The Mandalorian And Baby Yoda Parted Ways A Year Ago, And Fans Have All The Feels While Marking The Anniversary

The Star Wars train just keeps on chugging across the small screen, as fans are now eagerly awaiting the release of The Book of Boba Fett at the end of the month. That doesn’t mean they’re not still thinking about its parent show, The Mandalorian, though. It’s been over a year since Season 2 first premiered, and many are still talking about the exploits of bounty hunter Din Djarin. Well, today is a very bittersweet occasion, as it marks exactly one year since the second season finale, which saw Djarin and Grogu (Baby Yoda) part ways. Fans are taking the time to mark the anniversary, and they're definitely in their feels. 

In “Chapter 16: The Rescue,” Mando and his allies stage an assault on an imperial shuttle in order to rescue the diminutive, Force-sensitive alien. They’re ultimately successful and, in the end, Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker arrives to collect Grogu and take him to begin his training. This led to an incredibly heartfelt goodbye between the green child and his father figure. The sequence was emotional then and, based on recent Twitter posts, some fans still aren’t over it now:

The episode was directed by Ant-Man filmmaker Peyton Reed and penned by series creator Jon Favreau (who earned an Emmy nod for the episode), and the two, along with their collaborators, pulled it off beautifully. No shot felt wasted, with the close-ups of Mando’s uncovered face gazing at Grogu serving as some of the most memorable ones. The image above is emotional enough, but the scene became even more poignant when Baby Yoda touched the bounty hunter’s face for the the first time:

There was surely some great technical and effects wizardry at play in the episode but, of course, you need skilled actors to play off those moments. The entire cast did well, but it was lead actor Pedro Pascal who truly made viewers tear up. Given that his character is usually wearing a helmet, it’s rare that fans get to actually see him yet, when he is uncovered, he doesn’t waste a scene. So it should come as no surprise that fans are currently praising him on the anniversary of the episode:

The finale was filled with a number of other great moments as well, like the climactic duel between Din Djarin and Moff Gideon and R2-D2’s cameo, which got Jon Favreau misty-eyed. But let us not forget the explosive entrance of Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker. Though the emotional goodbye between the co-leads struck a chord, Skywalker’s entrance evoked similar feelings. This was a moment that Hamill was truly grateful for and, amid fans’ tributes on the finale’s anniversary, they continued to show love for the Jedi:

It’s honestly hard to believe that it’s already been over a year since fans got their last fix of The Mandalorian. Still, the fact that many are still talking about the installment just as enthusiastically now is a testament to the hard work put in by the cast and crew. And all are currently hard at work on bringing more stories to the small screen. 

Season 3 of the acclaimed series began filming back in October, with Pedro Pascal, Giancarlo Esposito and Carl Weathers all confirmed to return. The show will surely be different without Grogu but, if rumors are to be believed, the would-be Jedi could pop up on The Book of Boba Fett. It may be a long shot, but a part of me hopes that viewers will get to see him and Mando reunite at some point in the future. 

You can check out their two seasons’s worth of adventures by streaming The Mandalorian on Disney+.