The Mandalorian is progressively implying a possible future for Grogu, which may be viewed as a better version of Rey’s acceptance of the Skywalker name in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Grogu, like Rey, has established himself as a central figure in the Star Wars universe. Not only are they both Force users, but their participation in recent canon entries carries a lot of weight.
In the first season of The Book of Boba Fett, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) gives Grogu an ultimatum: return to his adopted father, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), and stop his Jedi training, or continue but never see the Mandalorian again. His decision to stop training echoes and inverts the concluding scenes of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Rey (Daisy Ridley) takes the name Skywalker at the Lars homestead on Tatooine, foregoing her genetic lineage as Emperor Palpatine’s granddaughter in order to honor her mentors, the Skywalker brothers, Luke and Leia (Carrie Fisher).
The relevance of these character choices could indicate something significant for Grogu and our knowledge of who The Mandalorian’s title character is. As a result, Rey’s decision at the conclusion of The Rise of Skywalker should not be dismissed as simply fan service. Rey Skywalker is the only good ending for the Skywalker saga, despite its flaws, partially because it provided a reasonable story and character option based on using the Skywalker name as an honorific title. The title “The Mandalorian” might also be interpreted this way, and Grogu could eventually be revealed as the true title character of the Disney+ series if he chooses to be one.
The Mandalorians Are Bound By The Creed
The Mandalorian supports Din Djarin’s claim that “Mandalorian isn’t a race, it’s a creed” during the first two seasons. The Armorer, Bo Katan Kryze, and Boba Fett emphasize that being a Mandalorian is more than just a collection of weapons. They’ve all made the decision to be Mandalorians, and Grogu has made the same decision. Being a Mandalorian and having the near-mythic title of “The Mandalorian” are not the same thing, of course.
The apparent assumption is that this will be Din Djarin, the Mandalorian, who is now attempting to master the Darksaber. This, however, could be a ruse. Grogu now has beskar armor and is the main narrative focus of both seasons, appearing in all but one episode, and his growth and development have a direct impact on Din Djarin’s character arc. Furthermore, reconnecting the characters at the start of Season 3 suggests that Grogu will continue to play a key role in future seasons of The Mandalorian.
The Mandalorian’s choice of this narrative path for Grogu has a major advantage over Rey‘s choice of the name Skywalker. This is because The Rise of Skywalker’s setup appears hasty and reckless, making it easy to dismiss it as just fan service. This is unfortunate because the closing sequence is intended to express reverence for the Skywalker name and everything it implies. One reason for this is the resemblance between Rey and Anakin Skywalker. More importantly, “Skywalker” can be utilized as a symbol to represent a variety of things, including respecting Rey’s mentors, atonement, and the idea that anybody can be a hero. If The Mandalorian follows suit, with Grogu taking up the mantle of “The Mandalorian,” the TV show format should allow for more screen time to expose the truth and a more gratifying surprise.
Grogu’s Closeness To Being A Jedi Gives Him The Advantag
Since his debut, Star Wars has made it obvious that Grogu, like Yoda, has deep ties to the Jedi Order, possessing a profound grasp of the Force even before any formal training. Grogu has close links with the Mandalorians, having been taken in as a foundling by Din, who spent the first two seasons of The Mandalorian devoted to his protection. Mando requests the Armorer (Emily Swallow) to create him a beskar armor to give to Grogu in The Book of Boba Fett, episode 5, setting up Grogu’s conflicted and still confused future. She assures him that he will learn to “forego all attachment” as a Jedi. “Loyalty and solidarity are the path,” Mando responds for their Creed. Din therefore foreshadows the fork in the road that Grogu had later encountered in episode 6, although Luke isn’t always correct in asking Grogu to select between the two options.
When Luke tells Grogu that he must pick between the Mandalorian armor and Yoda’s lightsaber (Jedi), he is effectively telling him that he must choose one or the other. There was, however, a Mandalorian Jedi before the ancient Mandalorian versus Jedi War: Tarre Vizsla, the Darksaber’s designer. Tarre Vizsla joined the Jedi Order as a Mandalorian infant over a thousand years before the events of the original Star Wars trilogy, during the days of the Old Republic, after being discovered to be Force-sensitive. As a Force-sensitive Mandalorian foundling training with Luke Skywalker, Baby Yoda is already a Mandalorian Padawan in several ways. It would be no surprise that Baby Yoda became the second Mandalorian Jedi, regardless of his decision in The Book of Boba Fett, episode 7.
But it is for the future. Expectations may not be subverted in this way, as Din Djarin may still turn out to be the titular Mandalorian, with Grogu serving as the second Mandalorian Jedi. In many respects, the most important aspect of the Rey Skywalker reveal has already happened. Grogu, like Rey, selects where he believes he belongs, and it is up to him to figure out what that means for his future.
