The Mandalorian Fans Think They've Figured Out How The Living Waters Work
This article contains spoilers for "The Mandalorian" Season 3, Episode 4 — "The Foundling"
What is Living Water, and why is it so important? Much of "The Mandalorian" Season 3 revolves around the supposedly mystic waters beneath the mines of Mandalore, in which Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) must bathe to redeem himself after showing his face to Grogu. The waters are also the ancient home of the mythosaur: the symbol of all Mandalorians. Though they're thought to be extinct, Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) sees one while saving Din from drowning in the Living Waters, prompting even more questions.
The Living Waters are certainly mysterious, but some "Star Wars" fans think they may have figured out how they work. "The Mandalorian" Season 3 Episode 4, "The Foundling," doesn't have any scenes on Mandalore, but it does spend a good deal of time in the Armorer's (Emily Swallow) forge. While watching the Armorer work, Grogu has a flashback to Order 66, and Bo-Katan discusses the mythosaur. Taken together with older scenes from prior seasons, these moments have led some to theorize that the Living Waters have hallucinogenic properties caused by their relation to beskar. Mind-altering effects could explain Bo-Katan seeing the Mythosaur, as well as why Din and Grogu have both had flashbacks in the forge.
The Living Waters might have hallucinogenic properties
After watching "The Foundling," some fans took to Reddit to discuss the flashback Grogu has while watching his armor get made. As user u/Aiden_1234567890 pointed out, "similar thing happened to Din during his flashback in season one. The armorer said the forge can reveal weaknesses." Others took this to mean that the process of forging beskar and the act of swimming in the Living Waters could have a similar effect on the mind — one that conjures visions and memories like a psychedelic.
"I wonder if the living waters used have some kind of hallucinogenic property when used in the forging process," u/OscarDivine theorized. Some viewers wondered if Bo-Katan's mythosaur sighting might also have just been a vision like the Armorer suggests. In a lot of ways, it would make more sense. "I'm definitely thinking the mythosaur was a vision," u/Ceres73 wrote. "Combine that with Grogu and Din each having visions, and the Armorer suggesting the forging process reveals weaknesses, something extra must be going on.
This psychedelic theory is certainly possible. The fumes from the forge could induce specific brain activity, and since the Living Waters are right below the beskar mines of Mandalore, it would make sense for them to have some special properties as well. However, it's also possible that the forge is simply a contemplative place, and that Bo-Katan saw a real, living mythosaur awakened by the Great Purge. Only time will tell.