Star Wars creator George Lucas had a specific request for Grogu, and The Book of Boba Fett was able to address it by ignoring it. The Book of Boba Fett brought the beloved bounty hunter back to Star Wars. The series explains Boba Fett’s (Temuera Morrison) story in the past and the present. During the past scenes, fans get to see how Boba Fett escaped the Sarlacc after his tumble into the beast’s belly in 1983’s Return of the Jedi. Boba Fett’s present-day story plays out as the former bounty hunter attempts to become the new crime lord on Tatooine. And several Star Wars favorites return to help Boba Fett in his task, including Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu.
In the series, Grogu makes a tough decision. The character formerly known as Baby Yoda left Mando in The Mandalorian season 2 to train to become a Jedi with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). However, Luke Skywalker gives Grogu a choice in Book of Boba Fett. After a single episode showcasing Grogu training with Luke, the Jedi Master offers Baby Yoda two options. The little creature can continue its Jedi training and accept Yoda’s (Frank Oz) old lightsaber, or he can take Mandalorian armor dropped off by Din Djarin and follow the Mandalorian again. Grogu ultimately decides on the latter.
George Lucas had one concern with Grogu, and Star Wars quickly fulfilled it. According to The Art of The Mandalorian: Season 2, Dave Filoni, a producer for both The Mandalorian and Book of Boba Fett, said, “I had a talk with George, at one point, about the Child, and his main concern was that the kid has to have a proper amount of training.” And The Book of Boba Fett had an excellent way of handling it. In the series, Grogu gets only one episode of training before heading off with the Mandalorian again. Still, Luke notably says Grogu is “remembering” his past training, and he’s not “actually teaching” him anything. And with that, Star Wars gives a masterclass on ignoring a note.
George Lucas wanted Grogu to have appropriate training, so Star Wars claimed he already did. One episode of training is certainly not enough to show that Grogu can use the Force properly; however, Luke Skywalker’s line suggests Grogu had the skills all along. They were just lying dormant. With the line, Star Wars addresses George Lucas’ training concerns without ever having to show Grogu going through more training. After all, Grogu is 50 years old, so it makes sense that he’d have some experience in that time. It’s the perfect way to skirt the issue and reunite Grogu with Mando again.
Just because Grogu left Luke Skywalker, it doesn’t mean his training is necessarily over. Though Luke Skywalker makes Grogu choose between being a Mandalorian and Jedi, he could be both. According to Star Wars, Tarre Vizsla, the character who created the Darksaber, was both a Mandalorian and a Jedi. So Grogu could have more Jedi training in the future. But thanks to Luke Skywalker in The Book of Boba Fett, it makes sense why he put his lessons on hold.
- Rogue Squadron (2023)Release date: Dec 22, 2023
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