Warning: Spoilers for Book of Boba Fett episodes 1-4.

The Pyke Syndicate was first introduced in The Clone Wars animated series. After that, we are seeing them in live-action for the first time in The Book of Boba Fett. And they have a quiet relationship with the Mandalorians.

With the teaser we saw at the end of episode 4, it’s finally beginning to make sense why the Pykes are going to be the primary antagonists (till now) of the show.

A criminal war is about to break out, and Boba is going to need help in this battle. And there’s someone who can provide that extra boost of motivation.

How Is The Pyke Syndicate Connected To Mandalorians?

The Pyke Syndicate was famous for smuggling and mining Spice (a dangerous and illegal drug) across the Galaxy. During the Clone Wars, the crime syndicate was absorbed to become a part of Darth Maul’s Shadow Collective. This happened during Mandalore’s siege and was a part of his plan.

Now that the Pykes are going to war with Fett and are coming to the desert planet in force, it’s pretty clear that their power hasn’t lessened. Also, they might have been chosen to be the antagonists of the show because of their close connection to the Mandalorians.

As we mentioned before, the Pyke Syndicate was a big part of Darth Maul’s Shadow Collective, a criminal conglomerate. Maul planned to use it to kill Anakin Skywalker during Mandalore’s siege.

In this siege, both Bo-Katan and Ahsoka Tano were major characters. The Clone Wars-era issues were a major reason behind Mandalore being divided during the Imperial era.

Pykes played a major role in the destruction of the planet. So it’s quite likely that Mandalorians still hold a grudge against the Pykes. In fact, they might be one of the few organizations that are still on the Mandalorians hit list.

We don’t know what happened to mandalore, exactly. But judging by the destruction caused due to the multiple Civil Wars that led up to the defeat of the Empire, it certainly wasn’t pretty.

It also seems like the planet got destabilized and purged by the Empire because of the siege during The Clone Wars. So if the Pykes are still out there, it’s doubtful that Bo-Katan will be on friendly terms with them.

Will Din Djarin Come Alone To Help Boba Fett?

Now that the Pykes are about to turn up on Tatooine, Boba Fett clearly needs muscle. Also, the theme of The Mandalorian getting teased at the tail end of episode 4 means that some well-known familiar faces will show up in the next episode.

The episode 4 tease is specifically indicated towards Din Djarin. As we saw in the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian, he now has the Darksaber. And so he is the new Mandalorian. As such, Bo-Katan may be nearby, too.

If the planet Mandalore has been destroyed, then the Mandalorians must be biding their time and waiting for their strength to grow to get it back. So helping Boba against the incoming Pyke war will be the right catalyst to bring the two together again.

When Boba and Bo-Katan met during season 2 of The Mandalorian, things weren’t exactly fine between them. This was because clones were present on the planet when Order 66 was carried out.

So a common enemy to fight against, paralleling the Mandalorians fighting with the clones against the Shadow Collective, could give their relationship what it needs to grow.

Also, maybe Boba Fett will join The Mandalorians when it’s over. But no matter how the Pykes get used in the show, it can’t be denied that it’s a genius way of connecting various things from a galaxy far, far away.

So the Pykes are ruthless, and even though Boba Fett is powerful, only a handful of warriors against the entire Syndicate will falter soon. In episode 4, Fennec Shand hinted that they need to buy fighters with credits, and the Black Krrsantan looks to have teamed up.

However, will this be enough? We don’t think so. But the Pyke’s connection to the Mandalorians could give Boba the backup he needs in the second half of his show.

New episodes of The Book of Boba Fett are released every Wednesday on Disney+.

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