Brander Lawson

I don’t know much technical stuff about music, but there’s just some stuff that happens throughout the soundtrack that I think hints at this!

So the Shakari theme first plays when Din and Grogu are arriving on Shakari and getting a lay of the land. It’s very distinct from the rest of the soundtrack (and from most Star Wars music, really- Ludwig Goransson is so fun); it has a more techno sound and its own melodies going on. It’s really fitting for Shakari as a planet, imo.

Once you get a little over 30 seconds into it, some really pretty string section stuff comes in. This part is a much different vibe from the first chunk of the song. The techno part is very futuristic/alien-sounding, unique like it's meant to stand out and sound like a new planet. But once the violins etc. come in, they add a lot of depth and emotion to what’s going on. This isn’t just a cool new energetic planet. It’s got its own heart and soul, too.

The string section also sort of reminds me of something that would fittingly play during a scene introducing nobility or a royal court of some kind. It’s elegant and graceful, it stands out and could stand on its own nicely. Fitting for the heir of a (crime) empire maybe??

But listening to it makes it sound not just like it's meant for an heir, but also like it’s trying to convey a longing of some kind. The notes are long and drawn out, it’s a little sad to listen to. It sounds like yearning, a yearning for something emotional and heartfelt.

That yearning melody doesn’t really come into full swing until after we hear the little Mando flute melody that always tells you when there’s a Mando Moment. Actually, the strings don’t start at all until after the Mando flute sound- because Mando has to initiate the contact between himself and Rotta! And as soon as the string melody does start, Mando’s melody comes in and matches it perfectly, and they go back and forth as though the parts of music are having a conversation. It’s really quite fascinating to listen to.

And I think this section of the song, which goes on for a quite a while, is meant to symbolize what’s going on between Din and Rotta. While Din has grown as a character over time, overall he knows who he is, so his melody stays consistent. Rotta comes off as big and tough and like his priority is beating people up every night in the arena (see Rotta’s theme), but that’s not who he is, it’s not who he wants to be. He wants people to care about him and like him. He wants to have close relationships. He has a softness to him, but you only come to know that about Rotta after Mando starts talking to him. Interestingly, it’s during their very first conversation when Rotta decides it’s okay to open up to Din about that stuff.

So, when you listen to the Shakari theme, this is symbolized very well. Mando shows up and tells Rotta that not only is it time to go home, but that there’s more to life than violence and winning in the arena. And, in response to the attention he gets from Din, Rotta chooses to open up about what’s in his heart.

I love film composers and scores sm

Later in the soundtrack, the song that’s about Din and Grogu deciding to go back for Rotta is called Should We Run or Should We Fight, and guess what it starts with? That Shakari theme!! It’s more intense, because there’s more danger now, but the first minute or so are both heavily influenced by what you hear in Shakari. Also, very interestingly, the more techno part of the Shakari theme weaves into and plays in the background of Mando’s theme, all right there at the start of the song. Rotta and Din have left an impression on each other, and at this point Din and Grogu are ready to go back into the fight because of this. The Shakari theme is sprinkled into other parts of the song as well!

It can also be heard somewhat in Rotta Chase!

Then, at the end of Should We Run or Should We Fight, as Grogu saves Rotta’s life from the pit creature, you hear instruments often associated with Grogu begin to play the Shakari theme mixed in with a tiny, very short part of Din’s theme. This segues into Rotta’s theme and Din’s theme playing at the same time as Rotta is carried to safety. Grogu is on board with Rotta being their friend, too!

It’s just the way the score keeps circling back to the Shakari theme, even after they leave Shakari and after Rotta has given up his fighting career. It seems like it’s intentionally placed around Rotta’s scenes and plotlines. Also, there may have been other examples I missed, but these parts just stood out to me especially!

So yeah! Maybe just maybe, the Shakari theme song doubles as Rotta’s theme song!

Update to this! Was listening to some of this soundtrack again and the string section in Shakari doesn’t just match up to Din’s theme well, it is Din’s theme! It starts off much slower than Din’s iteration, but then once Din’s theme and the strings start taking turns, the string section becomes a literal echo of Din’s theme!

So maybe metaphorically, this shows that Rotta is wanting that connection with Din but isn’t sure at first, until eventually they do bond and get along really well!

This soundtrack is so cool