Star Wars Has Finally Learned From Its Biggest Mandalorian Mistake, 3 Years Later

Summary Din Djarin's reunion with Grogu was rushed, lacking emotional depth seen in The Bad Batch's reunion scenes.

The Mandalorian failed to capture the emotional weight of Grogu's return, missing a major opportunity for fanfare.

The Book of Boba Fett should have followed The Bad Batch's pattern for reuniting characters with a vulnerable, affectionate reunion.

The Mandalorian made one massive mistake, and the latest Star Wars show has proved Lucasfilm to have learned from this narrative error. Although The Mandalorian is rightly considered one of Star Wars' best TV shows - it was essentially the flagship for the entire Disney+ era - it isn't perfect. There have been times when important character arcs simply weren't handled well.

One of the best examples, sadly, involves Din Djarin and Grogu. In The Mandalorian season 2's ending, Din Djarin gave Grogu up to Luke Skywalker so he could be trained as a Jedi. Anyone who only watched The Mandalorian would be somewhat surprised to find them reunited when the next season began, with their reunion told in The Book of Boba Fett. This was a rather odd choice - and it isn't the only mistake. Lucasfilm's recent story decisions suggest the studio has learned from this three-year-old mistake, showing how The Mandalorian should have handled it all along.

Related The Mandalorian & Grogu: Everything You Need To Know Before Star Wars' Next Movie From The Mandalorian season 1 to now, Din Djarin and Grogu have had many adventures that are important to know before their first Star Wars movie.

Din Djarin's & Grogu's Reunion Was Too Rushed

Although Din Djarin and Grogu had an incredibly touching departure in The Mandalorian season 2, their reunion was lackluster. Din Djarin and Grogu's bond had been developed beautifully in the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, and The Book of Boba Fett saw each of them missing one another terribly. This, along with Star Wars audiences being deeply invested in their relationship, should have led to a touching, emotional reunion between the two. However, when Din Djarin and Grogu did come back together in The Book of Boba Fett, the emotion (and the time) was missing.

Although Din Djarin and Grogu had an incredibly touching departure in The Mandalorian season 2 ending, their reunion was lackluster.

When Grogu revealed to Din Djarin that he had returned, they were engaged in a high-speed escape. While the duo did have a quick hug and Din Djarin was clearly delighted to see that Grogu had returned, the dangerous, chaotic context made the moment difficult to savor. In fact, Din Djarin's first response was shock and surprise rather than joy or relief. This was a particularly difficult way to have Din Djarin and Grogu reunite, given that Din Djarin's helmet masked any facial expression that could convey his strong emotions about being reunited with Grogu.

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The Bad Batch’s Reunion Was Done Perfectly

There have been surprising parallels between The Mandalorian's story and that of Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Like Grogu, Omega was tragically taken from Clone Force 99 by the Empire in The Bad Batch season 2 ending. She was then held for months by the Empire as the remaining members of Clone Force 99 searched everywhere for her. Finally, Omega returned to the clone troopers who have become her family, and the scene was truly a tear-jerker.

Omega first encountered Wrecker upon her return, who said, "Now there's a sight!" and threw his hands up. The two then ran to give each other a hug, with Wrecker fully picking her up and spinning her around. As both were still wiping their tears, Hunter appeared. Omega was so overwhelmed with emotion when she saw Hunter that she froze before she was able to dash off and hug him as well.

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Omega's reunion with Hunter and Wrecker wasn't the only beautiful aspect of this plotline, however. Omega had also made it back to the Bad Batch by working with Crosshair, the member of Clone Force 99 who had chosen the Empire over his brothers. This made the emotional stakes of the scene even greater; it was both a homecoming for Omega, Wrecker, and Hunter and a moment of redemption for Crosshair, reuniting him with his brothers as well.

It was both a homecoming for Omega, Wrecker, and Hunter and a moment of redemption for Crosshair, reuniting him with his brothers as well.

Din Djarin’s & Grogu’s Reunion Should’ve Been More Like The Bad Batch's

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The Bad Batch season 3 is exactly the pattern The Book of Boba Fett should have used to bring Din Djarin and Grogu back together. Like Omega, Wrecker, and Hunter, Din Djarin and Grogu have truly become family. In fact, in The Mandalorian season 3's ending, Din Djarin formally adopted Grogu and took him on as his Mandalorian apprentice. The moment Din Djarin and Grogu reconnected with one another therefore deserved a vulnerable and affectionate reunion representative of their familial bond — one that mirrored the moment Omega shared with Wrecker and Hunter.

This should have been true particularly in light of how significant the separation between Din Djarin and Grogu was. In The Mandalorian season 2, Grogu's departure was so devastating that Din Djarin broke his own Mandalorian code by removing his helmet. Din Djarin did this just so he could look at Grogu with his own eyes and Grogu could see his face before they parted (interestingly, very reminiscent of Darth Vader's decision to remove his helmet for Luke before he died). Din Djarin was also crying as Grogu left, again reflecting how crushing the moment was for him.

Grogu's return was therefore a major letdown. Audiences were no doubt anticipating major fanfare when Din Djarin and Grogu finally reunited, yet the scene was over in the blink of an eye. This choice in The Book of Boba Fett was a grave missed opportunity for Star Wars. Had The Mandalorian followed in Star Wars: The Bad Batch's footsteps and brought Din Djarin and Grogu back together in an emotional, momentous scene, it would have made their reunion so much better.

The Mandalorian The Mandalorian is set after the Empire's fall and before the First Order's emergence in the ever-growing Star Wars universe. The series follows the travails of a lone gunfighter named Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic. Acting as the first live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian has become incredibly popular on Disney+, partly due to Mando’s relationship with Grogu, which the internet dubbed “Baby Yoda” upon his introduction in season 1. Cast Werner Herzog , Emily Swallow , Pedro Pascal , Nick Nolte , Omid Abtahi , Gina Carano , Carl Weathers , Giancarlo Esposito Seasons 3 Streaming Service(s) Disney+ Franchise(s) Star Wars

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Star Wars: The Bad Batch is an action-adventure animated series set after the events of The Clone Wars, following Clone Force 99 (a.k.a. the Bad Batch.) Finding themselves immune to the brainwashing effects of Order 66, the Bad Batch become mercenaries for hire while outrunning the empire, now seeing them as fugitives of the law. Cast Dee Bradley Baker , Michelle Ang , Noshir Dalal , Liam O'Brien , Rhea Perlman , Sam Riegel , Bob Bergen , Gwendoline Yeo Seasons 3 Franchise(s) Star Wars

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