#jabba

After watching the movie (Mandalorian and Grogu) an overarching theme I felt was present, was the value of choice. Once we meet Rotta, the movie goes to great lengths to inform us that he doesn't want to be like his father, he doesn't want to hurt people, or enslave them and rule over them.

But this is presumably something that's haunted him since before his fathers death. Rotta was raised as a Hutt, raised in Jabba's palace and witness to the violent nature of his father.

It's undeniable that Jabba loved his son dearly. But that love doesn't redeem his heinous acts. We can assume that Rotta felt this way as well, that his father, a man who loved him, was also a crime lord, an enslaver, a murderer. And that as he grew into an adult, his desire to distance himself from his fathers bloody legacy grew.

Which is in stark parallel to Grogu and Din. As their relationship begins with Din pointing a gun at the infant. But Din often goes out of his way to shield Grogu from harm and becoming a witness to violence, even allowing others to care for the infant while he conducts a bounty.

But Din also goes to great lengths to unite Grogu with the last remaining Jedi (Luke) he forces himself to let Grogu go, so he can enter into the life of a Jedi. Din openly offer's Grogu the gift of choice.

This gift then allows Grogu to once again make the choice to walk the path of the Mandalore instead of remaining as a Jedi. I believe we can assume that Jabba very likely funnelled his own son's path into that of his successor. Rotta was (presumably) denied the chance to find his own way, to decide his own fate. Instead groomed for the position he would one day fill.

Rotta was never given a choice to be anything than what his family demanded of him. It takes the death of his father for him to even begin considering the chance to be something else. An important thing to note here, is that Rotta isn't boxed into a predetermined narrative. Hutt's weren't always gluttonous warlords, one of their most famous members was himself a Jedi.

Rotta and Grogu are parallels of each other. Grogu, the son given the freedom of choice. Rotta, the son predestined to a fate he never wanted. We see throughout the film, how similar they both are - Rotta was raised by Jabba in his palace, Grogu was raised in the Jedi temple, both had their narratives preordained by others. Neither were given input on what they wanted to do; who they wanted to be.

Rotta found his path in spite of his father; Grogu finds his because of his father.

I feel that this is also why Rotta is so amicable towards Din. He see's a father trusting his son to make his own choices independently of him. He see's the relationship he was never able to manifest with his own father.

Our Parents (gaurdians) don't have the final say on who we choose to be. Grogu was given the choice to stay with Din, to become a Mandalorian, Rotta had to suffer through the death of his father, the fall of his empire, and the abuse of his aunt and uncle to finally be given the chance to make his own choices.