Now that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor are in the rearview, it’s time to return to the Star Wars live-action show that started it all—The Mandalorian. But as with several Disney+ Star Wars projects, when a show takes place in the timeline is not always evident. But thanks to several interviews given by the show’s creators, we have an idea of where The Mandalorian all fits into the overall Star Wars saga. And exactly where the adventures of Din Djarin and baby Grogu overlap with the existing Star Wars series timeline. Here’s when The Mandalorian takes place.
How Many Years After Return of the Jedi Does The Mandalorian Take Place?
The first season of The Mandalorian took place approximately five years after the events of Return of the Jedi. So in Star Wars chronology terms, that is nine years after we meet Luke, Leia, and Han. It’s also five years since the death of the Emperor, and the destruction of the second Death Star in the Battle of Endor. Luke Skywalker is only beginning to build his Jedi training school at this point. A school we saw under construction in season two on an unnamed world. The show is also approximately 25 years before the events of The Force Awakens.
Is the Empire Still Around During The Mandalorian?
In this era, the young New Republic governs the galaxy, with former Rebel pilots in X-Wings patrolling the Outer Rim worlds like Nevarro. Although the Galactic Empire is technically no more, Imperial warlords remain out in charge of stormtrooper legions, like Moff Gideon. And in an effort to not become an overly militarized body, the New Republic, under the guidance of Mon Mothma, reduced their fleet by 90%. This leaves them effectively just as police in Outer Rim worlds.
What Other Star Wars Projects Overlap with The Mandalorian in the Timeline?
The Mandalorian doesn’t overlap with any other live-action Star Wars series, or any animated ones. At least not yet. The Ahsoka series will be a spin-off, and take place within the same timeframe as The Mandalorian. The upcoming Jon Watts series Skeleton Crew is also said to take place within The Mandalorian era as well. By the time we start season three, we imagine at least a year will have passed since the start of season one. So we’re likely now 24 years away from the sequel trilogy.
In early interviews, series creator Jon Favreau said that The Mandalorian would set up the birth of the First Order. We know the First Order only becomes prominent a few years before the events of The Force Awakens. So about 20 years from where we are in this series. But The Mandalorian has already set this up in many ways. The discovery of cloning vats filled with what look like prototype Snoke bodies hints at the future of the First Order’s leader. Not to mention its real leader, Emperor Palpatine. So although The Mandalorian is set firmly in a post-Return of the Jedi timeframe, it will set up many things left to the imagination in the sequels.
The Mandalorian season three drops on Disney+ on March 1.
