Why the New Republic story line has potential
Season 3 of The Mandalorian seemingly capped off the Mandalore plot of the show. Mandalore has been successfully retaken and all the Mandalorians seem united. Din did his part in helping Bo Katan retake her planet and Bo Katan has become its leader again. With all that set and done, Din and Din Grogu set off for Nevarro, where they’ve settled down in well deserved bliss.
The episode also teased what the future holds for Din and Grogu. Din met up with Caron Teva on Adelphi and offered his services in capturing any former Imperials as a way to make a living. This also allows him to take Grogu on journeys again from one planet to another, something that’s also a part of his training as a Mandalorian apprentice. This also means Din can be a part of the larger storyline and the larger conflict involving Thrawn and other characters that he’s more familiar with, such as Ahsoka.
It’s obvious that for now, Din won’t have much to do with Mandalore. His duties as a father and a teacher will turn his focus exclusively to Grogu. However, his involvement with the New Republic is a thread that can connect him to the future of the Mandoverse, and that future is inevitably leading to Dave Filoni’s crossover movie event.
This will give Din a purpose apart from just being a father and a bounty hunter, something the character definitely needs after he was sidelined for the majority of Season 3. While working for the New Republic, Din Djarin and Grogu can uncover, first hand, evidence of the looming conflict in the Galaxy, and maybe even run into Grand Admiral Thrawn himself. These are exciting possibilities that can help connect these characters to the ones yet to be introduced to live action including Ezra Bridger, Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wren.
Just like Din Djarin, Sabine Wren is also a Mandalorian, who’s very comfortable with those who have a very different background than her. Bringing together characters like Ahsoka, Din, Sabine, Ezra, Grogu, Hera and Zeb has a lot of potential. Ahsoka and Din already know each other and even know Luke Skywalker, and Din can provide Ahsoka the information she might need in the future as she confronts the threat posed by Grand Admiral Thrawn.
The Mandalorian Season 3 is streaming now on Disney+. Season 4 of The Mandalorian films later this year, and Ahsoka, starring Rosario Dawson, starts streaming in August on Disney+.