Star Wars finally admitted to its biggest Mandalorian blunder in its latest Disney+ release. The Din Djarin story, which debuted on the streamer in November 2019, introduced fans to a different flavor of storytelling, following the stoic, lone bounty hunter on a mission that completely changed his outlook on life. The show was one of the best things to happen to Star Wars and an instant hit when it started airing. As great as it was, though, its story had some issues, and the franchise is acknowledging one of them in the most unexpected fashion possible.
Star Wars’ latest animated special, LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian, premiered on Disney+ on September 2, retelling all three seasons of the series with a comedic twist. In it, the franchise poked fun at a moment from Season 1 that bugged fans for years. At the 14:00 mark, Din Djarin and Greef Karga look back on the Season 1 finale, where Moff Gideon’s TIE fighter crashed on Nevarro.
Din then asks the question fans have screamed at their screens for years: “Uh, do you think we should go make sure Moff Gideon didn’t somehow survive that crash?” Din and Karga answer in unison: “Nah.”
There’s a saying that every good joke has an ounce of truth to it, and this scene is hilarious because of how true it actually is. In the Season 1 finale, Din’s battle with Moff Gideon comes to a head on Nevarro.
The Imperial warlord fires blasts from his TIE fighter at Din, who’s accompanied by Cara Dune, Greef Karga, and, of course, the baby. The crew realizes their blasters have no effect on the ship, so Mando pulls out his jetpack, flies for the first time, and takes the fighter head-on.
He eventually manages to plant a grav charge on it, sending the TIE down. Grav charges are powerful, but Mando barely managed to attach the explosive, and the blast damage was limited. Only part of the ship exploded. Unsurprisingly, Gideon survived the wreck, cutting his way out of the downed fighter with the Darksaber, marking the weapon’s first-ever appearance in live action.
It was a classic “no one could have survived that” trope, and it felt a bit cliché as it has been used in several action films over the years. The hero assumes the villain is defeated without verifying the kill, and the villain inevitably returns. Gideon’s survival was integral to Season 2’s plot, as he returned to cause Din and Grogu even more trouble, eventually kidnapping the Child.
Din had to jump through several hoops to save Grogu, all of which could have been avoided if the crew had simply made sure Gideon was dead in the Season 1 finale. LEGO Star Wars doesn’t let the Mandalorian and his compatriots off the hook, mocking the decision in typical LEGO style.
The LEGO Special Mocks Even More of The Mandalorian’s Choices
The Gideon gag is far from the only shot the special takes at the live-action series. The 45-minute Disney+ release is packed with self-aware jokes that poke fun at the show’s strangest storytelling habits.
Earlier in the special, at the 12:22 mark, Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon boils his entire master plan down to one line: “I need that child… for reasons.” The joke highlights how vague Gideon’s motivations were in the first two seasons. The live-action series kept his endgame a mystery for a long time, only later revealing that he wanted Grogu’s blood for cloning experiments tied to Force-sensitive test subjects.
At 3:41, the special mocks the fact that Werner Herzog’s character never got a real name. Karga introduces him by saying, “He is called The Client,” prompting Din to ask, “That’s it? The Client?” The Client responds, “Yes, we share the same first name, ‘The.'” The exchange is hilarious, roasting the show for never giving the Season 1 villain an actual identity.
At 16:25, Timothy Olyphant’s Cobb Vanth offers Din Boba Fett’s armor in exchange for help, and Din sighs, “Let me guess. I have to fight a monster.” Vanth corrects him: “No, you don’t have to fight a monster. You have to fight a dragon.” The bit calls out how often The Mandalorian sends Din to battle a giant creature to get what he needs, from the krayt dragon on Tatooine to the ice spiders on Maldo Kreis. The special doubles down on the joke later, awarding Din a free sandwich after he defeats five separate monsters.
The special also roasts Din’s decision to gift Grogu a suit of beskar armor, with Peli Motto quipping, “Very, very funny, what’s the real gift?”Din answers earnestly, “That’s it, it’s a suit of chainmail made from beskar steel.” She then advises him to get Grogu“a nice speeder bike or something with tassels on the handlebars,” arguing that “kids hate clothes.” The scene pokes fun at Mando’s chainmail as an impractical present for a child.
Arguably the funniest jab comes at 21:40, when Luke Skywalker arrives to take Grogu, just like he did in the Season 2 finale. Din tells him, “It looks like you were expecting us to know who you are.” Luke fires back, “I’m Luke Skywalker… My father was Darth Vader? … Oh, come on! I’m kind of a big deal!” Din simply answers, “Mm. If you say so.” The scene makes fun of how casually Din handed Grogu over to a complete stranger in the live-action finale, with no questions asked about who Luke was or where he planned to take the kid.
