The Mandalorian season 2, episode 2 shows how the Rebellion acknowledged the Bothan spies who stole the second Death Star plans in Return of the Jedi.
The Mandalorian season 2 gave the Bothans from Return of the Jedi the respect they deserve. Star Wars' Galactic Civil War took about 9 years to end, with the Empire finally being defeated during the Battle of Jakku. But while the war went on for several years, the Rebellion had its fair share of victories all throughout; the Lothal Campaign and the Liberation of Kashyyyk were among those wins, though they weren't shown in the movies.
The fights that Star Wars fans will recognize the most are the Battle of Yavin and the Battle of Endor, both of which ended with the destruction of a Death Star. As shown in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a team of Rebels infiltrated an Imperial installation on the planet Scarif and stole the original Death Star plans, which they were able to transmit to the Rebellion before they were killed by that very Death Star. But when the Empire's superweapon was destroyed only days later, the Emperor ordered the immediate construction of a new one to replace the original.
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Then years later, when the Rebellion caught wind of the Empire building a second Death Star, a team of Bothan spies managed to steal the plans and deliver them to the Rebels. Unfortunately, not much information has been revealed about those Bothans or what they did, at least not in Star Wars canon. All fans know is that "many Bothans died" to bring the Rebels that information, according to Mon Mothma. And in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 2, it seems like the New Republic took note of the Bothans sacrifice because they named a starship - Bothan-Five - after those spies.
In The Mandalorian season 1, episode 6, Mando teamed up with some mercenaries to strike a New Republic Correctional Transport to free a prisoner named Qin. In season 2, that ship is identified by New Republic X-wing pilot Carson Teva as Bothan-Five. It's a subtle reveal but one that will mean a lot to longtime Star Wars fans who've waited a long time to learn more about those Bothans. Even though the Bothans' story still hasn't been told in detail - again, in canon - it's good to know that they were acknowledged by the Rebellion (which later transformed into the New Republic).
Since that New Republic ship was Bothan-Five, that must mean there's an entire line of Bothan-named ships. This is not unlike what the Rebellion did for the Rebels who stole the original Death Star plans; it's been confirmed in canon that Luke Skywalker's Rogue Squadron - which includes the pilot Rogue Two from The Empire Strikes Back - took inspiration from Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, and their Rogue One team, who sacrificed themselves for the Rebellion. Though not a military squadron, having a prison transport named after the Bothans is still something tangible that recognizes their efforts.
Next: The Mandalorian Season 2: Biggest Unanswered Questions After Episode 2
