What Is Happening With the Jedi and Mandalorians?

The Mandalorian thrives on the strength of the bond between Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and the Force-sensitive child Grogu. Originally dispatched to bring Grogu in as a bounty, Djarin instead decided to abscond with the child and travel the galaxy. In the Season 1 finale, Djarin learned that there were other Force-users out there: The Jedi. And though the Mandalorians and Jedi shared a fierce rivalry spanning decades, he was tasked with bringing Grogu back to them. Season 2 saw him fulfill that promise as Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) came to train Grogu, but the child eventually turned away from the Jedi and decided to return to Djarin. Previous Star Wars projects have also expanded upon the Mandalorian/Jedi conflict, and how it’s affected the state of the galaxy.

The Mandalorians Were A Major Part of The Clone WarsI

The conflict between the Mandalorians and Jedi was first hinted at during Star Wars: The Clone Wars, when Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor) was dispatched to protect Mandalore’s Duchess Satine Kryze from an attempt on her life. The culprits were the Death Watch – a splinter group of Mandalorians who wanted to return Mandalore to its warrior ways. Eventually, Death Watch would fall under the control of Kenobi’s old adversary Darth Maul (Sam Witwer), who took hold of Mandalore. Eventually, Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) led a battalion to reclaim Mandalore and recapture Maul.

The Clone Wars would set up many pieces of The Mandalorian, both on and off-screen. Showrunner Dave Filoni would serve as a writer and executive producer on The Mandalorian alongside directing a few episodes. Creator Jon Favreau voiced the Death Watch’s leader Pre Vizla. And among the Death Watch’s membership was Satine’s sister Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff), who Djarin met in Season 2. But there was one more element that played a major role in shaping the narrative path of The Mandalorian – the weapon known as the Darksaber.

The Darksaber And Its Mythic Weight

The Darksaber was forged by Tarre Vizla, ancestor to Pre Vizla and the first ever Mandalorian to join the Jedi Order. True to its name it has a crackling black blade, but possesses a unique attribute. Whoever wields it can lay claim to the throne of Mandalore. And it’s traded hands many times: Maul killed Vizla and took the blade from him, eventually taking it back to his home planet of Dathomir. In Star Wars Rebels, Sabine Wren (Tiya Sircar) would end up taking the Darksaber and learning how to wield it, uniting the fractured tribes of Mandalore. She then eventually gave the saber to Bo-Katan, making the former Death Watch member the new ruler of Mandalore.

However, tragedy loomed on the horizon. The Empire razed Mandalore and sent its people scattering across the galaxy. And even worse, Bo-Katan lost the Darksaber to Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). Djarin faced Gideon and won the Darksaber in combat, making him the ruler of Mandalore. But he has bigger problems to worry about: when he said goodbye to Grogu, he removed his helmet – breaking the Way of the Mandalore that was instilled in him. Now an apostate, Djarin seeks to return to Mandalore and bathe in its “living waters” to atone for his perceived sins.

The Jedi-Mandalorian War

Throughout The Clone Wars, Rebels, and The Mandalorian, more details about the ancient war between the Jedi and the Mandalorians have been revealed. Though Tarre Vizla was one of the more respected Jedi to join the order, the ways of the Force – as well as the power of a lightsaber – led the Mandalorians to develop weapons and armor to combat them. During this war, the Darksaber was stolen from the Jedi Temple and Mandalore itself suffered a cataclysmic event that left the surface of its planet a barren wasteland.

Despite this, Jedi and Mandalorians have worked together. Djarin sought the help of Ahsoka, now an adult, to potentially train Grogu. And as previously mentioned before, Ahsoka helped the Mandalorians reclaim their homeworld from Maul. While the rift hasn’t been entirely repaired between the two factions, the fact that certain members can work together sets the stage for a future where Jedi and Mandalorians lay down their ancient grudges.

The Upcoming “Mando-Verse” Event Could Finally Unite Mandalorians and Jedi

That future may be in the works. At last year’s Star Wars Celebration, Favreau teased that The Mandalorian, alongside Ahsoka and other Star Wars shows, would culminate in a “climatic story event.” The seeds for that event may have already been laid in Season 2 of The Mandalorian. Ahsoka revealed that she was searching for Grand Admiral Thrawn, who disappeared with Jedi Ezra Bridger at the end of Rebels. The current season of The Mandalorian has already begun hinting at this. Ahsoka is said to focus on the search for Bridger, and it stands to reason that Djarin and other Mandalorians may be pulled into the fray. Given how Favreau has expanded upon Mandalorian culture, it only seems fitting that he’d be the director to repair the rift between Jedi and Mandos.

New episodes of The Mandalorian premiere Wednesdays on Disney+.