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Looking for what to watch before The Mandalorian and Grogu? Then you’ve come to the right place.
Since Din Djarin and Baby Yoda got their start on Disney Plus, you might be wondering just what movies and TV shows you should watch before their first big screen outing in The Mandalorian and Grogu. Below, we’ve rounded up the essential movies and TV episodes to check out beforehand, as well as some optional extras if you really feel like doing your homework.
The Star Wars movies to watch before The Mandalorian and Grogu
The original Star Wars trilogy
If you haven’t actually seen the three original Star Wars movies – A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi – then we recommend starting here. This will give you all the context on the Empire and the Rebellion, as the plot of The Mandalorian and Grogu revolves around hunting down an ex-Imperial warlord for the New Republic, which was formed after the fall of the Empire. Plus, in Return of the Jedi, you’ll see a lot of Jabba the Hutt, father to Rotta the Hutt, a key character in The Mandalorian and Grogu.
The Clone Wars movie
The Clone Wars movie introduces Rotta the Hutt, the young son of Jabba the Hutt. Rotta, played by Jeremy Allen White, appears in The Mandalorian and Grogu, and it sounds like he’s in trouble again. In The Clone Wars film, baby Rotta is kidnapped by separatists, and Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano are tasked with finding him and bringing him back. If you want to know absolutely everything about Rotta before going into the movie, then this is the film to watch.
The Star Wars TV shows to watch before The Mandalorian and Grogu
The Mandalorian seasons 1-3
An obvious one, but the majority of the backstory you need to understand for the film can be found in The Mandalorian Disney Plus show. In this series, we see how Din Djarin came to find Grogu – or the Child, as he was known at the time – as well as his quest to unite Grogu with a Jedi, and then eventually the beginning of Grogu’s journey as a Mandalorian apprentice. You’ll also see the development of a truly beautiful bond between adoptive father and son.
The Book of Boba Fett episodes 5-7
Three episodes of The Book of Boba Fett feature Din Djarin, and they’re also pretty essential viewing. In these episodes, Mando trains with the Darksaber, Grogu’s Jedi training is revealed, and Mando and Grogu finally reunite on Tatooine. The episodes take place after The Mandalorian season 2 but before season 3 on the Star Wars timeline. The Hutt Twins are also introduced in this show, specifically appearing (briefly) in episodes 2 and 3, so you could check out those installments too if you want more background on them, though their appearances are fleeting enough it isn’t necessary.
Optional extras
The Clone Wars
A bounty hunter named Embo appears in The Mandalorian and Grogu, as revealed by the second trailer. If you want to get up to speed on Embo, these are all the episodes of The Clone Wars in which he appears:
- Season 2, episode 17: ‘Bounty Hunters’
- Season 3, episode 4: ‘Sphere of Influence’
- Season 4, episode 17: ‘The Box’
- Season 4, episode 18: ‘Crisis on Naboo’
- Season 4, episode 20: ‘Bounty’
- Season 4, episode 22: ‘Revenge’
- Season 5, episode 14: ‘Eminence’
- Season 6, episode 5: ‘An Old Friend’
For more, see our guide on how to watch The Clone Wars in order (it’s harder than you think).
Star Wars Rebels
Zeb Orrelios is a character who originated in the animated show Star Wars Rebels. Zeb will appear in The Mandalorian and Grogu – and he has a cameo in The Mandalorian season 3 – so, if you want to learn more about this Lasat, you can watch Rebels. He’s one of the main characters in the show and features heavily throughout.
Ahsoka
Neither The Mandalorian nor Grogu make appearances in the Ahsoka show, but the series does deal heavily with the Imperial remnant’s plan to bring Grand Admiral Thrawn back to power. That links loosely to The Mandalorian and Grogu, so you could check out this show for context. Plus, Ahsoka Tano made her live-action debut in season 2, episode 5 of The Mandalorian, where she quickly bonds with Grogu.
For more, check out our guide to how to watch the Star Wars movies in order to plan your next marathon.