The Mandalorian just answered one mystery. But in the process, it introduced another loose thread that could lead to heartbreak. Ever since the show began, Star Wars fans have been asking how Gorgu survived Order 66. But now there’s a new question: What happened to Kelleran Beq?
The Mandalorian and Kelleran Beq
In a beautiful twist in The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 4, we see Ahmed Best (the unfairly maligned actor that played Jar Jar Binks) return to Stars Wars as Grogu’s savior. Void of CGI, Best plays Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, who is revealed in a flashback to have heroically rescued the youngling from the trigger-happy hands of the Clone Troopers during Order 66. Though Kelleran and Grogu may have escaped Vader on Coruscant, the Jedi archives may reveal a secret that places them at the top of Vader’s hit list.
When we meet Grogu 30 or so years later in The Mandalorian, Grogu is a wanted man (Yoda-ling?). He is alone and relentlessly hunted by Moff Gideon for his unique blood that is almost certainly being used to clone the late Emperor Palpatine. But how did we get here, and where is Grogu’s protector, Kelleran?
Enter the Man in Black, Darth Vader.
Baby Yoda’s Blood Bank
In the years following Order 66, the remaining Jedi were hunted across the galaxy and executed by Darth Vader and his Inquisitors. Jedi Masters like Kelleran had a target on their backs. They stayed in the shadows, but if the former chosen one was good at anything, it was finding and slaughtering Jedi.
Unfortunately for Kelleran and his newfound ward, a vital piece of information at the Jedi Temple could have placed an even bigger target on their backs. After the fall of the Republic, Emperor Palpatine took control of Coruscant, and the Jedi Temple became an Imperial palace. The Jedi keep detailed records in their archives. One such record could have been an analysis of Grogu’s blood.
We know from The Phantom Menace that the blood of potential and existing Jedi was tested and recorded. In that movie, Qui-Gon tests young Anakin Skywalker’s blood. On seeing the result, Obi-Wan remarks that not even Master Yoda’s Midi-chlorian count is that high. So the information about individual Jedi’s blood is available. If the Emporer wanted to start a cloning operation using force-sensitive blood, the Jedi Archives would have been a great place to start.
Emperor Palpatine and the Cloning Connection
The bureaucratic Empire would have scoured the Jedi Temple after the fall of the Empire, analyzing the wealth of information contained within. (Fun fact: the temple was also full of Sith Artifacts the Jedi had commandeered for safe keeping.) If Grogu’s unique blood were on record, Palpatine would have found it. The combination of force sensitivity and the longevity of Yoda’s species would have made Grogu a perfect donor for the Emperor to fulfill his lust for immortality. Grogu’s blood is the ideal cloning elixir, allowing the Emporer to rise again after his demise. Grogu’s capture would be a top priority, and Palpatine would call on the best man for the job, the former chosen one and expert Jedi hunter, Darth Vader.
This theory plugs some holes in Grogu’s story but hints at an even more painful realization. More often than not, Vader gets his man, and if he set his sights on Kelleran and Grogu, he most likely succeeded. Kelleran likely fell to Darth Vader protecting Grogu, which means that Darth Vader may have caused two heartbreaking moments in Grogu’s life: the attack on the Jedi Temple and the murder of Kelleran.
We do not know if Vader slayed Kelleran or if Grogu was captured and held by the Imperials until the Fall of the Empire. But we do know that roughly three decades later, he is still hunted for his blood — and Kelleran is nowhere to be seen.
