Do You Need to Watch The Book of Boba Fett Before The Mandalorian Season 3?

[Warning: This story contains details from The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian.] Last we saw Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu in The Mandalorian, the clan of two tearfully parted ways as the child became the student of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in the season 2 finale, "Chapter 16: The Rescue." The episode — aired in December 2020 — suggested Mando and Grogu would be apart come The Mandalorian season 3, which dropped on Disney+ Wednesday with "Chapter 17: The Apostate." But after a brief recap of events, the episode begins with the Mandalorian and Grogu already reunited. 

That's because two chapters of The Book of Boba Fett, a spin-off series set within the timeline of The Mandalorian, bridged the gap between "Chapter 16: The Rescue" and "Chapter 17: The Apostate." 

Boba Fett episodes "Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian" and "Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger" take place between the season 2 finale and season 3 premiere of The Mandalorian, and each reveals major developments that could confuse viewers only tuning into the flagship show.

Do You Need to Watch The Book of Boba Fett Episodes Before The Mandalorian?

Jon Favreau, creator of both series, said recaps would be available for viewers to catch up on The Book of Boba Fett before The Mandalorian season 3. 

"For people who didn't see The Book Of Boba Fett, we're gonna have videos that catch people up on it on [Disney+]," Favreau said in a recent interview. "And there's plenty of user-generated content [on the internet] helping people get up to speed, which is a tool that I use when I watch a show after it's been off the air for a while. It's not just the show-it's the community that surrounds the show. I learned through my experiences with Marvel how sophisticated the audiences are, and [they] inform one another and are paying close attention."

But the "previously on The Mandalorian" recap that automatically plays before "Chapter 17: The Apostate" doesn't quite get viewers up to speed, leaving out key details from the two chapters that set up season 3 of The Mandalorian.

The Book of Boba Fett Recap

Warning: spoilers follow for The Book of Boba Fett. Despite focusing on Boba Fett's (Temuera Morrison) power play as the new Daimyo of Mos Espa on Tatooine, the spin-off featured what was, essentially, a prelude episode of The Mandalorian. 

In the Fett-less and aptly-titled "Return of the Mandalorian," Mando defeats Paz Vizsla (Jon Favreau) in a duel to wield the Darksaber — and thus rule Mandalore — before the Armorer (Emily Swallow) disavows Din for violating the sacred Creed by removing his helmet. The consequence is that Din is a Mandalorian no more.

As an apostate from the Children of the Watch, he must atone by journeying to the clan's destroyed homeworld and bathe in the living waters beneath the mines of Mandalore. By Creed, the decree of exile will be lifted, and the Mandalorian will be redeemed.

When Master Assassin Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) of the Fett gotra asks Mando to join the fight against Tatooine's warring crime syndicates, he first travels to the planet where Skywalker trains Grogu under the watchful eye of Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson). In "Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger," Grogu must choose between following the path of the Jedi or the Mandalorian, and by the Fett finale, titled "Chapter 7: In the Name of Honor," it's decided: Grogu will return to the Mandalore-bound Mando and accompany him on his quest for redemption.  

The biggest development in the Mando-centric episodes of Boba Fett is the reveal of the mission churning beneath season 3: Din Djarin, a Mandalorian no more, must return to the planet Mandalore to be redeemed and rejoin his sect of Mandalorians. This makes Fett episodes "Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian" and "Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger" required viewing before Mandalorian season 3.

New episodes of Star Wars: The Mandalorian season 3 premiere Wednesdays on Disney+. See the episode guide and schedule here.