The Mandalorian Explained: What Are the Space Whales?

Midway through The Mandalorian Season 3’s premiere, fans were treated to a stunning scene where Grogu and Mando traveled to Navarro and witnessed massive whale-like shadows moving through hyperspace. These “space whales” are known as Purrgil and have been a part of the Star Wars universe for some time now. In fact, they may play a crucial role in the upcoming Ahsoka series.

What Are the Star Wars Space Whales?

Purrgil are fascinating creatures that live in deep space and have the ability to navigate through hyperspace with ease. However, their habit of approaching ships in hyperspace often leads to collisions and accidents. That being said, Force-sensitive individuals can communicate with Purrgil to a certain extent, making them valuable allies to those who can connect with them. Typically, Purrgil are about the size of a small starship and travel in groups or flocks.

The Purrgil have already played a significant role in the Star Wars universe, particularly in the finale of Star Wars Rebels. In the finale, the young Jedi Ezra Bridger used multiple Purrgil to take Grand Admiral Thrawn’s flagship, the Chimaera, into hyperspace and away from the planet Lothal, where it was locked in a battle with the rebel forces. Ezra and Thrawn were both taken to an unknown location by the Purrgil.

This finale also saw Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren set out to find Ezra, who had gone missing. When Ahsoka made her appearance in The Mandalorian Season 2, she confronted Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth and demanded to know the whereabouts of Thrawn, who was Ezra’s captor. It is clear that Ahsoka and Sabine are still searching for Ezra and Thrawn, and this will likely be a major plot point in the upcoming Ahsoka series. In fact, both Ezra and Sabine have been cast for the show already.

It is possible that Ahsoka will need to connect with the Purrgil to learn more about the Unknown Regions where Ezra and Thrawn may be trapped. Alternatively, The Mandalorian Season 3 may have introduced the Purrgil to remind viewers of their significance before the Ahsoka series premieres. Regardless, the inclusion of these space whales in the Star Wars universe adds yet another layer of intrigue and depth to the already-rich lore.