The Mandalorian: Chapter 20: Bo-Katan's New Upgrade Could Hint At Her Endgame
Contains spoilers for "The Mandalorian" Season 3, Episode 4
The most recent episode of "The Mandalorian," titled "The Foundling," picks up at the hidden and remote Mandalorian enclave of those belonging to the sect known as the Tribe, who are adherents of the Mandalorian religion known as the "Children of the Watch." These practitioners are utterly dedicated to the tenets of the Mandalorian religion, which include never taking off one's helmet — a grievous sin in their eyes. Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoof) used to admonish Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) for following this path, but since plunging into the depths of the ruined Mandalorian home planet, Bo-Katan is starting to become a believer herself.
This change is noted by Bo-Katan's new apprehension about taking off her helmet in front of others, and her now repeating the phrase, "This is the way." However, there is another big shift in her personality, and it involves the request to change one of her pauldrons to display the skull of the mythosaur, a legendary beast in their shared culture. The mythosaur is the ultimate symbol of the Mandalorians, which became part of their beliefs when the namesake of their religion, the first Mandalore, was able to wrangle the massive beast in the Living Waters. This event united their scattered people and gave the Mandalorians purpose.
The fact that Bo-Katan decides to use this symbol, and with her history of attempting to lead the Mandalorians with the Dark Saber, might indicate what is going through her mind.
Bo-Katan may see the path needed to reunite the Mandalorians
The choice of what creature to be displayed on a Mandalorian's armor is usually deeply personal. For both Grogu and Din Djarin in "The Mandalorian," the choice of their symbol is the mudhorn, which happens to be one of the first creatures encountered in the popular show.
The armor for Bo-Katan shows off a different symbol, that of the night owl, which highlights how these signets and emblems can change between Mandalorian families and clans. However, since Bo-Katan now features both her original symbol and that of the mythosaur, it could mean that Bo-Katan has not yet given up on bringing her people together once again.
Considering that Bo-Katan is essentially Mandalorian royalty, and the fact that she is now fully embracing components of their belief structure, this could be laying the foundations for her dream to finally become true — that of a united Mandalorian people. Perhaps Bo-Katan's journey alongside Din into the Living Waters (where she saw a real-life mythosaur in said Living Waters) may have caused something to stir deep within Bo-Katan.
This becomes even more apparent when one remembers that Bo-Katan at the start of Season 3 was content to wallow in despair and loneliness at her family's ancestral home, but now she seems to have a renewed purpose.