We break down all three seasons of the Disney+ series — the lore, story, and characters — ahead of the duo’s new adventure.

How did The Mandalorian end? What to know before The Mandalorian and Grogu

We break down all three seasons of the Disney+ series — the lore, story, and characters — ahead of the duo's new adventure.

By Chris Snellgrove

May 21, 2026 12:26 p.m. ET

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'The Mandalorian and Grogu'. Credit:

- *The Mandalorian* ran for three seasons on Disney+, following the adventures of a masked bounty hunter and his little green friend.

- The series' third (and maybe final?) s ends with Din Djarin and Grogu helping liberate the planet of Mandalore.

- A new movie about the duo, *The Mandalorian and Grogu*, is now playing in theaters.

When Disney+ first launched, the House of Mouse endeavored to make its streaming platform the new home of all things Star Wars.

They did just that with *The Mandalorian*, an instant hit that won fans around the galaxy over with both its space-Western milieu and *Lone Wolf and Cub* dynamic, which finds the titular stoic serving as a reluctant father to the adorable Grogu (a.k.a. Baby Yoda). Now, after three seasons, the duo is rocketing onto the big screen with *The Mandalorian and Grogu*, the first *Star Wars* movie since 2019's *The Rise of Skywalker*.

That's exciting and all, but it's also been more than three years since *The Mandalorian* wrapped its third and most recent season. There’s been a lot of small-screen *Star Wars* content in the interim, so you'd be forgiven for having lost track of what Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu have been up to.

Fortunately, you don’t *need* to binge the entire show before the movie comes out (though we wouldn't stop you). If you want to get up to (light)speed, keep reading for everything you need to know ahead of seeing *The Mandalorian and Grogu. *

Grogu and Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) in season 1 of 'The Mandalorian'.

Season 1 premiered on Nov. 12, 2019. At the time, ** was intrigued by a series inspired by the original trilogy's masked bounty hunter, Boba Fett.

"The lead characters in the original *Star Wars* trilogy loved on the run or learned life lessons from kindly elders, so Boba Fett was the fandom you graduated towards when you wanted something darker, more cynical, even just cooler," wrote our critic.

What it’s about

The first season of *The Mandalorian* introduces our hero, a bounty hunter named Din Djarin. Set five years after the events of *Return of the Jedi*, season 1 unfolds in a galaxy where the Empire has been largely beaten back — and the former Rebellion is trying to establish a New Republic.

Din mostly completes odd jobs for various clients, but his world is turned upside down when he rescues a childlike creature (that looks a lot like the original trilogy's Yoda) from a killer droid. He initially turns the child (later identified as Grogu) over for a bounty, but he ultimately can't bring himself to abandon the little guy.

Din eventually adopts a fatherly relationship with his young ward and tries to protect him from all threats. Unfortunately, this puts him in the crosshairs of Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), a cool and calculating Imperial commander who is revealed to possess the Darksaber, a powerful artifact within Mandalorian mythology.

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Key characters

Gina Carano as Cara Dune on 'The Mandalorian'.

Melissa Sue Gordon / Disney+/Lucasfilm / courtesy Everett

The first season of *The Mandalorian* introduces the series' major players.

**The Mandalorian/Din Djarin**

Played by Pedro Pascal, Din is steeped deeply in the culture of his people. Because of this, he refuses to remove his helmet and closely follows the advice of the mysterious Mandalorian Armorer (played by Emily Swallow) who upgrades his gear. Din seems happy with his life as a bounty hunter. After rescuing Grogu, however, he finds new purpose as a father figure of sorts to a tiny creature with fantastic abilities.

That tiny creature is Grogu. Referred to earlier in *The Mandalorian* as “the child,” Grogu looks exactly like a miniature version of Yoda, the venerable Jedi Master. Like Yoda, Grogu has fantastic Force powers, though he appears to have had very little training on how to use them. He is obedient to the Mandalorian, but sometimes suffers from impulse control issues, leading to many of the funnier moments of the first season.

**Greef Karga**

Played by screen legend Carl Weathers, Greef Karga begins the show as the leader of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild who assigns jobs to the titular hero. Once Din starts protecting Grogu, he finds himself at odds with the guild. Later, Karga and Din strike a bargain, becoming uneasy allies rather than enemies.

Cara Dune (Gina Carano) is a former Rebel shock trooper who has become a mercenary. She becomes a close ally to Din and was once slated to headline her own spinoff series. Behind-the-scenes drama between the actor and Disney appears to have closed the door on that possibility.

**Moff Gideon**

*Breaking Bad* legend Giancarlo Esposito plays Moff Gideon, a cunning Imperial leader who has marshaled the forces of the defeated Galactic Empire under his rule. Not only is he relentlessly pursuing Grogu for unknown reasons, but he is later shown to be in possession of the mysterious Darksaber.

How it ends

Din and his allies (including Greef Karga, Cara Dune, and IG-11, the reprogrammed assassin droid who previously tried to kill Grogu) make a final stand protecting Grogu from the forces of Moff Gideon.

All seems lost when a group of Stormtroopers ambushes the crew, but IG-11 heroically sacrifices himself to save them. Moff Gideon pursues them in a TIE Fighter, but Din is able to defeat him thanks to his new jetpack.

The season ends with Din vowing to return Grogu to his people while, unbeknownst to him, Moff Gideon cuts his way out of his downed TIE Fighter using the Darksaber.

Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin and Katee Sackoff as Bo-Katan Kryze in season 2 of 'The Mandalorian'.

Lucasfilm / Courtesy Everett Collection

Season 2 debuted on Oct. 30, 2020. EW was kinder to the "excellent" second season. "[Din] learned that his way isn't the only Mandalorian one and that there were certain lines worth crossing for the ones he loved," said our critic. "And as he comes to the end of his quest, he learns most importantly that he needs to sacrifice his own wants for the needs of the one he values most even if that breaks his heart."

What it’s about

In season 2 of *The Mandalorian*, the titular bounty hunter continues protecting Grogu while trying to help his ward find his people. This results in Din visiting several different worlds, where he encounters new enemies and allies.

These include Cobb Vanth, a marshal of a small settlement, and Bo-Katan, a Mandalorian leader who dreams of wielding the Darksaber and retaking their home planet of Mandalore. Later, Din introduces Grogu to Ahsoka Tano and teams up with Boba Fett, who was previously believed to be dead.**

Key characters

Temura Morrison as Boba Fett in 'The Mandalorian' season 2.

Season 2 of *The Mandalorian* connects this show to the greater Star Wars universe while planting the seeds for many future events and spinoffs. Accordingly, the introduction of these new characters gives the show a stronger arc than it has in season 1, which often felt like a collection of side stories.

**Bo-Katan Kryze**

Played by *Battlestar Galactica* veteran Katee Sackhoff, Bo-Katan is a character from *The Clone Wars* making her first live-action appearance. She's the leader of her own team of Mandalorian warriors and has her own ambitious goals: namely, retrieving the Darksaber and leading as many of her people as she can to retake Mandalore, their ancestral home.

Timothy Olyphant joined season 2 as Cobb Vanth, a New Republic Marshal trying to protect a small town from various threats, including a Krayt dragon. He does so while wearing a special set of Mandalorian armor that once belonged to the notorious bounty hunter, Boba Fett.

Temuera Morrison, the actor who played Jango Fett in the prequel trilogy, plays Boba Fett. Boba Fett was originally a bounty hunter who worked for galactic supervillains like Darth Vader and Jabba the Hutt. He seemingly died in *Return of the Jedi* when his jetpack was damaged and he fell into the Sarlacc Pit. After surviving and recovering his armor, Fett assists Din before returning to Jabba’s Palace and taking over the late Hutt’s former operations.

**Ahsoka Tano**

Ahsoka Tano is a fan-favorite character from the *Clone Wars* cartoon, and she's brought to life in season 2 by Rosario Dawson. Once Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan, Ahsoka has survived Order 66 and is trying to find information about Grand Admiral Thrawn. Her role this season is small, but it sets up plotlines that continue in her spinoff series, *Ahsoka*.

How it ends

Earlier in season 2, Grogu is taken to a Jedi seeing stone on Tython, where he can more easily reach out to other Jedi. It turns out the Jedi he contacts is no less than Luke Skywalker himself. Played by Mark Hamill (with a healthy dose of de-aging visual effects), the Jedi Master boards Moff Gideon’s ship and swiftly takes out all of his Dark Troopers.

Meanwhile, Din defeats Moff Gideon in single combat, earning possession of the Darksaber. With Din's encouragement, Grogu leaves with Luke, intent on completing his Jedi training.

Season 3 of 'The Mandalorian'.

Lucasfilm / Courtesy Everett Collection

Season 3 debuted on March 1, 2023, though Din and Grogu reunited between seasons on the spinoff *The Book of Boba Fett*.

What it’s about

For better or for worse, season 3 of *The Mandalorian* focuses less on its core duo and more on the Mandalorians as a people.

Din is seeking penance after removing his helmet in season 2, and is told that the only way to restore his honor is to return to Mandalore, which was devastated during the Great Purge, and bathe in the Living Waters beneath the Mines of Mandalore. He does so, restoring his standing within the sect, and later joins Bo-Katan and the other Mandalorians in the effort to reclaim the planet.

Key characters

Katy O'Brian as Elia Kane in 'The Mandalorian' season 3.

Season 3 of *The Mandalorian* features more returning characters than new ones. With that said, there are some new characters who are important to this season and may continue shaping the story in future appearances.

Played by *Love Lies Bleeding*'s Katy O’Brian, Elia Kane is a former Imperial communications officer who has seemingly cleaned up her act and received amnesty from the New Republic. In reality, she is a spy who still reports to Moff Gideon.

**Gorian Shard**

Voiced by Nonso Anozie, Gorian Shard is a pirate captain who has a bone to pick with Din. After he fails to kill Mando in a space battle, Shard leads an invasion of Nevarro. This backfires horribly. Din and the rest of the Mandalorians defeat the pirates’ forces and rescue Nevarro, giving them their old Enclave back so they can continue unifying their people.

**Kelleran Beq**

Ahmed Best, who famously played Jar-Jar Binks in the prequels, appears as Kelleran Beq, who is seen only in a brief flashback sequence. He is the Jedi Master who rescues Grogu during the events of Order 66. We will likely learn more about this character in future stories.

How it ends

Season 3 of *The Mandalorian* ends on a positive note. While Moff Gideon has given himself and his troops some powerful armor upgrades, they prove to be no match against Din and the reunited Mandalorians. Together, they defeat the malevolent Moff and stop his plan to create Force-sensitive clones using Grogu’s blood.

Mandalore is freed from imperial control, and Bo-Katan takes control of the planet's destiny. She and her people relight the Great Forge, and the process of rebuilding begins.

Din, meanwhile, officially adopts Grogu as his apprentice. The two settle into a quiet life on Nevarro, where they live in a small cabin and take on jobs for the New Republic.**

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Source: “EW Star”