We might have only caught a glimpse of Grogu’s Jedi training in one episode of The Book of Boba Fett, but that little green guy certainly wasn’t idle. According to The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau, what seemed like a few weeks at Jedi summer camp was actually several years. The Mandalorian Season 3 provided evidence of that surprising claim, as Grogu had grown much stronger in the Force. Not only can he defend himself against beings 10 times his size, but he can play a bit of offense too. And he can protect his loved ones from massive explosions, as demonstrated in the Season 3 finale.
To reclaim their home planet of Mandalore, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) team up to defeat the Imperial thorn in their side, Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). Their battle comes to a definitive end when Axe Woves (Simon Kassianides) crashes a flaming starship into the Imperial base on Mandalore, triggering an explosion that engulfs Gideon. Din and Bo-Katan are nearly swallowed by the blast as well, but Grogu creates an impenetrable force bubble to protect them.
This was a big leap forward for Grogu. It strengthened the parallels between Grogu and his one-time master, Luke Skywalker, but it also echoed the valiant efforts of a very different Jedi, Kanan Jarrus.
Kanan was a prominent figure in the animated series Rebels. As one of the few survivors of the Jedi purge, Kanan spent most of his adult life denying his past as a padawan. While he eventually became a Jedi Knight, took on his own padawan in Ezra Bridger, and pledged his lightsaber to the Galactic Rebellion, Kanan spent years struggling with his responsibilities as a Jedi. In Rebels Season 4, however, he finally shouldered that responsibility on his own terms.
In “Jedi Night,” Kanan and his team launch a daring mission against the Empire. Unfortunately, Imperial forces corner the rebels on top of a massive fuel depot and ignite an explosion. Kanan holds back the blast long enough for Ezra and his crew to board their ship, then sacrifices himself so they can escape unscathed.
The Mandalorian’s callback to Rebels makes a definitive statement about Grogu’s growing mastery of the Force. Not only is he much more powerful than anyone previously believed, but he wields that power in a way few Jedi have. Kanan struggled with attachments for most of his life; he feared losing the people he cared about, but he transcended his fear by sacrificing himself for them. Grogu, however, walks a different path. Like all Jedi, he struggles with attachments, but that attachment actually fuels his ability to protect Din Djarin.
His power is definitely blurring the lines of the Jedi creed, but it also speaks to his future as a Jedi and a Mandalorian. He may have to make a sacrifice or confront his fear of loss someday, but for now, it’s exciting to watch him reconcile the two schools of teaching.
