Summary
- Mandalore's connection to Emperor Palpatine and Darth Maul suggests deeper and darker ties to the galaxy's history, including a potential secret base for Palpatine on the planet.
- The presence of a dark side vergence on Mandalore could explain the unique properties of the Darksaber and Darth Maul's interest in the planet, potentially discovered by Palpatine through Maul.
- The eerie mining sequence in The Mandalorian season 3 hints at the presence of the dark side Force vergence, setting up the possibility for exploration in season 4, especially with Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Nightsisters involved.
The planet of Mandalore, as featured prominently in The Mandalorian, has deep ties to Star Wars history – and one theory suggests that secret connections to both Emperor Palpatine and Darth Maul could be included. The homeworld of the Mandalorians was first seen in the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars series, and it has since made its live-action debut in The Mandalorian season 3. Many infamous conflicts have taken place there, such as the Siege of Mandalore that saw Darth Maul's fall from the Mandalorian throne with Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex's help. Not all of Mandalore's moments in Star Wars history have been so glorious, though, especially as of late.
The Mandalorian season 1 was the first to discuss the Great Purge, the event during which Mandalore fell at the hands of the Empire. This was revealed in Ahsoka to have taken place after the Galactic Civil War, which has caused many to draw the connection between Mandalore's destruction and the Empire's Operation: Cinder. All of this tragedy for Mandalore in Star Wars history point towards deeper and darker connections to other parts of the galaxy, most particularly to Emperor Palpatine himself.
Your browser does not support the video tag. Star Wars Has Hinted Palpatine Had A Secret Focus On Mandalore 
During the Dark Times, Mandalore was actually overseen by Gar Saxon, who was known as the "Emperor's Hand." He took on this role after serving as Darth Maul's right-hand during the Clone Wars, but earned the nickname due to his dedication to the Empire and, particularly, Palpatine. This already marks Mandalore as an area of interest for the Empire during Palpatine's reign, but another detail connects the two even more closely together.
According to the Alphabet Squadron trilogy, Palpatine chose his targets for Operation: Cinder based on the locations of his observatories, as he aimed to hide whatever discoveries he had been trying to make. Given that the fall of Mandalore seems to have happened as a part of Operation: Cinder, it could very well be that the planet housed a secret base for Palpatine himself. Gar Saxon could have been the one who protected it in Palpatine's absence, thus earning the nickname of the "Emperor's Hand" on Mandalore. This, however, raises the question of why Palpatine would have a base on Mandalore.
