Before the credits rolled on The Book of Boba Fett's fourth episode, a familiar theme led fans to believe The Mandalorian's Din Djarin may appear in the show's next chapter. However, few would've guessed that Episode 5 of Lucasfilm's newest live-action series would've been all about Mando in the wake of events from his action-packed Season 2 finale.
Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for The Book of Boba Fett.
Titled "The Return of the Mandalorian," The Book of Boba Fett's fifth chapter showed Mando reuniting with the Armorer from Season 1 of The Mandalorian and in possession of a beskar spear and the legendary Dark Saber but not Grogu.
Even though Mando was successful in delivering Grogu to his kind (the Jedi via Luke Skywalker), he expresses his intention to "see him, make sure he's safe," and commissions the Armorer to forge something for the Foundling.
Now that the rumors of a Grogu cameo in The Book of Boba Fett appear to be true, the question is why would a Jedi Padawan need armor, and what exactly did Mando have the Armorer forge for him?
Why Is Baby Yoda Getting Mandalorian Armor?
Both seasons of The Mandalorian touched on Mando's orthodox beliefs which, he later discovered, weren't held by all Mandalorians. While he did violate "The Way of the Mandalore" by removing his helmet for Grogu in Season 2, his reprisal in The Book of Boba Fett reinforced the fact that he still has faith in the Armorer and "the Way."
Mando also still referred to Grogu as a Foundling, which is a term for children adopted by Mandalorians. According to their creed, Foundlings have the right to possess armor and join the Mandalorians when they come of age.
Due to Mando's bond with Grogu and his seemingly renewed commitment to "the Way," is it possible that he wants Grogu to have his Mandalorian right to armor and choose?
Ahsoka's warning about detachment may also be weighing on Mando as well, particularly since he's now feeling the full effects of being separated from Grogu.
After all, when the Armorer reminds him about the need for Jedi to forgo attachment, Mando counters with, "That is the opposite of our Creed. Loyalty and solidarity are the way."
What Did the Armorer Forge for Baby Yoda?
As to what the Armorer forged for Grogu out of the beskar spear, the series seems to want to keep that a secret for the time being.
When the Armorer asks Mando what she should forge for the Foundling, no answer is given. Instead, the camera focuses on her melting down the beskar and forging tiny metal rings which could be for chain mail. If so, this would be interesting since chain mail is something that has rarely been seen in the Star Wars Universe.
The Armorer is then shown tying up her creation in a red and white cloth that is small enough to fit in Mando's hand.
While exactly what she forged is sure to be revealed in the next episode, chain mail does make sense considering the wound Mando suffered when fighting with the Dark Saber. Perhaps he wants to make sure his Foundling is protected from similar wounds during his own training?
Like Father, Like Son is the Star Wars Way
While both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett are a departure from the films and even the various animated series, they're still inherently Star Wars, which has always been about family and destiny.
Similar to Vader and Luke, as well as Han Solo and Ben, Mando and Grogu are yet another father and son relationship. They're also on similar paths in terms of their destinies with connections to both the Force, the Jedi, and the past and future of their kind.
Grogu is being trained by Luke Skywalker to become a Jedi and ensure that the ancient religion lives on. Meanwhile, Din Djarin is being trained to use the Dark Saber by the Armorer with hopes of rebuilding what the Mandalorians have lost.
Reuniting the two is sure to put them on a collision course in terms of their beliefs and may present them with new choices, and it's likely that Mando's gift of beskar armor for Grogu will play a role in that.
It will also be interesting to see how their reunion will set the stage for Season 3 of The Mandalorian and whether Boba Fett and Fennec Shand will have a role in that continued story as well.
New episodes of The Book of Boba Fett debut on Wednesdays on Disney+.
