With the new poster and trailer dropping for The Mandalorian and Grogu, I wanted to delve into a little self indulgent analysis of their relationship!
As an introductory note, the theme of parent/child relationships formed over the absence of a blood relation is quite a common relationship to find in Star Wars media's.
From Kanan and Ezra, Qui-Gon and Dooku, Leia and Bail. In most if not all these relationships: the relationship the parent and child share is often integral to one or the others' growth as a character (Minus Dooku who instead suffered a fall of character after the loss of Qui-Gon.)
The outlier in this dynamic is Grogu and Din, in that it's one of the few instances where we see the relationship form and flourish.
I'll be discussing/analysing four important scenes here:
Luke arrives to retrieve Grogu: Mandalorian season 1.
Din's arrival to Luke's school, Book of Boba Fett season 1.
Grogu's choice at Luke's school, Book of Boba Fett, season 1.
Grogu's induction as a Mandalorian apprentice, season 3.
So, to begin with, we have the first integral scene of their relationship. The message got through, and now Luke is here to take Grogu away, to train him.
During this scene, as soon as Luke enters, Din is on the defensive, both from his physical stance and verbal tone.
His immediate response to Luke urging Grogu to come to him is: "He doesn't want to go with you." Are those Grogu's feelings; or Din's? As Grogu cannot verbally communicate, we rely on Din to infer his emotional state.
We also have Luke's reply to examine "He want's your permission." with this response we can conclude that even Luke can see that Grogu see's Din as a parental figure of some kind. Seeking permission to join his new master.
Finally, Din relents, its time. He has to say goodbye.
An off-topic note here, but I find Din's comment about Luke as "One of your kind." To Grogu is very fascinating. Din doesn't see species as a clear-cut division. They are both Jedi and as such, they are kin to one another. Which in turn relates to Din's own relationship with Manadalore; though he wasn't born to the planet itself, he still owns the heritage and culture of a Mandalorian.
finally arriving to the meat of the scene, we have Din promising to come see him (Grogu) again. And again we see how far their relationship has travelled to this point. Its not just that Grogu want's to see Din again, but Din needs to see Grogu again. They grown too close now. To be separated is to be without familial love. (Something they both clearly desire (and need.)
Back to the scene, we have Din cradling Grogu, and Grogu reaching to brush his helmet (throughout the season, we see many different instances where Grogu attempts to peek under Din's helmet. (in my opinion, this is his way of seeing the man behind the mask. He want's to know what Din really is.
We have a moment of hesitation(from Din); He is at his most vulnerable here: never once does he allow himself to be seen without his helmet (by another living being). He allowed himself to be vulnerable, knowing the consequences.
He removes his helmet (and in doing so, removes the barrier he used to distance himself from Grogu) in this moment he allows himself to become an apostate; to abandon his creed, to possibly forsake his culture and religion - for Grogu.
Din practices an act of pure selfless love in allowing Grogu (and the others) to see him without his helmet, to uncloak himself, to lower the shield.
(a quick note: Din reactions here is incredibly compelling, we have to consider that this is the first time he's been touched, with gentleness)(since he lost his parents. His expression is almost frightened in a way. After such a long time of being denied, he's overwhelmed.)
In this scene, Din exposes himself, both through the removal of his helmet (physically) and emotionally.
Din opens himself up to feel these intense emotions, just so he can offer comfort to Grogu, to comfort, and reassure him when he needs it the most. To allow him into the secret, that the man behind the mask; is just a man.
Whenever we allow ourselves to love another, whether that be through a (Romantic, friendship or familial relationship) we have to allow ourselves to be vulnerable. To be hurt. To know that our love may not live past our lives, and that our relationships may break down.
Din, for probably the first time, in a very long time - is opening himself up to the possibility of love: familial love. The love of a father for his son. Because the rewards for doing so, are worth bearing the weight of the consequences.
But just as their relationship begins to form and flourish...he loses him to the last Jedi.
in conclusion to the first scene; Din's removal of his helmet is the lynch point of their relationship. Though throughout the season, the collection of Beskar and the forging of his new armour is seen as Din's main objective; it ends with him shedding the most important piece - to bid his son goodbye.
In this scene, Din has arrived to Ossus (The planet selected for Luke's school.) Din comes to the school to deliver a piece of Mandalorian armour, made for foundlings)
Again, I'll be skipping forward to the main part of the scene I want to analyse: which is the conversation Din shares with Ahsoka, once he wakes up, and seeing Grogu on the hill.
To begin with, we have this very revealing conversation:
Din: "I'd like to know how he's doing."
Ahsoka: "He's doing fine."
Din: "I want to see him."
Din starts the conversation with a simple "Like" he's not demanding or urging Ahsoka for this information, he'd simply like to know. But after Ahsoka replies, he uses "Want." the use of want is quite telling: because as far as Ahsoka and Luke are concerned, Din's done his duty, he delivered Grogu to the last Jedi and he'll now be trained as one himself. But Din's attachment to Grogu is already pulling him towards him (Grogu) he doesn't just want to see him, he needs to see him.
To know your child is safe and complacent is one thing, but to not have them in you sight, to feel that distance between you grow further, the further your physical distance becomes. This is exactly what Din is experiencing: its not the same to be told his son is doing fine, he needs to see him.
To continue with the scene: as Din and Ahsoka walk through the forest leading to the hill, we have a few extra snippets of conversation.
Ahsoka states that "Your attachment to Grogu would be difficult to let go of." I think its telling here that Ahsoka doesn't refer to Din as being Grogu's father or parental figure. Instead simply stating that he's become attached, due to her own Jedi upbringing, in which whilst those relationships exist, they are never openly labelled as such.
Ahsoka can tell that Din's natural want to become a father, has attached itself to Grogu.
Finally for this section, we get to the most breaking scene of them all: Din and Ahsoka arrive to the hill where Luke is training Grogu.
Already in this scene (even though Grogu is within his sights) he so far from Din. Both the landscape (the hill and encroaching trees) and Ahsoka act as barriers', barring him from the object of his attachment.
Even when Din is given the go ahead (by Ahsoka) before he can proceed she asks him "Are you doing this for Grogu, or for yourself" When Din explains that he just wants to give him the chain mail shirt; we can see that the bond they shared hasn't dissipated. Din's want for Grogu to become a Mandalorian Foundling is encroaching upon his duties as a bounty hunter.
To continue, we have this quote from Din "I came all this way. He's right there." And this single quote, immediately unveils his feelings: He cares deeply for Grogu and wants for him to be with his own kind (Jedi) but that physical separation is hard on him, he's struggling to be without him(Grogu) he's spent so much of his life as a lone bounty hunter, his ship is now truly empty - The one thing that gave it life is now gone
We can practically feel the yearning in his voice, its almost desperation. The short time they've spent together has formed a bond that is now too strong to break, to be apart from.
Try to imagine this from Din's perspective: To be within reach of the one you consider your son, but to be denied that desperate reunion. You have to deny yourself a son, in favour of him walking the path of the Jedi, the path he was born into.
To further extrapolate from this scene, we can see that he continuously holds up a front of only wanting to know how Grogu is doing, to deliver the (Chain) mail shirt to him. But maybe that front is to protect himself from being hurt. Again I want to reiterate that forming a bond especially a familial one; means opening yourself up to another, to love another with unconditional love. (but that love can hurt) (Din is a man whose own unconditional love for his parents was ripped from him by the empire. Its clear to see why he does have moments of hesitation)
Din is still clearly struggling at this point to accept that he needs Grogu, because he needs his son.
To further add to this, he brings the chain mail (made by the armourer) and as he says "As a Mandalorian foundling, he should have this. It's his right."
Again, his words betray him. He doesn't see Grogu as a Jedi, he see's him as a foundling, his foundling. Through their relationship, Grogu has claimed the right to become a Mandalorian foundling.
I think this is a pivotal moment for Din's emotional growth, though he wants Grogu to be with him, he knows this is Grogu's choice. Even though its not what he (Din) want's, but he concedes and lets Grogu be with Luke.
if anything this further accentuates Din's role as a father to Grogu, to be willing to accept your son's choice and carry that longing with you as you leave him to forge his own path.
For the third scene, I'll be analysing Grogu's choice.
To begin, I want to add some background subtext: As far as we (the audience) and any remaining survivors of order 66 are aware: Grogu was hidden away deep within the temple. Now, while we don't know his parentage or previous memories, we can infer that Grogu may not have had any close relationships. Especially as a child (most likely) born to Jedi, those attachments he must've naturally longed for - were never there.
When we (the audience) meet him, Grogu is only a child. A fatherless child. A child whose previous kin were murdered in cold blood.
which brings me to the choice: Luke has offered Grogu two items -the Lightsaber, and the Beskaran mail shirt.
And evidently, Grogu chooses the shirt. To become a Mandalorian and forsake the way of the Jedi.
I feel this also parallels: tradition vs choice; Grogu was raised in the temple, without any choice in the matter, as it was tradition, to have Force sensitive children raised in the temple. But he chose Din. He was finally given a father figure, a father figure he chose himself.
To pick the mail means going to be with Din, to be with his father, to pick the lightsaber means to be without attachment, without parental love and the warmth it brings.
Possibly for the first time in his life; Grogu is allowed to make his own choice, to make his decision of where his life will go from this moment.
One last thing I want to pinpoint in this is scene, is Luke's comment here "A short time for you, is a lifetime for someone else."
Grogu will outlive him(Din), sooner or later. But he makes the choice to embrace the chance at having a father. Being part of a family, a clan. Something he would not have had at the temple (or Luke's school). He chooses grieving later, if it means being loved now.
The love he has for Din as his father is stronger than the grief that will make him its victim one day.
an important side note: while Jedi do have parental/child bonds (specifically thought master and padawan. they always come short of truly committing to the these relationships. Dooku, who later used Qui-Gon's death as the fuel he needed to turn to the dark side and murder Master Yadel, for example.) The relationship is never explicitly labelled and as such these bonds fail to meet the mark as ones where bond is openly welcomed (Kanan, and Ezra, for example)
Onto the homestretch with the last scene: Mandalore has been reclaimed, Din and Grogu arrive to the living water to have Grogu added to the song.
In this scene we have the culmination of the formation of Din and Grogu's relationship (that was a mouthful)
Din has brought Grogu to the holiest place in all Mandalore culture. Openly sharing and inviting his son to embrace this culture.
A major theme in this scene is: connection. Both Grogu and Din connect through culture of the Mandalorian. While Grogu also connected with Luke and Ahsoka through his connection with the Jedi, this one feels much more tangible.
As the scene goes on, Din openly claims Grogu as his apprentice, but the armourer righty claims that he is too young speak and so too young to take the creed. And this is where Din finally reaches the peak of his arc as a character: in accepting Grogu as his son.
The Armourer knows his (Din's) feelings, she knows this is the way; to have an apprentice is to deny yourself a son. The culmination of his love that was once held back in favour of guarding himself against pain, is now free to be expressed.
turning back to Grogu: He chose the way of the Mandalorian because it's the way his father chose, and he trusts his father.
To be a Jedi is to deny that attachment and love.
To be Mandalorian is to be openly loved, and love back without fear of consequence. A majority of his maternal figures are also Mandalorian: Bo-Katan, the Armourer. He doesn't have to fear attachment as a Mandalorian, as attachment is a founding principle of their culture. instead of becoming a padawan he becomes an apprentice, instead of having a master, he gains a father. And Din gains a son.
Grogu is able to make the choice of allowing himself attachments, something his Jedi kin weren't able to do so themselves (at least not openly)
I personally think that Din and Grogu's relationship is a brilliant example of storytelling and found family. Two orphans finding each other across the expanse of an entire galaxy, and forming a clan of two.
This also relates to Star Wars as a whole: From Luke and Anakin, to Jango Fett and Boba Fett.
A cycle of Fathers finding sons, sons becoming Fathers.
(On a personal note, its been a while since I've done an analysis post and I'm a little rusty)(also! if anyone has something they'd like for me to do an analysis post on, please let me know!)
