Today marks five years since the premiere of The Mandalorian on Disney+ as Star Wars’ first live-action TV show, and its legacy proves just how historical this moment was for the franchise. First announcd in 2018, The Mandalorian has become an integral part of the Star Wars universe. Din Djarin and Grogu are now revered as some of Star Wars’ best characters, and their story will now be the first in Star Wars to ever go from the small screen to the big screen in The Mandalorian and Grogu movie. It all started on this day five years ago.
I can hardly believe it’s already been half a decade since The Mandalorian premiered, as it truly does feel like just yesterday that we met Din Djarin and “Baby Yoda” for the first time. Us Star Wars fans were eagerly awaiting the final movie in the sequel trilogy, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, when The Mandalorian arrived, causing a major shift in the Star Wars fandom – one that drifted towards us being united for the first time in many years. While The Mandalorian has certainly changed over the course of five years, here’s a look at its full impact.
The Mandalorian Launched A Brand-New Era Of Star Wars
The New Republic Era & The Star Wars TV Show Era
Perhaps the biggest contribution The Mandalorian made to the Star Wars franchise with its premiere was the way it launched an entirely brand-new era of Star Wars storytelling. Despite being detailed in Star Wars Legends books and comics, The Mandalorian brought the years after Return of the Jedi to life for the very first time, taking audiences to the New Republic era. This story had audiences so intrigued and captivated that this era has become Star Wars’ newest focus, with three separate TV shows and at least two upcoming Star Wars movies now taking place during this time period.
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It also, however, launched a brand-new Star Wars era in the real world: the era of television. The Mandalorian‘s success motivated Star Wars to pursue its TV shows eagerly, and ever since, we have gotten a huge variety of live-action series, including The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, and Skeleton Crew – three of which are direct spin-offs of The Mandalorian itself. These TV shows would likely never have happened if The Mandalorian had missed its mark, proving how its success has truly changed the franchise.
Din Djarin & Grogu Drew In A New Generation Of Fans
Audiences Both Young & Old Watched Their Story
The Mandalorian didn’t just open doors for Star Wars itself, though. This TV show drew in many new viewers, particularly with the introduction of Grogu. Children all over the world couldn’t, and still can’t, get enough of “Baby Yoda,” and he alone has encouraged many young fans to engage with Star Wars content. The same goes for Din Djarin, whose iconic look is recognizable to just about anyone – regardless of whether they have watched the show or not. The success rewarded to Din Djarin actor Pedro Pascal after The Mandalorian has also drawn in new viewers from his own fans.
The story of Din Djarin and Grogu resonated with audiences in a way that no other Star Wars story ever had, creating a gateway for many new fans.
Together, Din Djarin and Grogu have introduced Star Wars to a brand-new generation of Star Wars fans, both young and old. People who may not have been keen on the sequel trilogy were willing to give Star Wars a chance again. Those who had never engaged with Star Wars below the surface level of the movies suddenly found themselves wanting more, from the animated TV shows to books and comics. The story of Din Djarin and Grogu resonated with audiences in a way that no other Star Wars story ever had, creating a gateway for many new fans.
Despite Its Stumbles, The Mandalorian Still Has A Bright Future
The Mandalorian And Grogu Movie Arrives In 2026
With such a high bar set for itself after season 1, The Mandalorian was bound to take a stumble somewhere along the way. For some, that happened with The Book of Boba Fett, where Din Djarin and Grogu’s story was heavily integrated with the titular bounty hunter’s. For others, it was in The Mandalorian season 3, which saw Bo-Katan Kryze take more of a spotlight as she led the Mandalorians back to their homeworld. Despite its positive reception, The Mandalorian season 2 was even the first stumble for some viewers, particularly because of its plentiful character cameos.
|
The Mandalorian’s Rotten Tomatoes Scores |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season / Show |
Critic Score |
Audience Score |
|
The Mandalorian season 1 (2019) |
93% |
92% |
|
The Mandalorian season 2 (2020) |
93% |
91% |
|
The Book of Boba Fett (2021-2022) |
66% |
49% |
|
The Mandalorian season 3 (2023) |
85% |
50% |
Despite these stumbles, however, The Mandalorian is certainly not beyond redemption. With The Mandalorian and Grogu set as the next Star Wars movie, and the first for the franchise to hit theaters since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, The Mandalorian continues to make Star Wars history. There are limitless possibilities for Din Djarin and Grogu’s story, and there’s no doubt that Star Wars will continue to take advantage of each open avenue they can find. The Mandalorian remains as one of Star Wars’ most well-known, and highest regarded, titles ever created.
How The Mandalorian Changed My Life Over The Last Five Years
It Altered The Course Of My Career
I myself am a living testament to just how impactful The Mandalorian has been ever since its premiere 5 years ago. I was seated for the premiere in my college dorm room, and its story completely swept me away. Even as a life-long Star Wars fan, no story truly enraptured me the way this one did. Over the course of The Mandalorian season 1, I grew a deep connection to Din Djarin and his story, and by the end, I was completely hooked. From there, I went on to indulge in all the Star Wars content I could find.
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I watched all the animated Star Wars TV shows for the first time, aside from catching stray episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars as I was growing up. I also began to pick up Star Wars books, learning more and more about the galaxy that I had always loved but had only just recently truly connected with. It was just a month or so after The Mandalorian‘s premiere that I changed the trajectory of my career path; I found myself enamored with on-screen storytelling, and I set my focus on that as I continued my writing journey.
The Mandalorian is quite literally the reason why I’m writing this article right now. Every step that has been taken in my career ever since then is because of this TV show, which opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of storytelling with characters that I truly care about to my core. I even had the incredible opportunity to work in Disney’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser immersive resort for eight months because of the path this TV show put me on. Because of that, I’ll always love and celebrate The Mandalorian, even long after these last 5 years.
The Mandalorian is set after the Empire’s fall and before the First Order’s emergence in the ever-growing Star Wars universe. The series follows the travails of a lone gunfighter named Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic. Acting as the first live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian has become incredibly popular on Disney+, partly due to Mando’s relationship with Grogu, which the internet dubbed “Baby Yoda” upon his introduction in season 1.
- Release Date
- November 12, 2019
- Seasons
- 3
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney+