Book of Boba Fett Ruins Mandalorian Season 3’s Best Story

Din Djarin and Grogu reunited in The Book of Boba Fett, effectively ruining The Mandalorian season 3’s best story. The fan-favorite bounty hunter Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) fronted the latest Disney+ show after it was confirmed that he survived his Sarlacc pit fall in Return of the Jedi. But while the series is about Boba Fett, it also prominently featured Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), a.k.a. Mando, and “The Child.”

After the success of The Mandalorian, Lucasfilm greenlit a few spinoffs; The Book of Boba Fett was its first offshoot. Considering how little audiences knew about its titular character, there was much anticipation for the project. The show revealed Boba Fett’s survival in and escape from the Sarlacc pit and his subsequent time with the Tusken Raiders through flashbacks. In the present time, however, it tackles his attempt to take over Jabba the Hutt’s Mos Espa turf and start his own crime family. So viewers were understandably surprised when it devoted two full episodes that focused not on Boba, but on Din and his relationship with Grogu after Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) recruited Grogu to train.

Much of The Mandalorian season 2 centered on Din reuniting Grogu with the Jedi, which he succeeded in doing. As the pair separated, there was an assumption that the show could finally shift its focus to the titular character and his job as a Mandalorian bounty hunter. His encounter with Bo-Katan Kyrze (Katee Sackhoff) and subsequent possession of the Darksaber effectively set up a conflict between the pair, potentially resulting in a new Mandalorian Civil War for season 3. Unfortunately, that may no longer be the case after The Book of Boba Fett reuniting Din and Grogu. As exciting as it is that they’re back together, the chances of The Mandalorian season 3 fully delving into the complications of the Mandalorian culture are significantly decreased since a chunk of the screentime will likely be devoted to further developing Din and Grogu’s dynamic.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that The Mandalorian season 3 will skip the existing issue regarding the Darksaber’s ownership. Lucasfilm and creator Jon Favreau may still very well delve into this idea, especially since Din has also been shunned from the Armorer’s (Emily Swallow) fundamentalist Mandalorian sect. But with Grogu now back with Mando, it’s safe to assume that the series will also have to tackle his future and what it means for him that he’s back with his foster father. In The Book of Boba Fett, Luke asked Grogu to choose between being a Mandalorian and being a Jedi. The show didn’t explicitly reveal what he picked, but it’s fairly certain he picked the former seeing as how the next episode found him choosing to reunite with Mando and wearing the beskar chainmail armor the Mandalorian had made him. Still, it’s something that The Mandalorian season 3 would have to properly tackle, which would take away from Din’s Mandalorian arc.

It’s still uncertain what the future has in store for Din Djarin and Grogu. At the end of The Book of Boba Fett, the pair seemed to be traveling through the galaxy, but their destination is unknown. They still can be separated moving forward, but, in the meantime, it’s safe to say that they will continue to be together in The Mandalorian season 3. While that opens up plenty of opportunities for their stories, it also likely closes the door on some other exciting narratives.