This is the way. As teased in episode 4 of The Book of Boba Fett, the return Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) is upon us. Essentially, a show we thought was about Fett suddenly became a prequel for The Mandalorian Season 3. And that might even mean a big Baby Yoda come back sooner than we thought. Here’s why.
Spoilers ahead for The Book of Boba Fett episode 5, “The Return of the Mandalorian.”
Is Boba Fett setting up Baby Yoda's return?
Startlingly, this episode of The Book of Boba Fett is pretty much a direct sequel to the ending of The Mandalorian Season 2. After handing over Grogu to Luke Skywalker in “The Rescue,” Mando is working again as a Bounty Hunter. We quickly realize he’s in search of his allies from his old Mandalorian covert, and reunited with The Armorer and Paz Vizsla.
This reunion results in Mando giving up his Beskar spear and asking it to be forged into a gift for Grogu. We have no idea what this gift is yet, but the wrapping paper even looks like Baby Yoda’s head, so let’s consider this the first bit of evidence that Baby Yoda is going to appear before The Book of Boba Fett is over.
Why show us a special present for Baby Yoda if we’re not going to see it soon? Sure, Lucasfilm could wait until The Mandalorian Season 3 to show us this present, but there are two more big clues that Baby Yoda is coming back.
N1 Starfighter: Mando’s ship has a Baby Yoda clue
After Mando and Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris) restore a Naboo N-1 starfighter (yes from The Phantom Menace!) Mando asks what happened to the droid port. Normally, this kind of ship has a spot for an astromech droid like R2-D2 to hang out and help with ship repairs or calculating hyperspace jumps.
Obviously, not all Star Wars spaceships need an astromech droid. In Legends canon, Luke even flew an upgraded X-wing that didn’t have one at all. Similarly, Rey flew Luke’s X-wing in The Rise of Skywalker without an astromech. So clearly within the tech canon of Star Wars, this isn’t that weird.
However, the more obvious thing being foreshadowed here is clearly Baby Yoda. Peli Motto loved Baby Yoda, too. So that little spot is a Baby Yoda car seat. Right?
Mando’s whole mission is to see Baby Yoda
Before getting kicked out of his own covert sect of Mandalorians, Mando reveals his already planning to pay Baby Yoda a visit. Early in the episode he clearly tells the Armorer (Emily Swallow) that he wants to see Grogu to “make sure he’s safe.” Mando also isn’t really thrilled to learn the Jedi way could deny Grogu any attachment, noting that the Mandalorian creed is all about solidarity, and his understanding of the Jedi creed is “the opposite.”
Basically, even though Mando gets kicked out of the covert after he admits to removing his helmet, he was already planning on leaving to drop in on Baby Yoda.
Who is Mando’s “little friend?”
Episode 5 of The Book of Boba Fett ends with Fennec Shand recruiting Mando to help with Boba Fett’s Tatooine troubles. Mando agrees right away, but says first, “I got to pay a visit to a little friend.”
This could be misdirection, but because almost everything else about Mando’s actions points to Baby Yoda, it’s hard to figure out who else he could be talking about. Presumably, Mando came to Tatooine to check out the possibility of getting a new ship from Peli Motto in Mos Eisely. But is it also possible that Baby Yoda is already on Tatooine or nearby?
Before Kylo Ren burned down Luke’s big Jedi Academy, we really don’t know where Luke was training future Jedi Knights. It might have been Tatooine! Mando and Boba Fett both take place decades before Kylo Ren grows up anyway, so, at this point in the timeline, we don’t actually know where Luke was hanging out. Could it be possible Luke brought Grogu back to his own home planet? Is Luke chilling out in the desert, just waiting for Mando and Boba Fett to knock on his door?
If so, The Book of Boba Fett won’t just help launch Mandalorian Season 3. If Grogu is making a comeback, then we just might see Luke Skywalker again, too. Which could be the unexpected “muscle,” Boba Fett needs.
The Book of Boba Fett is streaming on Disney+.
