Warning: The following contains spoilers from Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett “Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger,” streaming now on Disney+.
The Book of Boba Fett surprised fans with a plethora of cameos in Season 1, Chapter 6, “From the Desert Comes a Stranger,” including two that felt more in line with The Mandalorian. Luke Skywalker made a surprise return as did his young charge Grogu, now undergoing training for his Force abilities. It’s a big moment in the Star Wars saga, over and above the unexpected return of one of its central protagonists.
The choice of putting it in this series aside – the sequence had nothing to do with Fett’s story beyond context for Din Djarin’s arrival – the implications for the entirety of Star Wars are huge. Grogu’s ultimate fate – both in Luke’s hands and afterwards – formed a link between the events of The Mandalorian and those of the sequel trilogy. The diminutive green infant doesn’t appear in the sequels, leading to questions among the fan base about what might have happened to him. “Stranger” offered up a possible answer.
Grogu’s connection to Djarin hasn’t diminished since the events of “The Rescue,” nor have Djarin’s feelings for him. That episode ended with the Mandalorian removing his helmet to say goodbye — an act which resulted in his expulsion from the Armorer’s tribe and eventual arrival on Tatooine. That formed the central crux of Grogu’s dilemma as Luke began his training on an unnamed woodland planet. As Luke noted, the young foundling struggled with his focus and seemed distracted.
That specifically stemmed from his connection to Mando, preventing him from having the separation from familial connections that the Jedi Order demands. Ahsoka Tano deliberately guided Din away from the child in an effort to prevent the pain that their temporary reunion would have caused. Before departing, Mando left a gift for Grogu – a little shirt of chainmail made from beskar metal – intended to keep him safe. Luke presented the gift to him as a choice: accept it and return to the Mandalorian, or take Master Yoda’s lightsaber and continue training as a Jedi. The episode ended with Grogu contemplating his choice, uncertain of which path to take.
The implications are profound. Luke’s hopes of rebuilding the Jedi end the night his nephew Ben turns to the Dark Side, murdering the students as depicted in Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi. The question of how Grogu fits into that has remained since Luke’s appearance in “The Rescue.” If he was at the school when Ben succumbed, he would almost certainly be killed: a ghoulish fate that would effectively render Din’s heroic efforts to keep him safe moot (and create an ugly backlash among Star Wars fans). Assuming Grogu survived the massacre means he wasn’t there at the time.
For the first time, “Stranger” offers a viable alternative to make that possible. If Grogu ends up returning to the Mandalorian, he’ll be spared from the destruction of the Jedi temple and presumably remain among the living following the events of Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. That provides a clear route for the Child to go should he choose it — and it gives Luke some doubts early in his career as a teacher that help further explain his failure with his nephew and the subsequent destruction of the school.
Grogu’s choice may even be the herald of something entirely new. The sequel trilogy as a whole — The Last Jedi in particular — suggested that while the Jedi’s time was over, servants of the Light Side of the Force would continue to flourish. If Grogu departs the Order to be with Mando, he might become a catalyst for that, possibly even creating a discipline that combines Jedi and Mandalorian abilities. The Book of Boba Fett may seem like a strange place to put such content, but if it sets the stage for big things in Season 3 of The Mandalorian, now is the time to make that clear. In possibly clearing up Grogu’s fate, “Stranger” may have pointed to a post Rise of Skywalker future for the entire universe.
The Book of Boba Fett’s Season 1 finale will stream Feb. 9 on Disney+.
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