#Bo-Katan is the main character now

[hyrules-warrior]

Why was there so much promotional material with Din holding the dark saber if he just hands it over to Bo-Katan on a technicality? 

We never even got to see him have a legit awesome fight with it! He always gets his ass kicked or just does a few brute slashes with it because it’s still heavy for him. And now he just gave it to Bo-Katan

What a waste

[the-kittylorian-writes]

Me, thinking about Mando Chapter 21: The Pirate where Din patiently presents his petition on helping Nevarro to the Covert members, not once thinking of waving the Darksaber around, knowing he can rule with it and the Covert can’t say no. He doesn’t pull rank—either he forgot he even had the Darksaber (typical Din tbh 🫠), or he hasn’t found himself worthy of the responsibility yet. Declaring oneself as Mand’alor because they weild the Darksaber is a huge HUGE deal and Din respects it. He still humbles himself in front of his Covert because he knows that it could cost all of them.

…and then there’s PAZ.

I love Paz to bits. Lol!!!!! He may be a gatekeeper and a stickler to the Creed, but at least he’s self-aware, publicly letting the Covert know that while he and Din don’t always get along, he’s willing to restore goodwill because Din and Bo saved Ragnar. He’s super extra. 🤣 He knows being a Mandalorian comes with a heavy price, especially now. He brings in the drama. He needed a go at the ✨talking stick✨ because Vizslas always need their time to shine. 🤭💥💥 But the Covert respects him, and now, Paz respects Din. YAY BROSHIP RESTORED 🥹🤜🏽🤛🏽💙

Meanwhile, the Armorer to Bo-Katan: “DO YOU RESPECT MY STATION?” 👑 (after highlighting the super importance of the Forge, etc) Y I K E S

Loving the dynamic of these four characters. Let’s celebrate with this poster which happens to be my most fav so far:

[pavloving]

ok well that mando ep was IMMENSELY better than last week wow

[beskarandblasters]

hiiiii long time follower and avid reader but first time requesting i want to preface saying that i ADORE everything you write (i do have a soft spot for your angsty pieces bc you always DELIVER) as for the request (i know its pretty trope-y but i cant help that i like it 😭) din djarin x reader where there's (preceived) unrequited love <maybe reader thinks bo katan is better for din because reader isn't a mando> but honestly if this request doesn't inspire your writing powers i will eat up any angst to fluff fic you write with any and all plotlines and characters ❣ thank you for sharing your works here on tumblr im so grateful to have found your blog i really hope you're living your best life irl because your work always lifts me up

That Should Be Me

Din Djarin x F!Reader

Main Masterlist | Din Djarin Masterlist

Author’s note: This is the kindest ask/request I’ve ever received🥹🥹 I hope I did your idea justice bb 🖤

Summary: You’ve been traveling with Din and Grogu for quite sometime now as the mechanic for the Razor Crest. But when Bo-Katan joins your group you started feeling a little threatened by her. You’ve had feelings for Din for a long time and Din and Bo just seem to click so well that it makes you feel jealous. Now you, Din, Grogu are on Nevarro right before the Mandalorians leave to reclaim Mandalore and some feelings are brought to the surface.

Word count: 1.5k

Warnings: reader is able-bodied, canon divergent, jealousy, reader sits on Din's lap, fingering, vaginal sex, unprotected sex, semi public sex (heavy on the semi), no use of y/n

The jealousy stirs in your stomach, watching Din and Bo talk while all of the other Mandalorians celebrate around them. You look down at Grogu, who you’re holding on your hip and he babbles happily. At least he's here to somewhat cheer you up. 

The jealousy has been festering for a while, ever since Bo-Katan came to Din’s rescue in the Mines of Mandalore. Grogu came up from the Mines and it was clear that Din needed help. So you and him went back to Bo’s palace much to your chagrin. She brought both of you back to Mandalore and rescued Din. And ever since then she’s been a fixture in your little group. 

You watch the way they interact and you can’t help but feel jealous. She’s so strong and a natural born leader. It’s clear that Din holds her in such a high regard. And though you can’t blame him, it still makes you jealous. 

You’ve had feelings for Din ever since you started traveling with him and Grogu. You would take care of the Razor Crest’s repairs and in return you’d get a place to stay and food in your stomach. 

Once Grogu went to train with Luke you hoped that maybe something would happen between you and Din. But it never did. And you just accepted that your feelings for him were unrequited. You were somewhat accepting of that until Bo-Katan came into the picture. And now watching them together is almost too much to bear. 

It’s the night before the Mandalorians are supposed to leave to retake Mandalore. You’re supposed to go with them but your jealousy has you second guessing everything. And before you can even think about whether this is a good idea or not, you're walking over to Din and Bo.

“Din?” you ask, interrupting whatever he and Bo were talking about. 

He turns to face you and Grogu. 

“Are you two okay?”

“Oh, we’re fine! But can I talk to you about something for a moment?”

“Sure,” he says before turning back to Bo, “I’ll be back.”

Your heart sinks at that as you walk back to the Razor Crest together. You stop at the exit ramp and turn to face him before blurting out, “I don’t think I should go with you all tomorrow.”

You wince in anticipation of his response to which he says, “I was thinking the same.”

Your stomach stirs at his words. He really doesn’t feel the same way and this is clear confirmation of it. 

“Okay… um well I’m gonna get him to bed,” you say, referring to Grogu, “It’s getting kind of late. H-have fun,” you finish, your voice cracking. 

You don’t even wait for a response from him before turning on your heel and walking up the exit ramp of the Crest, closing it behind you. You get Grogu settled in his hammock for bed before climbing up the ladder to the cockpit and sitting in one of the passenger seats. You put your hand in your hands and let the tears flow. Even though he never confirmed any feelings for you, you’d be happy with just the three of you in your own little group. But then Bo-Katan showed up and so did all of the other Mandalorians and now your Mandalorian is more unavailable than ever. 

After a while you hear the exit ramp open again and you know he’s coming back, probably to ask you about your little outburst earlier. He climbs up the ladder and sits in the pilot chair, spinning it around to face you.

“You wanna tell me what’s going on?” he says softly. 

“There’s nothing wrong. I’m fine,” you lie. 

“We both know that’s not true.”

You’re both silent for a moment. But then you decide it’s better to just get this over with now. 

“I was just feeling… jealous.”

“Jealous? Why?”

“Of you and Bo-Katan.”

He almost laughs but he restrains himself. “Why would you be jealous of Bo-Katan and I?”

“I just… I see the way you two are together. And it hurts because I have feelings for you but I know I’ll never be good enough. She’s a Mandalorian and I’m not. And I just-”

But you’re cut off by him. “You have feelings for me?”

“…Yes. I just never told you. I guess this whole time I was waiting for you to make the first move but you never did so I just assumed you didn’t feel the same way. And then you told me you didn’t want me to come to Mandalore and I guess I just sort of spiraled.”

Now he’s laughing. But not in a mocking way. Almost like he’s laughing at himself. 

“I didn’t want you to come to Mandalore because it’s too dangerous. I never want anything to happen to you. Maybe if both of us had just told each other our feelings sooner we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Our feelings?”

He grabs your hand. “I have feelings for you, cyar’ika. I think I was just too upset with Grogu being gone and then becoming an apostate to fully realize what was right in front of me.”

Maker, all you want to do is kiss him right now but you know you can’t. 

“But… I’m not a Mandalorian.”

He laughs again. “It’s not completely unheard of for Mandalorians to be with non Mandalorians, cyar’ika.”

“What does that mean?”

“Sweetheart.”

Oh. Butterflies flutter in your stomach at the pet name. Feeling a little bashful you stand up and say, “Well we should probably get back to the others… right?”

He stands up, too, and says, “We could… or we could do something else.”

His hands find your waist and he pulls you closer before bringing one hand to the waistband of your pants. 

“Din! Right here? What if someone outside sees us through the window?”

“So? Isn’t that what you wanted? For everyone to know you’re mine?”

You feel your core tingle in arousal at his words. 

“Okay,” you whisper. 

Wasting no time at all he pulls down your pants and tugs off one of his gloves before bringing it to your cunt, feeling how wet you are already. 

“That did it for you, huh? Just the teasing?”

“Mhm,” you whimper against him as he plays with your cunt, teasing you until you’re soaked enough for entry. He plunges a finger in and you lean into him against his chest plate. His one finger works your walls until you’re begging for more. 

“Please, Din. I need more,” you whimper. 

“Of course,” he purrs, “You’ve waited for me long enough.”

And on the last word he pushes another finger in, curling both of them against your g-spot until you can barely keep yourself upright. You cum against the beskar chest plate, the cool metal contrasting against the heat rising in your cheeks. You feel your walls tighten and release around them before your wetness slides all the way down to his wrist. 

He pulls his hand from you and takes off his other glove. But before you have time to whine at the absence of him inside you he hooks his hands on your hips and places you in front of the control panel and coaxes you to bend over. 

You bend over and rest your arms on the control panel, standing on your tiptoes and sticking up your ass for him. Your eyes scan outside the ship; there’s no one around. But Din was right. You really wouldn’t care if someone caught you. 

You feel his hand gather your juices, spreading it onto his cock. His hands return to your hips as he enters you, both of you sighing at the feeling of him being inside you at last. He pulls you into him as he thrusts in you, making a mess of you against the control panel. With each drive of his cock inside you he reaches deeper and more intense angles. You push back against him one last time as he fucks you with the most force he’s had so far and you’re coming around him. Your core muscles tighten and relax in rhythmic motions and your release slides down your legs. Your knees buckle underneath you; you can’t keep yourself upright for much longer. But triggered by your own orgasm Din comes, too. He paints your inside with his own release. But you don’t freak out. He knows you have an implant and you’ve been dying for his cum inside you already. He fucks you through his high before pulling out of you and sitting in the pilot seat behind him. 

You pull yourself off of the control panel and sit on his lap. You’re both silent, just catching your breath until you ask, “So you don’t want me to come to Mandalore?”

“Stay here where it’s safe, cyar'ika. I’ll come back for you.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.” 

[starpeace]

here for the mandalorian rant ☕️

um well the first episode of the brand new season of disney+’s flagship star wars show was entirely... filler. the dialogue was incredibly bad, not even written badly but as if no-one had written it at all. entirely flat and devoid of life, in a show with a faceless protagonist whose dialogue literally has to carry all the weight. din continues to have no opinions, no emotion and nothing to say

as for the plot, what even happened in this episode? we open with the mandalorian covert ritually giving a child their helmet, but this is not explored at all, it’s only there to be interrupted with a giant monster fight for absolutely no reason, as if this show has been written by six-year-old me livening up clicking my barbies together by grabbing my toy dinosaurs. din has conversations with the armourer and bo-katan purely to rehash the information we’ve already been given, partly because half of it was in a bad show the casual audience won’t have watched. neither of these characters is doing anything.

din visits greef karga, who is now discount lando “gone respectable” but instead of having personality he’s just really into gentrification and this is presented completely uncritically. din, a character most charming for being the beaten up mercenary underdog of the galaxy, suddenly hates pirates and disorder (well, hates would imply he shows emotion—dislikes pirates and disorder? is mildly perturbed by pirates and disorder?), and pals around with high magistrates who offer him a position as a cop/landed gentry (they actually use the words “landed gentry”). there’s a couple of meaningless unfunny comic relief scenes because this is all that grogu is here for now, complete with a reference to, of all things, the rise of skywalker. in what is apparently the main plot of the episode, which is, i repeat, the first episode of the brand new season, din takes up a fetch quest to get a random droid part for an absolutely laughable reason that does nothing but completely negate a character arc from season 1 and everything we have been shown since, just reminding you that not even death will be allowed to have emotion or narrative weight, or prevent disney from dragging back onto your screen anything that will sell. he doesn’t actually do this fetch quest, btw, he just gets given it, because apparently we have to do multiple episodes of this

did i get everything? was that the whole episode? oh wait there was the fight with the pirates in space. i forgot it because there was zero tension. those pirates also earlier wanted to... have a drink in a school with greef, i guess, in a completely baffling scene? i can’t imagine there was any point to this pirate bit except to put fight scenes into this filler episode and force the visual effects people to carry the entire lumbering weight of this show. one has to assume that otherwise the pirates would have had personalities or motivations. oh, also purrgils appeared in this episode, because this is the Star Wars Cinematic Universe, and you’d better watch all the interconnected shows so all your beloved characters can eventually come together to swap lifeless quips on screen, just like you always wanted.

a droid drops a statue’s head on top of a murder droid to stop it, purely so din can say, “now that’s using your head.” if you were wondering what i meant about the dialogue.

i don’t even need to get into the politics of the story they’re telling. i don’t need to humiliate it further by comparing it to andor. it’s just bad to watch on a basic technical fundamental level, and it’s not headed anywhere better, because they will be churning out this story for cash forever with no goal or meaning, under circumstances where i cannot seriously even imagine caring about star wars anymore. hope this helps!

[communistkenobi]

one of the more interesting conflicts of season 2 was that Din got the Darksaber from Moff Gideon by defeating him in combat, but he doesn’t actually want it. He tries to give it to Bo-Katan and she refuses it because the only way you can win it is by defeating your opponent. However, she also can’t challenge Din for it because he would yield the fight immediately because he doesn’t want it. But that would also confirm all of Bo-Katan’s worst fears - that she is not fit to be Mandalore, that her station was granted to her because of her noble birth and not her fighting prowess. They have an incredibly unique conflict where Din does not want the Darksaber and Bo-Katan does not want him to give it to her. The only way this conflict can be resolved is by her killing him. And presumably the biggest thing stopping her is the fact that Din is taking care of an incredibly powerful force sensitive child who attacks anyone - even friends - who physically threaten him. Recall the baby attacking Cara because she and Din were roughhousing in chapter 7. That has to be the narrative justification for why Bo-Katan is sparing his life because she has demonstrated MANY many times that she is willing to sacrifice anyone if it means she gains power, including friends and family. Bo-Katan is probably the closest you’re going to get to having the Mandalorian version of a Sith.

You don’t get stakes more clear than that! But apparently none of this matters now and Din is giving her the Darksaber because of some technicality. This tension between them has collapsed and now there is no reason for them to work together, and this also means that Din has - literally - no narrative reason to be in the show aside from the fact that he’s the main character

[themandaloriandaily]

Turns out, the titular Mandalorian is no longer considered to be just Din.

"I think that's been interesting as we've been on the journey of the show, and now that we're at this point, is that, what does that title mean?," Famuyiwa told IGN.

"Who is the Mandalorian at this point? And so I think it could be anyone. And I think that's what they're trying to define in many ways, is what does that mean to be Mandalorian?"

As mentioned by Famuyiwa, the latest episode of The Mandalorian saw Din (literally) step to one side and (literally) pass the mantle to Bo-Katan, as she took the Darksaber and stood ready to unite the Mandalorian people.

[ladyzirkonia]

Until your song is written.

I must shamelessly take this opportunity to thank you all. Yesterday I reached 100 followers and I can't believe that there are so many people who enjoy reading my stuff. I would like to take this opportunity to open my question and request box. Don't be shy to send me questions or ideas you want to discuss, whether it is Dinbo stuff or something about Mandalorian culture.

This is the way.

The scene starts with a completely shattered Bo-Katan. You can tell that she has to pull herself together not to burst into tears. Her confession about the night of a thousand tears and the memory of it seem to torment her. She hears Din approaching and tries to compose herself by briefly closing her eyes.

I think Din apologizing to Bo is one of the most beautiful things in this scene. He admits once again in this season that he was wrong. Din Djarin knows no false pride and has no problem admitting mistakes. And he admits what's been said about her being selfish and uncaring isn't true. It seems to have touched him that Bo-Katan gave up the darksaber for her people, gave up the claim to the regency.

Din steps up to her after she repeatedly blames herself for everything. He tries to build her up, not downplay what she did or what happened, just making sure that he wants to help her. He says: ''WE will rebuild it.'' A foreshadowing that you both should bring the future for Mandalore?

She doubts herself, still. She has made so many mistakes, mistakes that are unforgivable, that she cannot undo. How is she supposed to be the one to hold her people together in all the animosity?

Din repeatedly makes it clear that this weapon means nothing to him and his people. I think it's really ironic that so many have a problem with Din giving up the darksaber. He just doesn't care. It's just a story, a legend that doesn't matter until people believe it. And he also makes it clear what really matters to him, he basically tells us what it means to him to be a good Mandalorian.

When Din mentions the term honor, she seems to sigh slightly and raises her head. She's heard those words from him too many times. For a short break it seems that his words are bothering Bo-Katan. Honor... This is the way. It seems to be a constantly repeating mantra.

Din appreciates Bo-Katan's loyalty and character. These things that have been most important to him since we saw him first time in season 1. And Bo seems to appreciate his words as you can see a very faint smile on her lips. It's good to hear such words after years of being reminded of her failure by others.

That's why I serve you Lady Kryce. After this words I really think Din Djarin's love language is act's of service as he showed many times to different people who he cared for. He is not a man of many or fancy words, but of deeds. So what's a better way to show his affection than to offer his services to her. She doesn't have to go through this alone, he wants to stand by her side.

Bo-Katan turns her head to him after his words. It's obvious that she wanted to hide her feelings before and remained with her back to him. Now she shows him her face for the first time in this conversation. Din Djarin has managed to amaze her time and time again, and her expression softens because of his words to her.

Din gives her hope. Your story is not over yet. Her song is not yet written. The Mandalorian's main musical theme sounds in the backround. He begins to weave his fate irreversibly into hers.

I know some people have wrote, more or less jokingly, that this could be Din Djarins wedding vow. But it's not that exaggerated and ridiculous. We must not forget that the Mandalorians are based on a clan system of warriors. If Mandalorians are one thing, it's very pragmatic. Marriage is consummated between the two partners alone and in any place. Just before or after a fight, the couple doesn't even have to be in the same place. The marriage can even be consummated via voice or text messages. (if you are interested in this kind of topic, please tell me!!)

Honor and loyalty means everything to Din. He would not lightly pledge his life to someone. It means exactly what you suspected, he stands by her side until death.

Screenshots are mine. Gifs made by the wondeful @itberice. Please go and leave a follow and some love there!

[jessequinnfirstofhername]

The Rules:

Every twenty-four hours there will be another round. After every round, the character in last place will be eliminated.

If there are multiple characters tying for last place, there will be a special elimination round. In these rounds, every character in last place will be eliminated, even if all the characters have tied equally.

When there are only two characters remaining, they will face off against one another in a week-long poll to determine the victor.

If the character that you consider the hottest isn't listed here, hit the 'what about ___???' option and reply to this post with the overlooked character. The character with the highest 'write-in' votes will be added to the next round. Unless the 'what about ___???' option is the least voted for, in which case it will be eliminated. Welcome to the party, Jyn and Cinta!

This is all for fun. Don't take it too seriously ;)

Our next loss is Aayla Secura. Now I’m really feeling blue!

Not to be a xenophile on main, but look at her! She’s blue! Blue! It’s the sexiest colour!

…anyway. It’s time for Round Six!

[vanishedangels]

People trying to justify this season: Din is right there beside her.

Me: No, he's a few steps behind her. (I've even noticed that while watching it the first time.)

Me when I saw this shot:

I remember that I was thinking "Fuck, now that zoom is totally ending leaving Din OUT the frame." It didn't happen tho, but I don't trust them anymore, therefore I was shocked they didn't totally leave Din out the frame. That means a lot, see, I don't usually care about this shit, so it really means something (at least to me) if I'm suddenly paying attention to frames and whatever. It means they fucked big time.

Din is not the main character anymore, Grogu either, Bo-Katan is, and I wouldn't be pissed if they haven't deceived us with pre season's promotions going around Din and Grogu. I'm sorry, but they took us for granted and I'm done.

The trailers, the episodes synopsis, the thumbnails for every episode still revolves around Din and Grogu, but that's not what's really going on in every episode since chapter 18.

Every episode's ending since then:

Chapter 18: The mythosaur appears before Bo-Katan.

Chapter 19: The Armorer and the tribe receives Bo-Katan.

Chapter 20: Bo-Katan tells the armorer that she saw a mythosaur.

Chapter 21: Bo-Katan can remove her helmet because the Armorer said so, she's the one that can unify the mandalorians because she walks both worlds. 🥱

Chapter 22: Din gives her the dark saber, saying she won it since she defeated Din's captor in episode 18.

Everything EVERYTHING that Din has done this season happened to move Bo-Katan's arc further, even his redemption arc was used to give her a place in the covert.

This show worked because of Mando and Grogu's peculiar relationship, they threw that away. 👍🏻

I'm serious, this is what happened:

[ravenalla]

Continuing off of my last post, one line in this episode really bothered me. Din and Grogu’s relationship hasn’t been a factor hardly at all the whole season. It’s really nice to see it again here, but that ending could have been so much more emotional if we actually were reminded throughout of their growing bond instead of mostly relying on how the relationship was shown in the first two seasons. Sigh. But whatever, it still makes me happy to have protective Mando back.

Now, here’s what upset me. When Grogu stops Paz and Axe from fighting and Bo-Katan compliments him as a teacher, Din says something along the lines of “I didn’t teach him that.”

And I’m sorry, HUH??

The way they wrote it made it seem like it’s not just an instant of Din being humble (because let’s face it that would be too much character and not enough straight forward exposition for these writers lmao). Instead it actually implies that he didn’t learn it from Din, I don’t know whether it was meant to be referencing his training with Luke or the leadership Bo has been doing, but I absolutely hate either option.

That’s utter garbage, Din throughout the entire first two seasons has solved multiple conflicts by being a good peacekeeper, Chapter 9 was literally all about him being the one to bring together the Tuskens and Cobb’s village. If anyone has taught Grogu this, it IS Din. But if we are suppose to take that line literally, it means it’s another instance of the writing ignoring all the traits and skills Din showed up until this season to make someone else look better. Like I know it’s just one line, but that bothers me. It bothers me nothing is being given or even accredited to your main character after you had him do so much and display so many good qualities, because this story just wants you to laser focus on Bo-Katan. Din isn’t just a babysitter to Grogu who keeps him alive anymore. In the beginning of the season he was literally teaching and guiding him! I wanted that to have significance character wise and not just as a plot device for when Din got captured.

I liked getting more moments between them, I really do, but stuff like this after a season where their relationship hardly mattered just kinda makes it bittersweet honestly.

[eliza1911o1]

Not The Mandalorian, my comfort show, saying it has just benched my comfort characters, Din Djarin and Grogu, with no warning

I can completely understand the desire (read: greed) to expand the show and have it be an MCU-like franchise, but it feels a little underhanded for the show to take its main character of two seasons and almost completely throw him to the side. I’m not debating quality of the show here, because I realize it wasn’t set up to be this masterclass piece of writing, I just think the fact remains that there was some semblance of a plot and arcs before now. Beyond Din Djarin simply being a fun character, after season two, we’re invested in him and they have given him character growth and allowed for developments. There was so much s3 was set up for; Din’s relationship with connection as seen through the dark saber (which literally shows emotional states through the wielder’s ability to use it), the clashing of creeds (Mandalorian vs. Jedi, Children of the Watch vs. modern Mandalorians), his maturation into accepting responsibility for others (Grogu and almost being Mandalore), his views towards droids and reformation (which has been a big topic in relation to the Empire), and just learning about the Mandalorian culture through him, a foundling.

The fact they cut him out and highlighted Bo-Katan this season (who I think would have been a great mc to potentially transition to, had they handled it well), feels really reminiscent of Rise of Skywalker and how Rey suddenly turned out to be a Palpatine. Iconic names are exciting, but sometimes, they make a mess of things. Part of why Din worked so well as a titular character for a show broadly about Mandalorians was because he sat at an intersection of all the lore, this neutral character we enjoyed, learned with, and could see ourselves relating to. Disregarding how I find him as a character, I think if they wanted a show that truly explored all these different parts of the culture, Din was the reason it worked. The Mandalorian isn’t supposed to work like The Clone Wars or the animated shows; sure, it can dabble in large plots and big battles, but its heart was in just embracing Star Wars and all its cool history and knowledge. It’s really sad to see that s3 lost this direction

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

I think I figured out my biggest problem with “The Mandalorian” season 3. I mentioned in a previous post that I have issue with this season’s lack of focus and constant subplots that are muddying up the main narrative. Now that I think about it, I think the bigger problem is that the show feels too safe and wants to remain safe.

What I mean is that it feels like Favreau and Filoni don’t want to shake things up in the show. They’re still doing these one-off episodes where Din and Grogu get involved in some conflict that gets resolved by the end of the episode. It feels like the show could be something more, it’s just the showrunners don’t want to stray away from the formula. Because of that, it feels like there’s a lot of potential not being explored here.

For example, I didn’t mind that Grogu decided to return to Din after being taken away by Luke Skywalker…at first. Now it feels like we missed the chance to really develop Din as a character. Imagine a whole season where Din is forced to be on his own, trying to figure out how to move forward without Grogu by his side. Sure, the Mando fanbase would be sad, but imagine how much character development and growth there’d be for Din. And another reason why I have a problem now with Grogu returning to Din after only two episodes apart is that season 3 really should’ve just been about Din and Bo-Katan.

(EDIT: Also, it’s not like Grogu can’t just come back by the end of season 3)

Since this season is centered on uniting the Mandalorians, Din and Bo-Katan should’ve just been the main leads. Grogu doesn’t even feel central to the plot here, they really could’ve written this season without him. Who knows, maybe that was the original intention, but Disney or Lucasfilm stepped in and said, “Hey, don’t separate Pedro Pascal from the green alien that makes us money”.

But with that said, I can’t give Favreau and Filoni a pass either. They’re also at fault since they packed this entire season with weird one-off side stories (the giant bird episode) and subplots that are clearly meant to build up a different show (episode 3). Then, every time it feels like the show is picking up momentum, like when Din, Grogu, and Bo go to Mandalore, they immediately undercut it by having the next episode be about something else. I’m like, this is not how you build a story, you have to keep the momentum going, especially since there’s only eight episodes this season.

It’s really hard to say that Mando S3 is a bad season because it’s technically not. I do like the Din and Bo partnership storyline. The story makes sense and is easily the most compelling plot thread of the season. My issue is that it feels like the writers are holding themselves back. They don’t want to stray too far from what’s familiar (Din being dad to Grogu, the goofy side stories), so every time the show feels like it’s taking a big step forward, they immediately backtrack. It’s like the storyline wants to be “Andor”, but the writers are afraid of going full “Andor”, if that makes sense.

Maybe Disney is scared they’ll lose viewers if the show takes too many big steps away from what’s familiar and that they’ll experience another “Last Jedi” backlash. Which is ironic since viewership went down this season anyways. And no, I’m not one of those people blaming Bo-Katan for the drop. I’m putting the blame squarely on the writing because of the reasons above.

[lillththesuccubus]

I am convinced

ALRIGHT HEAR ME OUT!

Everyone calls Din Dijarin as “mando” or “Din Dijarin” but as far as I know Bo Katan is the only person who calls him “Din”. Now we know that Din Dijarin calls her “Bo” which was a name given by her sister Satine. WAIT I GOT MORE! Everyone just refers Grogu as a “pet” or “creature” while Bo Katan is the only person who refers to him as his “kid”. She respects him and his little dude! Bo also saved his ass twice in one day. The way I think about it is that she didn’t want Grogu to feel the way she did after losing her own parents. Bo Katan had EVERY REASON to not join the cult/ tribe. I know some people think she is in her late 40s or 50s but hilariously we don’t really know how old she was in the clone wars. Same goes Din Dijarin. Also she is referred as to a main character in season 3. I might be wrong but it sure seems like it.

[kanansdume]

I have some rambly thoughts about the different approaches we're seeing to Andor (a serialized show), Obi-Wan Kenobi (a serialized show), and The Mandalorian (an episodic show) and how they work or don't work.

Serialized shows are, by nature, more plot-driven than character-driven. Which doesn't mean the characters aren't IMPORTANT to the story by any means, it just means that the show moves forward based on things like worldbuilding and the characters are often forced to sort-of react to things happening around them that the audience themselves may or may not be in on. In Andor, Cassian is far more REACTIVE than he is PROACTIVE, and that's mainly the point in season 1. Cassian is trying really hard not to get involved in the fight and wants to just hide and run away and pretend it doesn't exist, but the world and his own fate keep catching up to him and forcing him into situations he has to react to (the guards forcing him to defend himself leading to being forced to leave Ferrix and join the rebel attack on Aldhani, Skeen's betrayal forcing Cassian's own, the Imperial reaction to Aldhani meaning he can't come home, being arrested on Niamos for just being in the wrong place, Maarva's death). Cassian finally making the choice to get AHEAD of everyone else by saving his friends on Ferrix and getting them off the planet and then beating Luthen to his own ship to offer to join the Rebellion is a big deal because it's Cassian finally accepting that fate.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is also reactive, but it's character-driven because the first big choice he makes is to go save Leia in episode 1 and he gets progressively more proactive from that point on. The plot itself has logistical issues because the plot of saving Leia and Reva chasing them and going to Tatooine is SECONDARY to Obi-Wan reclaiming his identity as a Jedi. Obi-Wan's choices move everything forward. This is why the show was still so satisfying to me even if the plot occasionally was a little slapdash. It wasn't ABOUT the plot, really. In Andor, Cassian is the vehicle through which we are told the story of the galaxy and the Rebellion. The Obi-Wan Kenobi plot is a vehicle to tell the story of how Obi-Wan Kenobi healed from Order 66 and became the Jedi Master we know from the Original Trilogy.

The Mandalorian was an episodic show, which by its nature NEEDS to be character-driven because it really can't be plot-driven. Any overarching plot is generally REALLY vague and spider-web thin. In the case of The Mandalorian, the overarching plot of season 1 was "protect the child from the Empire" and the overarching plot of season 2 was "get the child to the Jedi." And this can be really great if done well! When the story really focuses in on the characters and how they grow through each successive small story, how the relationships build up over time, it can really make for a wonderful show. It isn't just Din's relationship to Grogu, either, it's watching Din create relationships with a NUMBER of different people like Kuill and Greef Karga and Cara Dune and even IG-11 that all come together at the end to help him protect the child when they're in need. Season 2 does something similar with Bo-Katan, and Boba and Fennec so he can create a new group of friends to help him protect the child in the finale this time.

But The Mandalorian has steadily moved away from being more episodic and is now trying to be more serialized, which has stopped working because this show and its characters were never built for it. Din is a character who actively avoids "being the main character" and it's become something of a defining character trait. Din isn't a leader, so giving him the Darksaber goes nowhere. He isn't someone who chafes at the status quo, so having him take off his helmet and need to figure out how to find redemption for that or if he even wants it goes nowhere. He has no connection to the New Republic or its problems, no real connection to Mandalore the place, no interest in cloning or Palpatine or the Jedi beyond how it directly impacted him or Grogu in the moment. And even the Imperial interest in Grogu seems to have completely disappeared.

The Mandalorian became the franchise's breadwinner and as such, they want it to get BIGGER, they want to make it RELEVANT to the Skywalker Saga when it was intentionally irrelevant by design and that was what made it good. The Mandalorian no longer knows what it is and what story it wants to tell in order to know how to tell it. It throws in a few random episodic things that now feel bloated and frustrating instead of fun and character-driven because they're taking time away from the more serialized story it's trying to tell with Bo-Katan and the other Mandalorians.

And of course part of this is due to the MCU-ification of Star Wars via Filoni and Favreau's stories. Andor and Obi-Wan are separate from that and so are allowed to exist on their own and shine on their own with their own styles. But they're trying to connect The Mandalorian, an intentionally irrelevant episodic show, to more serialized shows like Rebels and Ahsoka and maybe even something like The Bad Batch, and MAKE them all relevant by connecting them to the Sequel Trilogy somehow. The Mandalorian was a stand-alone in season 1, but it isn't anymore. It is intentionally being REBUILT into something that cannot survive without everything else it's connected to, and the same will be true of any of its spin-offs. They're so bound and determined to make their characters relevant to the Skywalker Saga that they're willing to ruin them in order to do so rather than accepting that their irrelevance is what makes them special.

[nateofgreat]

You know it’s kind of funny, Dave Filoni is credited (rightfully so) for essentially creating a sandbox for everyone to play in via the Clone Wars. He gave a lot of the Jedi screen time, gave the Clones personality and culture, and made so many minor characters from so many different backgrounds. Even if his stories weren’t all great I always admired that.

Except with the Mandalorian’s.

In contrast, Dave’s narrowed their entire story (ranging from the prequels, to the original trilogy, to now after the original trilogy) down to a single character: Bo-Katan Kryze. Every era of the Mandalorian’s (in the main timeline at least) is now solely defined by her becoming the leader and than losing leadership over and over again.

Prequels: Bo-Katan’s introduced as a terrorist but is revealed to be a secret princess who later gets the throne.

OT: Bo-Katan’s fighting with Mandalorian rebels to regain the throne she lost.

Sequels: Bo-Katan’s again reclaiming the throne she lost for a second time.

There’s no sandbox to play in here because Dave’s made the whole thing about his OC. In fact, he seems to actively fight against any efforts to expand the Mandalorian’s story. Even going as far as to hijack the Mandalorian S3 to put Bo-Katan right back on the throne the second her rule is challenged by another character.