THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU Director Jon Favreau Explains Why Grogu’s Jedi Journey Is Unlike Any Other in STAR WARS

Grogu’s future in the Star Wars universe keeps getting more interesting. While a lot of fans expected the little Force-user to fully commit to becoming a Jedi after training with Luke Skywalker, that clearly isn’t the road he’s taking.

According to Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian and Grogu is leaning into something much more unique for the character, blending Jedi teachings with Mandalorian culture in a way we really haven’t seen before.

Speaking about the upcoming movie, Favreau explained that Grogu may have stepped away from the traditional Jedi path, but that doesn’t mean his connection to the Force has faded at all. In fact, he’s been shaped by some of the greatest Jedi in Star Wars history.

"He's not on the typical Jedi path of a youngling, but he has trained with some of the best Jedi teachers that there are. We know for sure he's studied with Luke Skywalker. There's implications that he may have crossed paths with Yoda, because he does recognize the name, is what we imply. And he also was there at the Jedi Temple before Order 66.

"So, it's a big part in talking to Dave Filoni, and by extension, to what he learned from George [Lucas], which is that the Force is about training," he continues. "It's about refining, just like an athletic ability or any skill.

“And we do see that, although Grogu is not serving under somebody who is teaching him, he still clearly is meditating and going through some version of the Jedi discipline. So, I think that his Force use has definitely leveled up a bit.

“Luke Skywalker didn't study under Obi-Wan for very long, but still refined his skills. So, I think that that's part of the path that's available to Grogu, as per what we've already learned from the previous Star Wars films."

That philosophy actually makes Grogu’s evolutionmore exciting because he isn’t boxed into the same structure we’ve seen from Jedi before. He’s learning through experience, survival, instinct, and now Mandalorian training under Din Djarin.

Favreau says the next chapter of their relationship pushes that father-son dynamic even further as Grogu officially steps into the role of apprentice.

"Grogu is now a Mandalorian apprentice," says Favreau. "He's been tasked with that, for those people who had watched the show. If you hadn't watched the show, what you need to know is that he is now going to be a Mandalorian in training, and so his father and teacher is taking him along on the adventures.

“What we learn through this is that Grogu's quite capable, but also Din Djarin, the Mandalorian, is a very good protector, and so he's always going to look out. And I think it's the next stage of their relationship, both as a father and son, but also as a teacher and an apprentice."

One of the coolest things about The Mandalorian and Grogu is that the movie is finally giving Grogu more agency in the story. He’s no longer just the adorable kid everyone has to save every episode.

Favreau says the film intentionally gives him moments to prove himself, including dangerous missions and situations where he has to stand on his own.

"The story drove us to that sequence," Favreau says. "In The Mandalorian, there's a certain proportionality to the way that the stories have unfolded and the tone of the stories that we like to tell with these characters.

“But I think since Grogu now is sharing billing, we want to give an opportunity to show some growth and character development and skill development in this character, and so by having the tables turned, so to speak, we open the door for Grogu to demonstrate that he's not just a character to be rescued.

“He's not a vulnerable little child anymore, and because he ages so slowly, as a storyteller, it's a wonderful opportunity to really play every beat of this development out deliberately."

There’s also another fascinating layer developing in Grogu’s story. Din Djarin follows a strict Mandalorian Creed that traditionally forbids removing one’s helmet, but Star Wars has already shown that different Mandalorian factions interpret those beliefs differently.

With Grogu now walking between Jedi and Mandalorian worlds, Favreau hints that things could get complicated.

"It's an interesting proposition. Throughout the series, we had met different Mandalorians from different backgrounds, and each embraces a different part of the Mandalorian creed. Din Djarin comes from a tradition where the helmet stays on.

“Of course, Bo-Katan and others take the helmet off. And what's interesting now is we have a character that's going to be potentially both Jedi and Mandalorian in Grogu, and we'll see what his path is."

This is what makes Grogu such a great and interesting character moving forward. He doesn’t fit neatly into the Jedi Order or traditional Mandalorian culture. He’s becoming something entirely his own, and that opens the door to some awesome storytelling possibilities for the future of Star Wars.

The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters on May 22.

Source: GamesRadar+