How 'The Mandalorian' Can Continue Without Baby Yoda

When The Mandalorian premiered on Disney+ in November 2019, people did not expect the first episode to end the way that it did. Many went in expecting a straightforward bounty hunter story, but the premise changed completely thanks to the reveal of "Baby Yoda," whose real name would later be revealed to be Grogu. Needless to say, this is a twist that many were not expecting, especially given that Yoda's species has been a mystery (mainly because George Lucas has been outspoken about how he does not want Yoda's species or homeworld to be explained).

At the end of season 2, the characters and the viewers had to say goodbye to Grogu (at least for now) as he was taken by Jedi Master Luke Skywalker to be trained in the ways of the Force. With Grogu out of the picture for the time being, this begs the question of where the show will go next. Up to this point, the show has been relying on the theme of family, and Grogu has been such a huge part of that, revealing that there are so many layers to Din Djarin as a character.

We know that there is the matter of the Darksaber that needs to be settled between Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze. This has fueled speculation that the planet Mandalore itself could be featured in the third season as they try to sort out who should be the ruler. Din may not want to rule, but perhaps he can be persuaded into believing that he is the rightful ruler. Or perhaps Bo-Katan will fight for the title this time. Moff Gideon got arrested, but perhaps he could still have some sort of role to play. People are probably expecting some Game of Thrones type stuff in terms of fighting and politics, but maybe there is more to the new direction than we think.

With Grogu gone, it is natural to worry that the show could lose an important aspect: the theme of family. To compensate for this, there needs to be something within the show that perpetuates this theme. We have seen how the current animated show The Bad Batch continues the theme of family that has been explored in the films and in previous animated shows. Sure, there might be some really impressive action sequences, but this franchise is one that keeps kids in mind.

If Din Djarin does go to Mandalore or meet more Mandalorian people, maybe there will be a new child character, or perhaps even more than one, whom we will get to know. They may not have the same impact on Din or on us that Grogu did, but they could serve as a reminder of the type of person Din Djarin is. Maybe he will see children suffering from some sort of conflict as he did during the Clone Wars and want to fight for what's best for them. Or maybe Din Djarin will find himself in situations where he will have to help children who are not even Mandalorians themselves. After all, Grogu was not a Mandalorian when he found him and was basically adopted by the end of the first season.

We often get caught up in the big events that happen in Star Wars, but small scale character interactions can be just as impactful. Grogu made such an impact on Din, making him reevaluate who he is as a person. Now we just have to see how Din can make an impact on others going forward after these experiences.

Written By Steven Shinder

Syndicated From Culture Slate

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