The Mandalorian Season 3: Djarin & Grogu’s Relationship Dynamics Evolve

The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal teases the dynamic of Din Djarin and Grogu’s relationship in season 3. Pascal made his debut as the eponymous bounty hunter in Disney+’s first live-action Star Wars series back in 2019. At the end of episode 1, Mando/Din’s high-paying bounty turns out to be a child of the same species as Yoda himself. After Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) evokes the Force and saves Din’s life, the latter decides to rescue “the child” from Imperial forces, ultimately becoming his surrogate father figure.

In The Mandalorian season 2 finale, “Chapter 16: The Rescue,” Din succeeds in reuniting Grogu with his kind as Luke Skywalker appears to rescue everyone from a horde of Dark Troopers. While the emotional farewell seemed that it would be be the last audiences saw of Grogu and Din until The Mandalorian season 3, the bounty hunter and his former foundling made a surprise appearance in The Book of Boba Fett. That series sees Grogu choose armor over a Yoda’s lightsaber, rejecting a dogmatic ideology before flying off in a refurbished N-1 Starfighter and into The Mandalorian season 3, which began filming in September 2021 and reportedly wrapped in March 2022.

At last month’s Star Wars Celebration 2022 in Anaheim, California, other members of the Star Wars show cast spoke with ET about The Mandalorian season 3. While teasing the upcoming season as “even better than the previous one,” Pascal discussed the evolving dynamic between his character and that beloved animatronic puppet. Read what he had to say below:

“What I love is the idea of who’s protecting who because Grogu is discovering more and more of his powers. And it’s very important for Mando to nurture it and to also make sure it’s harnessed in the right way.”

Following Order 66 and before the events of The Mandalorian, Grogu had largely cut himself off from the Force. After training with Luke in The Book of Boba Fett, Grogu is even more adept at healing people, making objects float, and befriending giant space creatures. However, as seen with Anakin Skywalker and other tragic figures, the Force is a slippery slope even with proper guidance. Despite leaving Luke’s academy and the path to becoming a Jedi, as Pascal says, Grogu will need to either master his abilities or once again suppress them in The Mandalorian season 3. Given the entertainment value attached to the former, it’s likely that Gorgu will ultimately use the Force to help Din on Mandalore.

In The Book of Boba Fett, The Armorer banished Din for breaking Mandalorian creed, which is poised to motivate the events of The Mandalorian season 3. Din and Grogu are now headed to Mandalore, where the former will see atonement for removing his helmet. The Mandalorian season 3 footage shared during Star Wars celebration showed Bo-Katan as the illegitimate ruler of Mandalore and dueling Din. Bo-Katan wants his Darksaber so that she can legitimately lead her people. However, the blade can only be won by combat, and Din isn’t one to admit defeat. Perhaps this showdown will prove whether Grogu’s Force powers are “harnessed in the right way” when The Mandalorian season 3 drops on Disney+ in February 2023.