WARNING: The following contains spoilers from Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett, “Chapter 5: The Return of the Mandalorian,” streaming now on Disney+.
In The Book of Boba Fett "Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian," Din Djarin received a history lesson from the Armorer when she discovered he now wielded the legendary Darksaber. Audiences finally learned what "the Great Purge" referred to in early episodes of The Mandalorian, as well as how devastating it truly was for Mandalorians across the galaxy. In this piece of history lies a hint about the trials Din may undergo during The Mandalorian Season 3.
First mentioned in The Mandalorian "Chapter 8: Redemption," the Night of a Thousand Tears discussed in The Book of Boba Fett Episode 5 refers to one particular night during the Great Purge of Mandalore. During the Purge, the Galactic Empire massacred the Mandalorians living on the planet during the height of the emperor's power. Most Mandalorians who survived the event, as the Armorer explained to Din, resided on Concord Dawn off-planet. Those who were on Mandalore during the attack presumably never left.
In Season 1 of The Mandalorian, the early mention of a purge created one of many mysteries that continue to unfold in the series. But The Book of Boba Fett showed an on-screen flashback of the city of Sundari as TIE bombers destroyed everything in their path. The Night of a Thousand Tears wasn't the Empire's attempt at a gradual, quiet extinction as they'd tried before with the Geonosians after the Clone Wars. The devastation on Mandalore was so horrific and widespread that it became the subject of Mandalorian songs.
Star Wars canon has yet to fully explain exactly why the Empire brought down such a destructive blow on the people of Mandalore, though the Death Star's obliteration of Alderaan and Tarkin's order to fire on Kamino in The Bad Batch Season 1 make Mandalore's fate less surprising. But the Mandalorians' direct attack on Imperial forces in Star Wars Rebels was the likely catalyst for a counter-attack that sought to wipe out the warriors entirely.
The Armorer recounted these events to Din to explain why the Darksaber is such a powerful yet dangerous symbol of power among their people. The flashback also clues audiences in on why the Children of the Watch view the events of Mandalore's downfall differently than, for example, Bo-Katan and her group of warriors. These Mandalorians see the destruction of their former home as something to be avenged, while the Armorer, Paz Vizsla and their kind believe preserving their way of following the Mandalorian Creed is the only reasonable means of maintaining and restoring Mandalorian heritage.
Din will likely face a series of trials in Season 3 of The Mandalorian in his quest to define who he is and what it means to be a descendant of Mandalore. Now that he holds the Darksaber and the Armorer has stripped him of his right to call himself a Mandalorian, Din could return to Bo-Katan to hear her side of the story -- how the Night of a Thousand Tears impacted her family and those who followed them -- and decide whether or not holding onto the Darksaber is really the right thing to do.
The Purge likely explains how Bo-Katan lost the Darksaber and her position of leadership on Mandalore, as well as how Moff Gideon may have claimed the Darksaber for himself. Now that Din has the weapon, he carries the centuries of baggage that come with it. He may fall prey to the same trap that now drags Bo-Katan on a ruthless crusade to restore her homeworld. When one holds a long-standing symbol of power in their hands, there is always a chance they will use it for the wrong reasons, even if, in the beginning, their intentions were as pure as beskar.
The Book of Boba Fett is now streaming on Disney+.