How Old Was Grogu When Each Star Wars Movie Happened

May 30, 2024, 2:40 a.m.

Movies

How Old Was Grogu When Each Star Wars Movie Happened

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Summary Grogu's species remains a mystery, though they are known for their long lifespans - Yoda lived nearly 900 years.

Grogu was around 10 in The Phantom Menace, 20 in Attack of the Clones, and 23 during Order 66.

Grogu's age aligns with key events in Star Wars history.

Despite his relatively young age, Grogu has become a major character in the Star Wars franchise, but very little is known about his life before he met Din Djarin. Though the Star Wars timeline is expansive, most of the franchise’s storytelling is confined to the Star Wars movies. Since Grogu was alive during the time of the Star Wars prequel trilogy and the original Star Wars trilogy – both eras that had a significant impact on Grogu’s life during the reign of the New Republic – it’s important to know what he might have experienced during those times, and how that might have affected him.

One of the greatest Star Wars mysteries is the mystery behind Grogu’s species. Despite the prominent presence of Grogu, Yoda, and Yaddle within the franchise, very little is known about where they come from or their general biology, though it is clear that they can live very long lives. Yoda was nearly 900 years old when he first appeared in The Empire Strikes Back, and Grogu is still seen as a child, despite being 50 years of age during The Mandalorian. So, how old was Grogu in each Star Wars movie? How much of the galaxy’s history has he truly witnessed?

Related Star Wars Movies In Order: How To Watch Release Order, Chronologically & With The TV Shows What's the best way to watch Star Wars? Here's everything you need to know to watch in release or timeline order, and how to include the TV shows.

6 Grogu Was 10 In The Year Of The Phantom Menace

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (32BBY)

The Star Wars timeline uses the Battle of Yavin as its main turning point. The Battle of Yavin involves the destruction of the first Death Star as seen in the original Star Wars movie. As such, everything that happens before the Battle of Yavin is labeled BBY, and everything that happens after it is labeled ABY. Since it was confirmed that Grogu was 50 in The Mandalorian season 1, which is set in 9ABY, it can be surmised that Grogu was born in approximately 41BBY, though his exact date of birth has yet to be officially confirmed by Star Wars.

Interestingly, Anakin Skywalker himself was also born in 41BBY. As Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace takes place in 32BBY, both Grogu and Anakin would have been roughly ten or 11 years old by the time the movie takes place. Famously, Anakin wasn’t inducted into the Jedi Order until then. It’s unclear when Grogu was brought to the Order; however, since the Jedi Council was reluctant to teach Anakin at ten years old, Grogu was likely much younger.

5 Grogu Was 20 When The Clone Wars Began

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (22BBY)

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones is officially set in 22BBY, ten years after The Phantom Menace. As such, Grogu would have been roughly 20 years old. The end of the film marks the start of the Clone Wars, the galaxy-wide conflict between the Grand Army of the Republic and the Separatists, and the beginning of the Jedi’s inevitable downfall. Though Grogu was 20 years old, it’s clear his species ages differently than humans and other humanoid species do, and as such, he would have been much too young to join the fight, unlike many other Jedi Padawans.

That doesn’t mean the Clone Wars wouldn’t have affected him though, despite being housed in the relative safety of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. The war affected the Order greatly – it’s possible the younglings were given a completely different kind of instruction, one focused more on fighting than meditation and peace, for instance. When Grogu later protects Din Djarin in The Mandalorian, it’s clear that Grogu’s use of the Force is rather more uncontrolled than one might have expected, hinting his time at the Jedi Temple wasn’t always easy.

4 Grogu Was 23 When Order 66 Happened & The Empire Was Born

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (19BBY)

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith takes place in 19BBY. At this point, the Clone Wars have been raging on for approximately three years, and it’s taken its toll on the galaxy and the Jedi, too. Just when it looks like the conflict is coming to an end, Palpatine finally reveals himself as the evil Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, and makes Anakin Skywalker his new apprentice. Order 66 is enacted, the clone troopers are forced to betray the Jedi, and the Jedi Order is decimated in one fell swoop.

In The Mandalorian season 3, it was revealed that Grogu survived Order 66 and escaped the Jedi Temple with the help of Jedi Master Kelleran Beq. Several Jedi gave their lives trying to protect Grogu. Grogu would have been 23 at the time, incredibly young for his species. The flashback in The Mandalorian, and Grogu’s experience with Luke Skywalker, makes it clear that Grogu was traumatized by the Jedi’s genocide, and understandably so. He would have never experienced that kind of violence and grief before, and his connection to the Force would have been affected by it.

3 Grogu Was 42 When The Galactic Civil War Began

A New Hope (0BBY/0ABY)

The original Star Wars movie, which was later retitled A New Hope, takes place in that pivotal year of 0BBY/0ABY. At this point, Grogu would have been roughly 42 years old, though it’s currently unclear how long Kelleran Beq stayed with Grogu, or when exactly he was captured by the Empire. It’s impossible to say where Grogu was when Luke Skywalker blew the Death Star to pieces, but as it was such a significant step back for the Empire, the entire galaxy would have felt the repercussions, perhaps even Grogu.

It's possible that, during this time, Grogu was being cared for by the Hidden Path, the secret underground network that aided Force-sensitives and other enemies of the Empire to find safety on distant worlds, out of the Empire’s reach. The Hidden Path was a major plot point in both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, both of which take place in 9BBY. It may be how Grogu stayed safe for a while after the fall of the Jedi Order.

2 Grogu Was 45 When Luke Skywalker Met Yoda

The Empire Strikes Back (3ABY)

The Empire Strikes Back takes place in 3ABY, so Grogu was approximately 45 years old. It is in this movie that Luke Skywalker meets Yoda for the first time, and they begin Luke’s Jedi training on Dagobah. In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda was roughly 900 years old. Grogu, as such, still has a long life ahead of him. As both Yoda and Obi-Wan refer to Luke as the last hope of the Jedi, it’s clear they weren’t aware, or at least didn’t want to make Luke aware, that there were others out there like him. It’s entirely possible that they didn’t know Grogu was still alive.

Hopefully, at this point, Grogu was still an unknown presence in the galaxy. Given his connection to the Force, however, it’s possible he felt something when Luke and Yoda officially met, and when Luke began tapping into his power in earnest. What if that somehow led the Empire to discover his location?

1 Grogu Was 46 When Yoda Died

Return of the Jedi (4ABY)

In Return of the Jedi, which takes place in 4ABY, Yoda dies, and Luke is left to defend the galaxy on his own as a Jedi. What happened to Grogu during this time is anyone’s guess, though the fall of the Empire did trigger Palpatine’s contingency plans. Thanks to Star Wars: The Bad Batch and The Mandalorian, it’s clear that Palpatine’s cloning projects were active for a long time. Though the exact date of Grogu’s capture is unknown, it would make sense if it happened in the aftermath of Return of the Jedi and the Empire’s dissolution.

That would, however, tragically mean that Grogu was in the hands of the Empire and being experimented on for several years before he was eventually “rescued” by Nikto mercenaries and found by Din Djarin in 9ABY. Until more is revealed, it's impossible to know what happened to him during the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Hopefully, Grogu’s history will become clearer as Star Wars’ New Republic story marches on and this youngling’s powers and abilities continue to grow.

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