'The Mandalorian and Grogu': How Grogu's New Friendship With Rotta Is Important For His Future

WARNING! SPOILERS for The Mandalorian and Grogu.

For many fans, one of the biggest and best surprises of The Mandalorian and Grogu was the characterisation of Rotta the Hutt, son of the iconic but horrible Jabba the Hutt. Usually portrayed as unpleasant crime lords, a kind and friendly Hutt goes against the grain of mainstream Star Wars. Yet, this is exactly what Rotta turns out to be. A brutal fighter when the need arises, Rotta is otherwise kind-hearted, eager to be his own man and avoid his Father's dark legacy.

It is Rotta's inherent good nature that prompts him to consider joining the New Republic at the end of the film. It also allows him to develop a very sweet friendship with Grogu. This friendship could prove surprisingly important for Grogu in the future.

Here, we will explain why.

Grogu's species live for a very long-time

Grogu is from the same mysterious and as-yet unnamed species as the Jedi Masters Yoda and Yaddle. Little is known about the species so far, except that they have a high likelihood of strong connection to the Force, and a centuries long lifespan.

While Yaddle was killed by Dooku long before her time, Yoda lived to the ripe old age of 900. Grogu is 50 years old when The Mandalorian TV series begins, and is considered a baby/toddler by the standards of his species. We can assume Grogu will have a similar lifespan to Yoda.

Grogu will outlive Mando

Unfortunately, Grogu's long natural lifespan means that, barring some unspeakable tragedy, he will far outlive his adoptive Father Din Djarin, aka The Mandalorian. Even if Din lives an exceptionally long life, he will still die when Grogu is relatively young.

Luke Skywalker names The Mandalorian's shorter lifespan as something Grogu should consider when making his choice over whether to return to Din or stay and train as a Jedi. Din himself has also often expressed concern over Grogu's future when he is gone.

It was an issue that went beyond just Din. Most of the friends Din and Grogu have met in their travels, who could be trusted to potentially care for Grogu in the event of The Mandalorian's demise (Cara Dune, Bo-Katan, Greef Karga, among others) will also predecease him, more likely than not.

Though Grogu is becoming increasingly capable of taking care of himself, considering how sought after he has been for his strong Force-sensitivity, it is probably for the best that he not be left entirely alone. Thankfully, The Mandalorian and Grogu has provided a solution to this hopefully far-off problem.

Long-lived Friendship?

When they first meet, Mando attempts to discourage Grogu from getting close to Rotta, due to his existing prejudice and knowledge of what Hutts are supposed to be. However, as mentioned earlier, Rotta rather quickly proves himself different from most Hutts. With Mando giving up his initial resistence to their friendship, Rotta quickly becomes fond, and even protective of Grogu, fighting off his Aunt and Uncle to protect Grogu during the film's climactic battle.

This dynamic provides future opportunities for both characters. Although Rotta's Father, Jabba, was killed around age 600, the natural lifespan of the Hutt race can be 1000 years or more. So, unlike Grogu's existing friends, he is far less likely to outlive Rotta, who is still quite young for a Hutt during the events of the film. In Rotta, Grogu has found a potential knew protector, or even just a companion, for when the time comes that his beloved Din Djarin is no longer around to be those things for him.

Be prepared to see more of these unlikely friends in future Mando-verse instalments.