How The Mandalorian's Plot Twist Evokes a Classic Manga Series

Warning: This article contains full spoilers for The Mandalorian: Episode 1!

The first episode of The Mandalorian has landed on Disney+, and as promised, it ends with a major twist that could have far-reaching ramifications for the franchise. However, this twist is important for reasons other than plot. It also tells us that The Mandalorian is drawing inspiration from some unexpected sources. This series is shaping up to be the Star Wars version of the classic manga series Lone Wolf and Cub.

Read on to see how The Mandalorian evokes this seminal tale and why it's just the latest example of the Star Wars franchise paying tribute to Japanese storytellers.

The Lone Wolf and Cub Connection

Lone Wolf and Cub is a long-running manga series created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima. It follows a wandering samurai named Ogami Ittō and his infant son Daigorō. After the rest of his family is slaughtered and he himself is framed, Ittō goes on the run and begins working as a hired mercenary. Even as he seeks vengeance for his slain family and ruined honor, Ittō must protect his young son and raise him in the ways of the samurai. The manga itself was published across 28 volumes, and it also inspired a series of six films starring Tomisaburo Wakayama (along with a condensed American movie called Shogun Assassin).

It's difficult to watch the ending of The Mandalorian's first episode and not be reminded of Lone Wolf and Cub. After a frantic battle with a group of mercenaries, the titular bounty hunter and his newfound partner IG-11 stumble across their shared prize, an infant of the same species (and quite possibly Force-sensitive bloodline) as Yoda. In that moment, The Mandalorian makes his choice, shooting IG-11 before the baby can be executed and seemingly embracing his role as this baby's protector. Rather than bringing home a lucrative payday, The Mandalorian seems destined to bring a whole new world of trouble to his doorstep as he defies his mission and attracts more bounty hunters.

The Mandalorian seems to be the Ogami Ittō figure in this scenario. We don't yet know much about his past, but he clearly has some serious demons he's trying to escape. Just as Ittō faced a choice between giving his son a merciful death or raising him in a dangerous, lonely world, The Mandalorian made his choice between money (and the elusive armor that money can buy) and the life of a small child. Now he and that baby face a long and difficult road ahead.

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Star Wars' Japanese Roots

We have little doubt creator Jon Favreau and the others who worked on The Mandalorian are specifically drawing inspiration from Lone Wolf and Cub. The Star Wars franchise has always been heavily influenced by Japanese cinema and pop culture, dating back to the original movie. As much as Star Wars pays tribute to classic Flash Gordon serials and spaghetti westerns from directors like Sergio Leone, it's also influenced by the work of directors like Akira Kurosawa. One need only watch 1958's The Hidden Fortress to see the seeds of what would become Star Wars.

That influence extends to the costume designs, with most of the Imperial characters like Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers being influenced by equal parts Nazi soldiers and traditional samurai armor. That visual influence extends to the more recent films. As we recently learned, Kylo Ren's original character design was even more heavily samurai-inspired than his final look.

With all that in mind, it would seem Star Wars continues to draw inspiration from Japanese cinema and pop culture even now. While The Mandalorian initially seemed to be a gritty space western, it now looks as though the title character is being cast as a wandering samurai in search of redemption and a safe haven for his young companion.

Echoes of Clone Wars

This wouldn't even be the first time a Star Wars project has shown echoes of Lone Wolf and Cub. The 2008 Clone Wars animated movie (which set the stage for the TV series) features a plot point where Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano become the guardians of Jabba the Hutt's kidnapped son, Rotta. In another echo of Lone Wolf and Cub, Count Dooku hopes to frame the three Jedi for Rotta's kidnapping, thereby turning the Hutts against the Republic.

The Mandalorian: Season 1 Gallery

The Clone Wars movie didn't necessarily go over well with older Star Wars fans, as it embraced the slapstick trappings of the prequels more than the somber tone of Lone Wolf and Cub. The subsequent series only really began to embrace its darker side in later seasons. The Mandalorian now seems like an opportunity for a do-over. The Clone Wars may not have fully succeeded in paying tribute to a venerated manga story, but The Mandalorian might just finish the job.

For more Mandalorian fun, find out when exactly the series takes place, read our review of Episode 1 and find out whether The Mandalorian could catch Darth Vader himself.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.