Who Is The True Protagonist Of 'The Mandalorian'?

When the first season of The Mandalorian made it's debut in 2019, the series mostly centred on the adventures of a Mandalorian Bounty Hunter, Din Djarin, after he rescues and is forced to take custody of a powerful force-sensitive child, Grogu. However, as the series third season has branched out somewhat, shifting focus to other characters and events, and the Mandalorian culture as a whole, some fans are beginning to question who's story the show is telling.

So, let's look through the evidence.. Who is the true protagonist of The Mandalorian?

Din Djarin

In the first season, it appears obvious that Din Djarin is the central figure of the series, THE Mandalorian of the series title. He is the first character we meet, the character through whom viewers are introduced to the Way of The Mandalore, aka the sacred creed by which Din and his covert live their lives, and prompts his initial obligation to care for Grogu. Throughout the first two seasons, he is referred to almost exclusively as either The Mandalorian or simply Mando.

However, as season two and especially three have widened the scope of The Mandalorian's storyline with the addition of other regular characters, some fans have come to question what Din's ultimate role in the story is. The further into the series we go, the less front and centre Din seems to be. Instead, he is the ultimate supporter, the advocate everyone needs. Din Djarin is the one who makes sure others (Greef Karga, Cara Dune, Boba Fett, Grogu, and now Bo-Katan) get to where and who they need to be.

This doesn't necessarily mean that Din isn't the protagonist.. he is just not a traditional one, one who advances the story by helping others, rather than always needing to be the centre of the action. On the other hand, maybe Din has been a Decoy Protagonist all along..

Bo-Katan Kryze

Bo-Katan Kryze is a character with a long and somewhat complicated history. A child of the high-ranking Clan Kryze, Bo-Katan was once a member of the terrorist Death Watch, joining due to disagreeing with the New Mandalorian movement founded by her older sister, Duchess Satine Kryze, to move the warrior race towards a more peaceful, pacifist future. Bo -Katan and others split away from the Death Watch when the group was hijacked by Darth Maul after he won the Darksaber, with those that followed Bo becoming the Nite Owls. Bo-Katan reconciled with Satine shortly before the the latter's death, with many of Satine's followers viewing Bo-Katan as Mandalore's rightful leader. She officially took the position of Manda'lor during the days of the Galactic rebellion, when Sabine Wren presented her with the Darksaber.

The above events take place in the animated series Clone Wars and Rebels. Bo-Katan's first live action appearance came in The Mandalorian. After appearing as a supporting character in two episodes of season two, where she seeks to reclaim the Darksaber from Moff Gideon, Bo-Katan has become a series regular in season three. She plays a major role in the season, reclaiming the Darksaber, and being the one to bring the two previously warring Mandalorian tribes together in the hope of reclaiming their planet.

Some fans have claimed that The Mandalorian has now become Bo-Katan's show. While there is potentially an argument for Bo-Katan as the Protagonist of season three, it is hard to make the same claim for the series as a whole, considering she does not appear at all in the first season.

So, if not Din, and not Bo, then who? Well, the show's protagonist may actually be..

Grogu

Initially known only as The Child, Grogu is a Force-Sensitive being whom Din collects for a client in season one. Suspecting the adorable little creature may be headed for a grim fate, Din's conscience gets the better of him and he rescues The Child, eventually tasked with returning him to his own kind, the Jedi. While he is briefly left in the custody of Luke Skywalker at the end of season two, Grogu ultimately chooses to return to Din. At the beginning of season three, he has been officially adopted as Din's son, and begins his training in the Way of The Mandalore.

While season three has shifted focus away from Din and Grogu somewhat, he still appears in every episode, observing and learning from the events going on around him, even when he is not actively participating. He has also developed a bond with Bo-Katan, giving him mentors on both sides of the Mandalorian divide. When Grogu stops a fight between Paz Vizsla and Axe Woves in 3x07, Din makes a point of not having taught him that himself, implying that his actions had come from Bo's influence.

It is also worth noting that while he chose not to complete his Jedi training, Grogu can still use the Force, which places him in a rare, but not entirely unique position in Mandalorian history. Tarre Vizsla, forger of the Darksaber, was both Jedi and Mandalorian. With the saber in hand, Vizsla became the very first Mand'alor, the only person ever able to unite the warring Mandalorian clans under a single banner. It is Tarre Vizsla's story that gives the Darksaber it's symbolic power.

Some fans believe that Grogu, with his Force abilities and desire to thwart Mandalorian squabbles, could be the next Tarre Vizsla. The Mandalorian, in the end, will be Grogu's story, of learning The Way and becoming Mandalorian, perhaps even Mand'alor, the ruler of them all.

Whoevwer the ultimate protagonist turns out to be, The Mandalorian has been a great story so far, and we can't wait to see how it all pans out, in this season, and beyond.