Chapter six of “The Book of Boba Fett,” namely “From The Desert Comes a Stranger” helmed a plethora of iconic moments, from the confrontation scene with villainous bounty hunter Cad Bane to the delightful sequence in which a young Luke Skywalker trains Grogu. This episode had some really emotionally-charged moments, the key being the Mandalorian not being able to meet his foundling, as it would prove to be a distraction for Grogu, now that he is a padawan. At the end of “From The Desert Comes a Stranger,” Luke offers Grogu a choice: he can either inherit Yoda’s lightsaber and remain Luke’s padawan, going on to become a powerful Jedi, or he can choose the armor forged for him by Din Djarin, post which, he will be returned to the Mandalorian. What will Grogu choose, and what will be the implications of this choice? Chapter Seven of “The Book of Boba Fett” answers this pretty right away.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
The choice that Luke offered Grogu presented a dichotomy between the old and the new, and thanks to the known fate of Luke’s Jedi academy (which was first referenced in Episode VII: The Force Awakens), we already know the implications of Grogu taking that path. From Grogu’s point of view, the choice is tough as well: on one hand, he had grown up in the Jedi temple, having witnessed the brutality of Order 66 (we still do not know who saved Grogu in the first place). These events and his closeness to the Jedi make him intuitively in tune with the Force, which is a key reason why Grogu leaves with Luke in the final episode of “The Mandalorian” Season 2. On the other hand, what Grogu and Mando share is a bond of found family, one that cannot be easily severed or forgotten—it is a pure instinct to care and protect, and they are constantly evolving together despite hailing from wholly different worlds.
As a “Star Wars” fan, I found it endearing to see Luke arrive at the end of “The Mandalorian” Season 2 and train The Child while grappling with the core ideas of his teachings (should he honor the age-old Jedi teachings that are inherently flawed or forge a new path?). However, the appeal of “The Mandalorian” is the bond between Grogu and Din, and it is this dynamic, and this dynamic alone, that carried the show’s fulcrum. Once this is taken away, a part of the magic dissipates, and we are back to narratives heavily revolving around the Jedi way (which is not necessarily a bad thing), which in turn completely pivots away from fresh perspectives that are integral to the worldbuilding of the franchise as well.
Keeping everything in mind, it makes perfect sense for Grogu to choose Mando, as it is the more genuine choice from a narrative and emotional point of view. Although Grogu got a chance to be reunited with his people, he made a choice to stick by the one person he feels familially bonded to, with the hope of being together while eclipsing the titles of Mandalorian and Jedi. This is beautifully captured in the scene in which Grogu (the poor, sweet child) rides an X-wing ALL ALONE all the way to meet his father, wearing the little armor underneath his clothes. This choice, while not surprising, is endearing: it was foreshadowed by Mando’s addition of a small cabin atop his N-1 starfighter, which will most likely be the preferred mode of transportation in “The Mandalorian” Season 3.
While Chapter 7 of “The Book of Boba Fett” makes Grogu’s choice pretty clear, we still do not know the total picture. How did Luke react to this choice, and did Grogu REALLY forego Yoda’s lightsaber? (He seemed pretty enamored with it). While the details are yet to be revealed, it is not entirely out of the realm of possibility that Grogu will walk the path of Tarre Vizsla, the first (and only) Mandalorian to have been inducted into the Jedi order. While Luke believes that Grogu’s path lies in either one camp or the other, this might be yet another misjudgment, as, after all, only a Sith deals in absolutes. Both the Jedi and Mandalorian ways of life are ingrained within little Grogu, and it will not be surprising if he finds a way to imbibe the two, in turn uniting both cultures in ways unprecedented.
“The Book of Boba Fett” is a 2021 Action Adventure Television series streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
