The Star Wars franchise has grown considerably since its humble beginnings in 1977. Over nearly five decades, a plethora of new films, TV shows, books, games, and other media have been released, turning what started as a simple Flash Gordon homage into one of the most sprawling mythologies in all of pop culture. As such, whenever a new Star Wars project is gearing up for its premiere, there’s interest in learning where it fits on the official franchise timeline. In the Disney era, Lucasfilm has jumped around various eras, so it’s fascinating to learn how the latest release relates to what’s come before.
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Nearly seven years after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the galaxy far, far away is making its long-awaited return to movie theaters this summer with The Mandalorian and Grogu, a big-screen continuation of the flagship Disney+ franchise. It’s clearly set in the New Republic era that’s home to all of the MandoVerse TV shows, but where specifically does the new film fit in the overall franchise timeline?
When The Mandalorian Takes Place In the Star Wars Timeline
To figure out where The Mandalorian and Grogu takes place in the Star Wars timeline, it helps to take a step back and look at where The Mandalorian TV show is set. The series picks up in 9 ABY (after the Battle of Yavin, as depicted in Star Wars: A New Hope). This means it’s five years after the events of Return of the Jedi, which takes place in 4 ABY. Enough time has passed since the fall of the Empire that the New Republic is now fully operational and doing all it can to maintain the peace. Imperial remnants remain active, laying the foundation for the First Order of the sequel trilogy.
What’s interesting is that the entirety of the first three seasons of The Mandalorian appears to have taken place in that single year. Based on information provided in various published materials (like the book Star Wars: Timelines and the “A Certain Point of View” features in issues of Star Wars Insider), it can be inferred that Moff Gideon’s (apparent) death in the Mandalorian Season 3 finale also happens in 9 ABY. At first glance, some might feel that doesn’t add up because Din Djarin and Grogu go through a lot together in four seasons of TV (including The Book of Boba Fett). It would be reasonable to assume there’d be some sort of time jump in there, especially since Grogu spent time training with Luke Skywalker. But until Lucasfilm comes out and confirms otherwise, all of The Mandalorian has to be considered 9 ABY.
The timeline of 9 ABY extends to all of the projects that are part of the MandoVerse so far. Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 1 is also set in that year. It has not yet been revealed where the upcoming Ahsoka Season 2 is set in the timeline, but given the cliffhanger nature of the Season 1 finale, the action will likely pick up shortly after those events.
When Does The Mandalorian and Grogu Take Place in the Star Wars Timeline?
Lucasfilm has yet to officially confirm exactly where The Mandalorian and Grogu fits in the Star Wars timeline. Obviously, the film takes place after The Mandalorian Season 3, with Din Djarin and Grogu now working with the New Republic to eliminate high-priority targets associated with the Empire. What’s unknown is if the movie also takes place in 9 ABY or if it will move further down the timeline in the New Republic era.
The Mandalorian and Grogu marketing materials released thus far haven’t provided many clues to shed light on this mystery. Unsurprisingly, the latest trailers and TV spots are more concerned with selling general audiences on a big-screen adventure with the eponymous duo, highlighting adorable Grogu antics and classic Star Wars spectacle. However, there is one detail in the movie that could unveil the answer, and it’s Grogu himself. When you combine the Mandalorian and Grogu footage we’ve seen with recent comments made by Kathleen Kennedy, the answer could be clear.
In the Mandalorian and Grogu trailers, Grogu is behaving very similarly to how he acts on the TV show. He’s adept at using his Force abilities to eliminate obstacles (like the small droid he encounters in the snowy base), but he’s also still acting like the troublesome toddler fans fell in love with back in 2019. Some of the funniest moments in the latest trailer are Grogu pushing buttons on the Razor Crest (much to Djarin’s chagrin) and indulging in his favorite cookies. Seven years have passed since audiences first met Grogu, but in-universe, he still looks to be a baby who hasn’t grown much (physically, at least). This could be the most apparent sign that The Mandalorian and Grogu sticks to 9 ABY.
Adding credence to the 9 ABY theory is the confirmation from former Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy that Grogu will not speak in The Mandalorian and Grogu. Some had previously theorized that the film would be the ideal platform for the baby to say his first words, but unless Kennedy is doing her best to preserve a surprise, that isn’t in the cards. This communicates that Lucasfilm is in no rush to have Grogu grow up, which is understandable. At this point, the character is such a popular marketing tool that the studio has to be extremely careful about how it handles fundamentally altering any aspect of him (including giving him a speaking voice). With that in mind, they’re probably going to stick to 9 ABY for as long as they realistically can. If anything, The Mandalorian and Grogu may take place in 10 ABY, but it likely wouldn’t be much further than that.
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Image courtesy of Netflix
