Ahead of the release of Season 3 of The Mandalorian, Jon Favreau explained why Grogu left Luke Skywalker in The Book of Boba Fett to reunite with Din Djarin.
Season 3 of The Mandalorian is set to hit Disney+ on March 1, bringing fans back to the galaxy far, far away to be reunited with two fan-favorite characters - Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin and Grogu.
The end of Season 2 saw Grogu being taken away by Luke Skywalker, and many fans thought the Mandalorian would have to continue his journey without his companion. However, Grogu was given an ultimatum by Luke in Episode 6 of The Book of Boba Fett and ultimately chose to go back to Din, which is where Season 3 of The Mandalorian will pick up.
Some fans believed that Grogu should have stayed apart from the Mandalorian longer than he did, and have even claimed that it weakened the Season 2 finale by putting the two characters back together so soon.
Why Grogu Left Luke Skywalker
In the latest issue of Total Film magazine, The Mandalorian showrunner Jon Favreau sat down for an interview to discuss the upcoming Season 3 of the Disney+ series.
Favreau was specifically asked about his decision to bring Grogu back to Din Djarin and abandon Luke Skywalker in The Book of Boba Fett rather than allow them to be apart for Season 3 of The Mandalorian.
The showrunner and executive producer explained why he chose to reunite them, and also explained how the 1973 film Paper Moon inspired him to do so:
"I think you had to service both things. Just because this kid has the potential and had training, does he belong away from the Mandalorian? I saw it more like [Peter Bogdanovich’s] Paper Moon, where the whole thing is about delivering the kid to the blood relative, only to realise that, whether genetically through her father or just through bonding, Tatum O’Neal has to end up with Ryan O’Neal. That ending feels really good to me."
The mastermind behind the MandoVerse also talked specifically about Grogu’s decision in The Book of Boba Fett, and how the concept of providing an "interesting character" with two compelling choices added to the overall story:
"And this little kid [Grogu] is given a decision to choose. And the kid chooses the emotional relationship and wants to be with the Mandalorian, and passing up Yoda’s lightsaber. Part of you wants to see him develop in that way, and part the other. So you have this interesting character who has Jedi training to some extent, Force abilities, but also is joining the Mandalorian culture, which we’ve established is something that you can opt into."
Favreau then went into the "Mandalorian culture" he referenced, and explained why Grogu being forced to choose between a Jedi and becoming a Mandalorian is a “tremendous opportunity” for good storytelling due to the history between the two groups:
"It demands a lot, it offers a lot. Historically, Mandalorians developed all of those tools and armour and weapons to be able to counteract the Force abilities of Jedi. So as a storyteller this offers tremendous opportunity."
Why Grogu Made the Right Choice
The Book of Boba Fett basically turned into Season 2.5 of The Mandalorian because the most important plot points in the back half of the show centered around Din Djarin and Grogu.
While some fans may not have agreed with Favreau’s decision to reunite the two characters so quickly after their emotional scene in the Season 2 finale, bringing them back will allow their relationship to grow even stronger in Season 3.
Din started off as a bounty hunter with Grogu as his target. Throughout Season 1, he formed a bond with Grogu, and then in Season 2, Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka revealed to Din just how much Grogu was attached to him.
Even though he does have Jedi abilities, Grogu is a Mandalorian at heart. Just because he isn’t by Luke’s side anymore doesn’t mean he can’t use what he has already learned to increase his connection with the Force.
The series may be called The Mandalorian, but that may not be referring to Din as much as it is to Grogu. The first two seasons of the show proved that this is really his story just as much, if not more than Din’s, so that could have also affected Favreau’s decision to reunite the two characters so quickly.
Season 3 of The Mandalorian will begin on March 1 on Disney+.
