Din Djarin, a.k.a. the titular Mandalorian of Disney+’s flagship Star Wars series The Mandalorian, played by Pedro Pascal, has been left in dire straits leading into the finale of the series’ third season. It’s gotten to the point that some fans are wondering if this is the end of our heroic single father.
Is this a real possibility or a case of fans’ fears run amok?
Spoilers for season 3 episode 7 of The Mandalorian, and general spoilers for Star Wars Rebels, Bad Batch, The Clone Wars, etc.
This article has been UPDATED with info from the Season 3 finale.
Evidence for Din Djarin’s death in The Mandalorian
Up until now, the Mandalorian has rarely been outright defeated, much less captured. The fact that he’s been captured by Moff Gideon, an Imperial who made his name by destroying Mandalore, does not bode well for Din Djarin’s survival.
While rescue missions are arguably the bread and butter of Star Wars, a rescue mission going awry is what led to the deaths of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Duchess Satine Kryze, Kanan Jarrus, and Tech.
Others have cited Bo-Katan’s increased role in Season 3 as evidence that she may take over as the protagonist of the series. However, I personally see it as telling the story of Mandalore through her. She represents both what Mandalore was and what it may be again one day. It helps that Din has also sworn himself to her service like Brienne of Tarth did for Catelyn Stark and, later, her daughters Sansa and Arya. The two of them could be dual protagonists in the future, but I don’t think Bo-Katan will ever supersede Din as the lone protagonist.
Fans have especially been analyzing Pascal’s Tonight Show appearance, where he implies that he is no longer “the [only] Mandalorian” and where he jokes about being replaced by a CGI version of himself if he gives too much away. Some people even say that Pascal’s absence from Star Wars Celebration was evidence that he is on the way out. I personally feel like this is the usual Internet over-speculation blown out of proportion, as Pascal has never been quiet about his love for the character and the show.
However, it’s also not like the creators or the franchise are strangers to killing off beloved characters. It’s a running gag that there are no happy endings in Star Wars, and the more media you appear in, the more likely you are to get murdered in the name of tugging on the heartstrings of fans.
Even fan-favorite Ahsoka Tano was effectively dead for the last two seasons of Rebels before Ezra Bridger literally bent space and time to save her from Darth Vader. And Din Djarin does not have access to the World Between Worlds.
Evidence Against Din’s Death
It’s arguably both too early and too late to kill off Din Djarin.
The Mandalorian, despite season 3’s lower viewership, is one of the most popular Disney+ properties and they won’t do anything to jeopardize it so soon. The fact that Pedro Pascal does not need to be in the suit also means that even if Pascal doesn’t want to continue doing as much of the physical acting (already a shared gig), he can do the voice work for as long as Disney pays him.
If they were going to kill him off, it would have been in season 1 when Din was injured in the finale and telling Cara Dune to take Grogu to the other Mandalorians so that he could die with honor. But thankfully, they did not do that and instead allowed Din Djarin and Grogu’s relationship to further grow and develop beyond protector and charge to a full-blown father-son bond.
At this point, many fans have stated that they would stop watching the show if Din Djarin (or Grogu) were killed, and I doubt Disney would allow something as financially unwise as killing the protagonist of their most popular Star Wars property.
So, what happens to Din Djarin? Spoilers for Season 3 finale!
In a shocking turn of events, both Din Djarin and Grogu end the season happy and reunited. Grogu, using his IG-12 mecha, helps free Din from captivity before he ever makes it to a cell. From there, the two of them and Bo-Katan take out Moff Gideon’s force-sensitive clones, his base, his praetorian guards, and Gideon himself (though the fact that there are clones at all could mean one of them survived). Din Djarin then formally adopts Grogu and makes him his apprentice and the two of them end the season in a homestead on Nevarro.
This is honestly a break from the usual Star Wars show formula. While we do have foreshadowing of the future in the forms of the Mythosaur and Din’s bounty-hunting contract with the New Republic, this feels like a very optimistic and solid ending. Din Djarin and Din Grogu are a clan of two, together and hopeful for the future.
Will there be a season 4 of The Mandalorian?
While Disney has not officially confirmed season 4 of The Mandalorian, showrunner Jon Favreau has stated that he is working on season 4 and that the events from the Ahsoka show will lead into the next season. Season three’s ending did feel complete but the fact that our main characters are alive and well could lead to future adventures.
What do you want to happen in the future of The Mandalorian? Comment below!
(featured image: Disney+)
Published: Apr 19, 2023 12:51 pm