The Mandalorian and Grogu most prominently stars its two titular leads, Din Djarin and Grogu, although the movie does have a number of other notable Star Wars characters. Among the characters who are returning from other Star Wars movies and TV shows are Rotta the Hutt, Jabba’s son who was introduced in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie, and Zeb Orrelios, who was a major character in Star Wars Rebels.
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Yet, the movie isn’t really cameo heavy—something that Star Wars perhaps wanted to avoid after years of complaints from audiences that there was too much fan service (the sequel trilogy was certainly accused of this, for example). Among the major Star Wars characters who don’t appear in the movie, from Luke Skywalker to Ahsoka Tano and several in between, here are 7 of the most significant and where they were during the events of the movie.
Luke Skywalker
As mentioned, Luke Skywalker does not appear in the movie, which is likely in large part due to the fact that The Mandalorian and Grogu was meant to be a clear break from the Skywalker Saga; including Luke would have undermined that. However, audiences who watched The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett already know why Luke wasn’t in the movie.
Namely, as shown in The Book of Boba Fett, Luke was already hard at work on building up his Jedi Temple, both literally and in terms of recruiting students. Briefly, it seemed as though Grogu would be his very first student, but Grogu ultimately turned down that offer to go back to Din Djarin and become a Mandalorian foundling.
Ahsoka Tano
Ahsoka Tano is also not in The Mandalorian and Grogu, although that, too, makes sense. The last time Ahsoka was seen on screen was in her own show, Ahsoka, and while it isn’t entirely clear what year Ahsoka or The Mandalorian and Grogu takes place, it seems safe to assume that Ahsoka has already taken place by the start of The Mandalorian and Grogu.
This means that, as revealed by the Ahsoka season 1 finale, Ahsoka is currently trapped on Peridea, alongside Sabine Wren. At present, it still isn’t clear when or even if the former master and apprentice duo will make their way off the planet and back to the main Star Wars galaxy, but that certainly explains their mutual absences from The Mandalorian and Grogu.
Thrawn
Thrawn was also last seen in Ahsoka, although his season 1 story ended in a very different way. Specifically, whereas Sabine and Ahsoka were left trapped on Peridea, Thrawn managed to make his way off the planet and back to the main Star Wars galaxy. For that reason, many had expected Thrawn might even appear in The Mandalorian and Grogu as the surprise villain, but he doesn’t.
It’s less clear why Thrawn wouldn’t have played a role in that story, especially because Din’s job in the movie is to hunt down and turn in lingering Imperials. That would no doubt make Thrawn high (if not highest) on the list, but that also sets up an interesting premise moving forward. Perhaps Thrawn is much more effectively hiding from the New Republic, meaning that he could be building up his strength to become a much greater threat.
Han Solo
Han Solo is yet another major Star Wars character who has no appearance in The Mandalorian and Grogu, but this once again makes sense. In fact, it would have been much more surprising for Han to show up than Luke. Han was not exactly involved in the New Republic, as he wasn’t a politician.
Han was a smuggler, and the sequels revealed that it didn’t take too long for him to return to his old ways after the original trilogy. However, it’s possible that Han wasn’t smuggling at the time The Mandalorian and Grogu was set but rather was raising his young son, Ben Solo, who would not yet have been old enough to go to his Uncle Luke’s Temple. (Although, the comics make it clear Ben felt abandoned by his parents, so the former seems more likely.)
Leia Organa
The final hero of the original three, Leia Organa, also does not have an appearance in The Mandalorian and Grogu, and out of everyone in the trio, she would have been the most likely cameo. After all, Leia was heavily involved in the New Republic, so it would have been very possible for Din to have crossed her path.
Yet, Star Wars has been incredibly hesitant to recast Leia, and she likewise would have complicated the issue of The Mandalorian and Grogu being separate from the Skywalker Saga. It therefore isn’t too shocking that she isn’t in the movie. In all likelihood, she was simply very busy with her work in the New Republic.
Boba Fett
Boba Fett has already had a connection to The Mandalorian franchise—in fact, a major complaint about both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett was that the shows felt too entangled with one another. Even so, Boba Fett does not have a cameo in The Mandalorian and Grogu.
In part, that might be because The Book of Boba Fett was such a flop; it’s largely considered Star Wars’ worst TV show. Narratively, though, Boba Fett ended The Book of Boba Fett in a position of power of Tatooine, the Daimyo of Mos Espa, so it makes sense for him to be too preoccupied with that to be in the new movie.
Ezra Bridger
Finally, Ezra Bridger, who was introduced in Rebels and last appeared in Ahsoka, also is not in The Mandalorian and Grogu. That doesn’t necessarily come as a shock; however, it was possible. Like Thrawn, Ezra made his way off Peridea and back to the main Star Wars galaxy at the end of Ahsoka. Moreover, Zeb’s role in the new movie had many suspecting that Ezra might show up.
Although Ezra played no role in The Mandalorian and Grogu, he will be seen again at the very least in Ahsoka season 2, and it’s possible he will play a role in another upcoming Star Wars project as well.
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