With the conclusion of the sequel Star Wars trilogy finally upon us, it seems like The Mandalorian is the most regular and obvious source of Star Wars entertainment in the near future. And although The Mandalorian takes place a few years prior to the sequel trilogy (it occurs somewhere between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens), it seems like there are a lot of opportunities for The Rise of Skywalker to narratively and mythologically connect to The Mandalorian in some way.
But, just because they can connect doesn’t mean that they should. There are some wonderful opportunities to tie these two stories together, but there are other elements of the larger Star Wars saga that already feel overplayed, and that simply don’t seem to have a home in a story like The Mandalorian. So here are 5 ways in which The Mandalorian can connect with The Rise of Skywalker, and 5 ways that it shouldn’t.
Could: Ahch-To
The mysterious and ancient world of Ahch-To is clearly significant to the Jedi, and it eventually became the home of Luke Skywalker after his new Jedi Order fell apart and he decided to isolate himself from the rest of the galaxy.
But this world seems like it may be significant to baby Yoda for a few reasons. Firstly and most obviously, because it is apparently the ancient home of the Jedi. But more importantly, we’ve already seen Force ghost adult Yoda on Ahch-To before. Adult Yoda has to at least make an appearance on The Mandalorian, and a visit to Ahch-To is an easy, logical way to make that happen.
Shouldn’t: The Rebellion
The Rebellion has been one of the major forces in the Star Wars universe since the Star Wars universe began, and watching them repeatedly fight their way to victory over the course of two trilogies has obviously been pretty entertaining.
However, Mando and Yodling have more than enough on their plate as it is. Cara Dune is a former rebel and friend to this newly formed father-son duo, but that’s about as much involvement that they need with the Rebels for the time being. There’s a place for this larger war, and that’s really not The Mandalorian.
Could: Exogol
The Mandolorian and his Yodling are always on the run from those that seek them out, but we know that Palpatine is capable of manipulating pretty much anyone into doing anything that he chooses.
And The Rise of Skywalker introduced the intriguing new world of Exogol, the home of the Sith who have been in hiding for so long. So then, it would be pretty awesome and terrifying to see Mando and baby Yoda wind up on Exogol at some point. It would be even cooler to see baby Yoda to square off against that shriveled husk of a man and win.
Shouldn’t: Baby Rey And Baby Ben
If there is one thing that can be universally agreed upon when it comes to The Mandalorian, it’s that no on can be cuter than baby Yoda so there is no point in trying. Preumably Ben Solo and Rey are going to be born somewhere in this era and time, so the temptation to show them as younglings has got to be pretty strong.
However, that would probably be a big mistake. Making babies work on a show is difficult, and The Mandalorian basically struck gold by finding a character that can’t talk or do much of anything that the audience still fell in love with, but they’re probably not going to strike gold twice.
Could: The Force Dyad
It was clear from the start of this trilogy that there was some kind of mystical connection between Kylo Ren and Rey, but it wasn’t until The Rise of Skywalker that it was fully explained. They are apparently a Force dyad, essentially two Force powerful beings that are meant to balance one another.
But what’s interesting is where baby Yoda falls in this scenario. If Rey and Ren are each other’s counterbalance, then baby Yoda is a bit of a wild card. And baby Yoda seems sweet as can be, but he has shown signs of darkness too, so it’s curious to know if this dyad is having some kind of an effect on him.
Shouldn’t: The Jedi
Since this is around the time that Luke Skywalker should be rebuilding the Jedi Order, it seems logical that the Jedi will become a part of The Mandalorian at some point.
However, a huge aspect of what works about the series is that it’s Mando and baby Yoda flying solo. Introducing the broader Jedi Order and Luke Skywalker himself isn’t a bad idea, but the show needs to ensure that the story doesn’t become about that entirely. Baby Yoda can only be protected by Mando (or at least we only want him to be), and the Jedi will throw a massive wrench in that.
Could: Sheev Palpatine
Honestly, given what’s happened in The Rise of Skywalker it’s pretty much impossible for The Mandalorian to avoid dealing with Sheev Palpatine in some way. Palpatine using Rey as his final means to his final end does make sense, but he had to have been laying in wait this entire time too.
There is no way something as Force powerful as baby Yoda would go unnoticed by Palpatine, and as someone who is constantly looking for angles to play to his advantage, it just wouldn’t make sense if he didn’t take notice and try to take control of baby Yoda in some way.
Shouldn’t: The Balance Of The Force
If only baby Yoda could talk, we would absolutely kill to hear what he has to say. However, one of the few upsides of him being a mute infant is that he doesn’t know the power of the Force just yet.
I mean, clearly he understands the Force, but as a Force wielder he doesn’t spend every second of his dialog talking about the balance of the Force. The balance of the Force is important and is a huge aspect of how Force-sensitive beings arise in the first place, but the balance of the Force has been talked to death in the films so much that it’s started lose it’s meaning.
Could: The First/Final Order
One of the most interesting aspects of The Mandalorian taking place between the original trilogy and sequel trilogy is that it can show the audience how the galaxy developed in between the fall of the Empire and the rise of the First Order/Final Order.
Even better, the show can offer some insight into how in god’s name a force as massive as the Final Order may have developed with no one being the wiser. We’ve already seen a lot of the shadowy former Imperial organization that is after the child, but they could become almost anything.
Shouldn’t: The Skywalkers
Everyone loves a good Skywalker. The Skywalker family is a fictional cohort who has managed to sustain nine smash hit films and counting, so clearly the world loves the Skywalkers.
However, having a story that feels separate from them but still exists in the Star Wars universe is nice, and The Mandalorian works so well because it feels like classic Star Wars while still being a whole new world. We’re not averse to any Skywalkers making an appearance at some point, but the show really doesn’t need to become about the Skywalker family themselves.
next: The Mandalorian: 10 Things That Make No Sense About The Way
