The Mandalorian and Grogu is an extension of the mega-popular Star Wars Disney+ series The Mandalorian, and once again stars Pedro Pascal as the bounty hunter extraordinaire. The Jon Favreau-directed film is mostly a standalone adventure, although we suppose a basic understanding of the Star Wars universe is handy. But you don’t really need to watch it to follow the film. But if you want a primer on the basics of the Mandalorian, Grogu, and their world? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Read the following, and you can buy a ticket for The Mandalorian and Grogu right now and walk into the theater with everything you need to know.
Who Is the Mandalorian?
The titular Mandalorian, played by Pedro Pascal, actually has a name – Din Djarin. But few people call him that, simply referring to him as “Mando.” Yes, casual bigotry based on creed and planet of origin seems to exist in the Star Wars galaxy. We eventually learn that Mandalorian warriors (who moviegoers will recognize thanks to Boba Fett) rescued him as a child, and taken into an extremely orthodox iteration of Mandalorian culture, the Children of the Watch. In this sect of Mandalorian culture, removing helmets in front of others is forbidden and tantamount to sin.
In the era the series takes place in, many Mandalorians have found work as bounty hunters, which is what Din does, and does very well. Fairly ruthless when it came to pursuing and collecting bounties, bringing in those he collects either “warm, or cold.” Din’s icy heart melted a bit when ex-Imperials paid him to track down a child. After procuring him, he simply couldn’t allow them to hurt or kill him. After rescuing him, he soon adopted this Force-sensitive baby as his own.
Who Is Grogu?
Grogu, whom many still refer to as “Baby Yoda,” was simply known as “The Child” in season one. An infant of the same species as Jedi Master Yoda, he’s actually about fifty years old. As we know from the original Star Wars films, Yoda’s species lives to be about 900 years old, and ages very slowly. Although the child was (and still is) pre-verbal, he formed a strong bond with the Din, who refused to let former Imperials torture him to try to harvest his power. He rescued him, and kept him as his charge and adopted son.
In season two, Mando attempted to reunite the Child with any remaining Jedi, and encountered Ahsoka Tano. She reveals the baby’s true name as Grogu. A Jedi survivor smuggled him away from the Jedi Temple during Order 66. Much of his life after that remains a mystery, but he forgot much of his Jedi training. Eventually, Mando reunites Grogu with Luke Skywalker, who takes him to train in his new Jedi training temple. But Grogu’s strong attachment resulted in Grogu going back to Din, and becoming a Mandalorian foundling himself. As his Force abilities grew, in part thanks to Skywalker’s training, he became a powerful ally for his bounty-hunting foster dad.
Where Are We Picking Up with Mando and Grogu?
At the end of The Mandalorian season three, Din Djarin had vanquished the evil Moff Gideon, and thwarted his attempts to capture and use Grogu for his own ends. At the end of the series, Mando and Grogu took up residence on a piece of land on the arid planet Nevarro by its magistrate, Greef Karga. Mando decided to become more selective about his assignments, now that he’s a dad. He chooses to only work for the New Republic forces in taking down former Imperials. After all, he’s got to set an example for his young (not so young?) Force-sensitive son.
When Does The Mandalorian and Grogu Take Place?
The Mandalorian Disney+ series takes place approximately five years after the events of Return of the Jedi, and the fall of the Galactic Empire. In this era, former Imperial forces have become warlords in Outer Rim worlds. Although far less powerful, they still pose a threat to the peace of the New Republic. The Mandalorian and Grogu takes place presumably a year or two after the end of the series.
This should all be enough to make sense of The Mandalorian and Grogu, even if you’ve never seen a single episode. Although all three seasons are available now on Disney+ if you wanna do a quick marathon catch-up. At least two of those seasons are peak Star Wars. The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters on May 22.