Pedro Pascal Teases Significant Change to Din Djarin in The Mandalorian and Grogu (But Will Star Wars Fans Like It?)

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As part of Empire‘s cover story about the upcoming Star Wars film, star Pedro Pascal explained that Djarin is now taking jobs for the New Republic, allowing him to keep his hunting skills sharp while also maintaining his personal morals. “They open up the opportunity for him to continue his best work as a bounty hunter, but just working for the good guys,” he said. “Combining skill and morality. Whereas when we meet him first, it’s simply skill, and beskar, and [the Mandalorian] Creed. Through his relationship to Grogu, there is an expansion of his heart and a disarming of his armour, so to speak, that leads him to fight for what he knows is right.”

Will Star Wars Fans Like Din Djarin’s Role With the New Republic?

Throughout Star Wars history, bounty hunters have typically been portrayed as morally ambiguous figures who are frequently aligned with the villains. Boba Fett tracks down the Millennium Falcon for Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back; Jango Fett fights with the Separatists in Attack of the Clones; Cad Bane is a recurring antagonist on The Clone Wars. However, the Disney+ shows have taken strides to move beyond that “secondary villain” archetype. Djarin’s father/son dynamic with Grogu is the most obvious example, but on The Book of Boba Fett, Boba is changed by his experiences with the Tuskens, learning the values of honor and respect. That informs how he chooses to rule his territory on Tatooine.

Part of the initial appeal of shows like The Mandalorian or The Book of Boba Fett was that they presented an opportunity to do a deep dive into the galactic underworld, telling stories from a different perspective. On screen, bounty hunters had always filled supporting roles, but now they could be the main point of view character. There are plenty of examples of movies and TV shows built around “protagonists” with questionable ethics, so there certainly could have been a Star Wars series or two that took more of an antihero approach, crafting tales around a character who isn’t worried about right vs. wrong. With all that in mind, it’s worth wondering how Star Wars will respond to a bounty hunter whose actions are rooted in morals.

In the case of The Mandalorian and Grogu, it shouldn’t be much of a dealbreaker. By now, audiences are well invested in the dynamic between the titular duo, forming an emotional connection to those characters. Their bond is the beating heart of the whole Mandalorian franchise. The two have fought against Imperial remnants across three seasons of television, so Djarin’s new gig as essentially a contract killer for the New Republic reads as a logical continuation of what we’ve seen on the show. Djarin clearly had no love for Moff Gideon or the Empire, meaning it makes sense that he’d be interested in tracking down “bad guys,” hopefully making the galaxy a safer place for Grogu. For all Djarin knows, someone could pick up where Gideon left off and be in pursuit of the kid. It would be jarring if he started taking jobs for Imperials and hunting down New Republic officers.

This is also a refreshing spin on a long-established Star Wars concept. We’re so used to seeing bounty hunters work for the villains that it’ll be a nice change of pace to see the inverse of that. The Star Wars galaxy is such a large place that it’s more realistic for there to be some bounty hunters who are more selective about who they work for. If Lucasfilm starts making every bounty hunter a scoundrel with a heart of gold, things could get redundant; and to the studio’s credit, there appears to be a villain bounty hunter in The Mandalorian and Grogu. As long as just a select few are with the “good guys,” it’ll be a nice evolution for the franchise.

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