The following contains spoilers for The Mandalorian Seasons 1 and 2 and The Book of Boba FettAs we find ourselves at the conclusion of the first season of The Book of Boba Fett, all of our collective attention is now turning to the upcoming season of The Mandalorian. After all, Pedro Pascal’s masked Mando was integral to the later parts of the season and helped to ensure the show’s final episodes stuck the landing after an uneven start. The last we saw of the Mandalorian, he was zipping into space for more adventures.
However, he wasn't alone as he brought with him a typically precious Grogu who, from the small enclosure of the droid compartment, urged him to hit the gas to blast off at full speed into the great unknown. It is a charming moment, though it also shows how the Mandalorian can’t say no to the little green fellow. It sets up a storyline that, if the show is courageous enough to follow through on the hints it is dropping, would be its most bold.
That is why season 3 of The Mandalorian should make Grogu a villain. This is the way.
Some of you may already be grabbing your pitchforks and torches in outrage at the thought of turning the adorable little guy into a cold-hearted agent of the dark side. Such a cute creature couldn’t be capable of becoming evil, right? I urge you to do just one thing: search your feelings, you know it to be true. Star Wars, for all its flaws, has always been interested in how the best among us are also capable of becoming the worst. In the prequel series, The Jedi Order itself had become corrupted and failed to see how the errors of their way had brought darkness into their own ranks. They didn’t just miss the evils of Emperor Palpatine and the fear that would warp the mind of young Anakin Skywalker. Through their own arrogance, they helped create the conditions that gave rise to such evil. It is the most prevailing truth of the universe, and you can already see the errors of history repeating themselves with Grogu.
In the show’s sixth episode, this is made most clear. When Mando arrives on the planet where Grogu is training with Luke Skywalker, he has an extended conversation with Ahsoka Tano about attachment. She warns him that if Grogu caught sight of his good friend, it would only make it more difficult for him to continue his training. She is speaking to the Jedi-instilled fear that attachment and love can only lead to more suffering. Convinced he shouldn’t come face-to-face with Grogu, even after traveling all this way, Mando then takes off in his ship and leaves without a second thought. What could have been a potential crisis has been averted – Grogu is staying with Luke to train and will become part of the new Jedi order. However, such a resolution doesn’t come to pass as the feeling of something more ominous is building.
At some point, Grogu flies an X-wing to Tatooine to meet back up with Mando. Luke was by no means unaware that this was a potential outcome as he had a final conversation with his trainee about what future he wanted to choose. Prior to that, in a conversation he had with Ahsoka, they discussed the strong bond Grogu has with Mando. Luke even went as far as to wonder whether Grogu’s heart was really in the training. In response, Ahsoka said Grogu is “so much like your father.” If ever there was a line that could be both more alarming and painful to Luke, it would be that one. After all, even though Anakin turned back from the dark side in his final moments before death, this only came after countless innocent people died in his wake. This future lies ahead for Grogu who could become a little green menace to the universe.
It is a narrative door that the show should go through, even as it may be divisive. Grogu was originally known as Baby Yoda, a testament to how beloved of a character he is. He was the subject of countless memes that played into this lovability. To make him into a villain would be a tough pill to swallow, though this is precisely why the show should do it. The sadness that would be felt at this development would be devastating for Mando as he would feel responsible since he was warned that this could happen. To know that he had set Grogu on a path of bloodshed after taking him away from the tranquility and peace offered by Luke could tear him apart. It would push the character into a complicated new emotional state where he would have to decide whether to vanquish his surrogate child or join him on his dark path. It would make for compelling television for Mando to grapple with his most personal adventure yet: whether to abandon the being he loves the most.
At the very least, to see the pint-sized villain squeal as he used his immense power to wreak havoc on the universe would be a much-needed kick in the pants for Star Wars. As has been observed, the franchise is in a bit of a narrative rut. In an expansive universe, it is strange to see it all being played with a timidness that betrays a lack of creativity. Star Wars needs to take risks and be bold to move beyond just falling into what is safe. In order to embrace the potential of what it can be, it must be willing to go for some big swings. The foundation is already there. If the show is able to embrace what is being established and see Grogu turn to the dark side, it will show that it is capable of pushing itself narratively once more.
It would be the most audacious thing Star Wars has done since Darth Vader was revealed as Luke’s father, and it would forever leave its mark on all that we have come to know in this galaxy far, far away.