Should the Mandalorian just adopt The Child?

What is the endgame for the Mandalorian and The Child?

The first season of The Mandalorian featured an unlikely, but beautiful father-son relationship develop between the Mandalorian/Din Djarin and The Child/Baby Yoda. The Armorer told Din to reunite The Child with its own kind. To help him with this quest, the Armorer told Din about “an order of sorcerers called Jedi.”

This is the journey that Din will find himself on in season 2 as he continues to look out for The Child. Based on the information given to the audience so far, it is unclear if the primary objective at this point is to unite The Child with the Jedi or other members of the Yoda species.

Handing over The Child to the Jedi or other members of the Yoda species might be what’s best for him since they’ll understand The Child’s Force abilities and how to help him grow in this regard. Yet, there would be an undeniable sense of loss to see Din and The Child separated after the heartwarming bond they’ve developed and the many obstacles they’ve overcome together. The relationship between Din and The Child is the heart of the show and what makes it so universally beloved right now.

Giving The Child to the Jedi – -and likely to Jedi Master Luke Skywalker — is not a happy ending either given what fans know about the future of the Jedi from the sequel trilogy. The Child would likely become one of Luke’s students and would go on to lose his life during the tragic night shown in The Last Jedi and The Rise of Kylo Ren comic.

That leaves the possibility of reuniting The Child with other members of his species, an option that’s ultimately not as dark as him becoming one of Luke’s doomed students, but is it the ending that’s best for The Child and the ending than fans deserve?

The season 1 finale saw Din and The Child get their own signet- – the mudhorn — which officially made them a clan of two. This officially made them family beyond the father-son dynamic they already shared. The series could take this a step further if the endgame is for Din to officially adopt The Child and if The Child chooses to stay with Din.

This might be the most satisfying outcome for the show. After watching multiple seasons of Din and The Child together, Din feels more like The Child’s family than the Jedi or even other members of the Yoda species ever will.

Moreover, this would tie in nicely with the stance that Star Wars has taken in some of its other stories. Family is not just about bloodlines; it’s about the people who support you, are there for you, and who help you become the best version of yourself.

This is why Rey declared herself a Skywalker in the final moments of The Rise of Skywalker. She was a Palpatine by blood but it was the Skywalkers who supported her and helped her become the best version of herself. The same holds true in other stories like Star Wars Rebels where even though he lost his parents, Ezra Bridger found a new family in the other members of the Ghost crew who supported and positively shaped him.

The Mandalorian can embody these themes by having The Child choose to stay with Din in the end and cement them as a found family. This wouldn’t happen in season 2 and might not happen until the series finale.

As Din continues to search for The Child’s people, they will grow even closer throughout their journey, all while setting the stage for an ending where they hopefully choose to stay together.