room?
It’s ever likely the First Order managed to rise up in the coming years if this is how badly they’re handling things on Coruscant.
Is the Mind Flayer a reference from Stranger Things or Dungeons & Dragons?
While there is no official word on this, we’re going out on a limb to say that it’s got to be a foregone conclusion. Even without Stranger Things, it’s definitely possible that the minds behind The Mandalorian will have been up on their Dungeons & Dragons knowledge.
In the TV show, the Mind Flayer is the huge entity that is trying to break into our world from the Upside Down. It’s also the force that gave rise to Number 1 becoming Vecna, so it’s integral to the plot of the entire show.
AdvertisementHowever, the entity itself is named after the Mind Flayer in D&D, so it’s possible that it’s all tied up together in a world eating bow. In The Mandalorian Seaon 3 Episode 3, it’s a device that wipes your mind, but in Stranger Things it’s the hive mind entity that controls the Upside Down.
RELATED: Everything you need to know about The Mandalorian's new ship
In Dungeons & Dragons it’s also known as an Illithid, which are powerful creatures that look a bit like Lovecraft’s Cthulhu, so tentacle faces and humanoid body. It sucks out the brains of its victims and eats them for most meals, so it’s pretty vicious.
As mentioned above, the first reference to the Mind Flayer in The Mandalorian came in Season 1 Episode 8, which was written by Jon Favreau. He’s also the co-writer for Episode 3 in the latest seasons, so it seems that he’s either a big Stranger Things or Dungeons & Dragons fan. Maybe both.
You can also check out our TV news section to see other big releases, or visit the Disney+ website to see more on the show at https://www.disneyplus.com/.
