The Mandalorian served up plenty of callbacks to its prior two seasons when its third season kicked off Wednesday morning. As always, the show didn’t waste any time bringing the story of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu back to the forefront after the two were reunited in The Book of Boba Fett. Viewers were reintroduced to the likes of Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) as well as some brief mentions on the whereabouts of Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon and Cara Dune (Gina Carano), who will no longer appear in the franchise. Even the previously lost IG-11 made a return. Yet, one character – well, a similar one – had viewers pointing at the screen was none other than an Anzellan, better known as the species of Babu Frik, who made his debut in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. This lovable character was one of the overwhelming bright spots of the ninth film, so seeing the Anzellan characters pop back up in the first episode was a fun and unexpected callback. Though brief in screen time, the Anzellans were able to capture the hearts of viewers just as Babu Frik was able to.
How The Mandalorian Utilized the Anzellans
Following the opening action-packed scene which shows The Armorer forging a new helmet as part of a Mandalorian ceremony to welcome in a youngster (Wesley Kimmel) to the Creed, much of this episode was contained in Nevarro where Din Djarin and Grogu spend their time with Greef. Din makes his purpose for this visit pretty clear to Greef: he wants IG-11 back. In the eyes of Mando, who doesn't trust many people outside his inner circle, IG-11's efforts in serving him previously showed just how loyal of a droid he is and is someone he wants to assist him in his search for Mandalore. When viewers last saw this battle droid, IG-11 was seen sacrificing himself by self-destructing to fend off a group of stormtroopers in order to protect Grogu. So to hear Din request his services again was quite a bit of a surprise; then again, a droid never truly is destroyed. Din is able to reunite with IG-11 because the remnants of him are on display in the form of a statue in the center of Nevarro as a way of honoring his sacrifice. How do Din and his team plan on reviving the droid? Enter the Anzellans.
The three head to the best droidsmiths in the city where two Anzellan creatures welcome them into the shop. It was instantly from their on-screen arrival that viewers realized this was Babu Frik — or at least a version of him. In reality, it actually wasn’t the character who debuted in the 2019 movie. The end credits even confirm this, listing the pair as “The Anzellans.” That being said, the essence of the characters was every bit of Babu Frik because the same voice actor handled both appearances, that being Shirley Henderson, who also was instrumental in creating the language of the Anzellans. While that wasn’t the lovable Babu Frik in his full glory, it was a joy to see other members of his species get some time in the spotlight, and it’s not inconceivable that he could pop in at any point since the timelines are within a similar space. After all, the scene encapsulated everything fans grew to love about Babu Frik. The two Anzellans were interacting with Grogu while attempting to work with Grogu even hugging one of them, to which Din put on his best father voice and asked for him to let them get back to work. What makes Star Wars such a gripping and fun experience for viewers are these side characters who add a unique element to the narrative, even if minor, and the Anzellans wasted no time bringing forth one of the memorable scenes from the Season 3 premiere.
Looking Back at Babu Frik’s Role in The Rise of Skywalker
In his big screen debut, Babu Frik is seen on his home planet, Kijimi, and was said to be one of the best at reprogramming droids, which is how the Anzellans are introduced in The Mandalorian. The character was created specifically for the movie, which is why there's not much of a backstory for this particular species. The group of Rey, Finn, Chewbacca, Poe Dameron, and their trusty droids cross paths with Babu Frik in an effort to retrieve the information on C-3PO’s memory banks. After a back-and-forth, the Azellan is able to get C-3PO back up and running, though at the expense of having to wipe his memory and revert him to factory settings. His story doesn’t end in the shop, though, as he eventually finds himself in the Battle of Exegol after being forced out of Kijimi following the Star Destroyer’s invasion of the area. Babu Frik ends up with Lando Calrissian in a BTA-NR2 Y-wing starfighter in the final battle and assists in the defeat of the Emperor, earning himself a well-deserved inclusion in the Resistance.
What We Know of the Anzellan
In two on-screen appearances, the Anzellans are a species boasting some of the best craftsmen in the galaxy when it comes to recalibrating and constructing droids. Though tiny in stature, like some of the best Star Wars sidekicks, the Anzellans punch well above their weight with the contributions they make to the main characters. Outside what was seen in The Mandalorian Season 3 premiere and in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the Anzellans are pretty much an unknown entity in this world. They have popped up here and there in some comics over the past few years, namely The High Republic: Light of The Jedi (2021), and were depicted in the same fashion as we’ve come to know them. Popular despite their lack of air time, it’s likely this species – and hopefully Babu Frik – will continue to come in and out of future additions to the Star Wars canon.
The Mandalorian releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.
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