The investigation at the heart of episode 6 of The Mandalorian season 3 centers on a droid beverage called Nepenthé but what is it and what are its origins?
*WARNING: Spoilers ahead for The Mandalorian season 3 episode 6*
Episode 6: The Mandalorian Season 3 featured Din Djarin & Bo-Katan trying their detective skills as they investigate the mysterious Plazir-15 rogue droids.
As part of their inquiries, the pair visited a droid bar where they learned that the malfunctioning droids had all been served with the same batch of Nepenthé – but what exactly is the droid beverage in The Mandalorian and has it been seen in Star Wars before?
Episode 6: The Droid Bar
Mando and Bo are given the task of investigating an array of rogue robots found on Plazir-15. They will also be able to speak with Captain Bombardier (the ruling Duchess) and discuss their concerns.
Following a confrontation with a very aggressive B2 Battle Droid they find themselves in complete detective mode. The two go on a search for droids in a nearby bar. It is a fascinating parallel to the Mos Eisley cantina in which droids were not allowed entry in A New Hope.
Mando and Bo-Katan confront the droid bartender and eventually learn that all of the rogue droids have something in common, they were all served from the same batch of the droid beverage known as Nepenthé.
What is Nepenthé in The Mandalorian?
According to the Bartender Droid in The Mandalorian, Nepenthé is a viscous lubricant that protects against mechanical wear while delivering program-refreshing sub-particles.
As well as keeping the droids in good condition, the people of Plazir-15 use Nepenthé as a means of updating and patching their droids’ programming.
However, as it becomes clear in episode 6, a nefarious party has also seen this as an opportunity to wreak havoc and has tampered with a batch of Nepenthé so that the droids are beginning to go rogue.
Nepenthe was not created specifically for Star Wars.
The Mandalorian is the Star Wars fan’s first exposure to Nepenthe. However, this concoction has been a part of popular culture for thousands of year.
The Odyssey in Greek, the epic of the Greek god Nepenthe is where the first appearance can be seen. It was composed by Homer in 8th century BCE.
Nepenthe, a magic potion that can quell pains and sorrows by forgetting is described in The Odyssey.
The Mandalorian’s use of Nepenthe, the droid equivalent to alcohol, is therefore fitting, as people often consume alcohol for pain relief.
Controversially, this isn’t the first time that Nepenthe has featured in a sci-fi series as season 1 of the Star Trek show, Picard, included a planet and episode named Nepenthe.
In this instance, Patrick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard traveled to the planet to reunite with his old crewmate William Riker as a tonic for his recent woes.
Nepenthe is also featured in Star Trek’s works by famous writers like Edmund Spenser or Edgar Allan Poe.
Season 3: The Mandalorian Available to stream right now After releasing Wednesday March 1st 2023, Disney+ will be available on Disney+
The Mandalorian episode 3: Episode 6: Running time, director, and release details