The 25 best moments from 'The Mandalorian'

This is the scene that sets everything in motion. Din Djarin carries out an assignment on Nevarro to locate a 50-year-old target. It's later revealed that this is someone we'd come to know as The Child (or Baby Yoda among viewers) before eventually learning his real name, Grogu. Getting Din and Grogu together lines up our heroes for every future mission and event that unfolds over the three seasons.

Any Star Wars fan, new or old, knows who Luke Skywalker is. There never was much thought in the idea of him ever appearing in this show, though rumors of a Jedi being out there began to pop up, setting up this incredible cameo. Skywalker, accompanied by R2-D2, fought his way onto an Imperial shuttle, sliced his way through the guards and Dark Troopers in an exhilarating fashion, and came face-to-face with our heroes. Din hands Grogu over to Skywalker for the child to be properly trained at the Jedi Academy.

"Chapter 14" sees the return of Boba Fett as played by Temuera Morrison. On Tython, Din Djarin and Grogu are met at an ancient hilltop temple by Boba Fett and Fennec Shand. What made this return so significant is that the last time Boba Fett was on screen, he had fallen to his “death” in a sarlacc pit in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones. A shadowy figure was teased in the prior chapter, but Boba’s return wasn't official until this episode.

Before this moment in "Chapter 13," fans had routinely referred to him as “Baby Yoda” and “The Child.” In Season 2, the show finally reveals his name in an episode that also introduces the live-action debut of Ahsoka Tano, who also will be receiving her own series. When Din Djarin uses this name for the first time, Grogu gives a seal of approval by making a sound.

Stepping into a more prominent role in Season 3, Bo-Katan’sjourney was set up to eventually see her regain the Darksaber that she once held during the Clone Wars. The payoff was met in "Chapter 22" when ln Din Djarin handed over the item he had previously won in the battle over Moff Gideon in Season 2. Bo-Katan became the rightful owner after rescuing him back in "Chapter 18" from the Living Waters and defeating a Spider Tank that had captured Mando.

The Season 2 finale had a lot of things happening in it. One of the best things to go down was when Din Djarin disarms Moff Gideon in battle after he had kidnapped Grogu. He takes Moff Gideon alive while wielding the Darksaber. Reluctant to believe in its power, Din is now Mandalore's rightful ruler by defeating this enemy. This story arc carries through his appearance in The Book of Boba Fett and into Season 3 as he debates his purpose with this new weapon. 

Mando and Grogu arrive in Sorgan, a forest planet, in an attempt to hide out from Imperial forces. This "Chapter 4" battle sees Din Djarin agree to team up with the local farmers and a mercenary, Cara Dune (introduced in this episode), to defend the land from the Klatoonians. The episode shows Din Djarin teaching the locals how to fight and defend themselves, especially from the incoming AT-STs. A lot goes on in this episode, but a particularly exhilarating moment is when Grogu is in danger before Cara Dune disposes of the threat. It's in this moment that Mando understands his new purpose is to protect The Child at all costs. 

Another moment that this series had been pointing to: seeing these two finally become a family in name was a joyous moment. When looking back on how these two reached the point and seeing Grogu end up choosing Din Djarin after going through his Jedi training speaks to the impact he has had on his life. Star Wars is a universe that intertwines family stories in all of its stories, but this journey with the show’s two main protagonists really sticks out among the others. Seeing Grogu take on the Din surname was also a fun surprise.

The Season 2 post-credit scene was unexpected but so, so good. Boba Fett and Fennec Shand return to Jabba's palace, a familiar sight for movie watchers, as Bib Fortuna is sitting atop the throne. This is where Boba Fett gets his revenge for being left for dead in the sarlacc pit as he kills Bib Fortuna and his crew before sitting atop the throne, setting up his own spin-off, The Book of Boba Fett.

This was one of the best fight scenes to date in the show. Not only did Din Djarin get a shot at taking on Moff Gideon after he was taken away by his troops in the prior episode, but Mando came in to aid Bo-Katan, who was going 1-on-1 with Moff in his new armor. Grogu eventually comes in to save the day by creating a force bubble around the three of them as Moff Gideon is engulfed in an explosion. 

IG-11 has had quite the character arc in this series, especially with everything that goes on with him in Season 3. His biggest contribution to the show came when it appeared he would be no more. He sacrificed himself by way of self-destruction to fend off a group of stormtroopers to allow Grogu to escape. This was a stark contrast to his original purpose, which was to kill The Child. He had a statue go up in his honor in Nevarro. 

Season 3 had its ups and downs, but "Chapter 21" was easily one of the highs in the season. The Mandalorians finally unite in combat as Din Djarin, Grogu, and Bo-Katan are joined by The Armorer, Paz Vizla, and the rest of the group to defend Nevarro from Gorian Shard, Vane, and the rest of the pirates. This battle is intense, but what stands out is seeing The Armorer finally get her hands dirty in combat with some exciting action scenes and the space fights that happen simultaneously. This battle also sets up an interaction between The Armorer and Bo-Katan in which the former acknowledges the Mythosaur sighting and that she has her permission to take off her helmet in an effort to unite the Mandalorians. 

The Mandalorians arrive at Mandalore, where they are surprised by an attack from Moff Gideons and his forces. The group fights through plenty of troops before being trapped in an ambush. Seeing that the odds of survival are against them, Paz Vizla pulls off the ultimate sacrifice by charging out to fend off the enemies for as long as he can so that the rest of the group, including Bo-Katan, can muscle their way through the back door and out to safety. Paz Vizla does a tremendous job in dispatching the soldiers and is seemingly in the clear until the Praetorian Guards show up and end his life in a harrowing fight scene. 

Din Djarin was an avid follower of "The Way." The Mandalorian creed that he vowed was instrumental in his makeup as a person. So when he is seen removing his helmet for the first time ever in "Chapter 15," he does so because it's the only way he can carry on in the mission to rescue Grogu from the clutches of Moff Gideon. He does so to pass a security checkpoint while infiltrating a refinery. This begins an identity crisis for the titular character but also shows the viewer just how important Grogu is to him, as he is willing to go against his creed if necessary. 

After meeting Cobb Vanth, Din Djarin agrees that if he helps him fight off this Krayt Dragon, Cobb Vanth will return the armor of Boba Fett. While seeing Cobb Vanth is a top moment in itself, the battle that takes place has its own spectacle. Until this point, the dragon had only appeared as a skeleton in A New Hope, so this is the first live-action appearance of a living Krayt Dragon. Vanth and Din team up in an uphill battle that eventually sees them find a way to come out victorious, which also gets Boba Fett's armor in new hands and sets up his eventual return to the Star Wars universe. 

Early on in Season 3, Din Djarin and Grogu land on Mandalore, a desolate planet that many believe to be inhabitable. The only thing is that the two run into trouble in the mines, where Din is captured. Grogu flees the scene and is able to track down Bo-Katan, and the former leader of the Night Owls comes to his rescue. She handles her business against the Alamites before rescuing Din Djarin while showing off his impressive skills with the Darksaber. 

This is one moment that has gone beyond the show itself. While it's an important part of the Mandalorian Creed, the “this is the way” motto was first dropped early in Season 1. It has since become the show’s most popular catchphrase and merchandising tagline.

Chapter 2 didn't waste time showing Din Djarin back in combat. In an attempt to get parts back for his ship, he has to retrieve an egg from a mudhorn for the Jawas. In this fight, Mando takes quite the beating but is aided when his new accomplice, Grogu, uses the force to lift it in the air. That's when Din can stab the beast and return the eggs for his parts. It's the first time the audience is shown what these two are capable of. 

The first three seasons had an arc meant to reach this point. This series is, at its core, a father-son story, and to see Din Djarin finally find peace in his life as the now-adoptive father of Grogu on their very own piece of land is the perfect heartfelt completion to the third season. It remains to be seen how long this happiness can last, but the Season 3 finale leaves fans with a rare happy moment in Star Wars cinema.

What's important about this moment is it's one of the first times we see Grogu have a means of communication. The end of Season 3 sees Greeg Karga construct an upgraded version of IG-11, thus called IG-12, that is able to be operated manually by someone the size of Grogu. He hops inside the robot and quickly realizes there are two buttons that communicate "Yes" and "No." While Grogu can't speak yet, he can now offer up some level of interaction that continues his development. 

Next to the Darksaber, the Mythosaur is the most important figurehead in Mandalorian culture. When Bo-Katan is the one to see this mythical being in the Living Waters on Mandalore, it not only confirms the lore but it sets her up to be in line as the leader and will undoubtedly play a more significant role in this series moving forward.

Cobb Vanth is introduced in one of the coolest ways possible. A character whose origins trace to the books makes his live-action debut by wearing the fabled suit of Boba Fett, a character who had been believed to have died in the movies. When Din Djarin sees someone wearing beskar armor like his, he has no choice but to find out who is behind the armor. He sees that it's Cobb Vanth, and the two agree that if Mando helps out with a problem of his, he will return Boba Fett's armor to him. 

Grogu saw an increase in his capabilities in Season 3. From going through some Mandalorian training tactics along Din Djarin to having a way to communicate by season's end, the lovable character had finally begun to show his potential. In the finale, Grogu comes face-to-face with Praetorian guards, the same ones that disposed of Paz Vizla. He shows off some flips while being able to scurry away from the danger in one of the first times we see his Jedi training come to play. The evasive tricks should just be the beginning of what's to come from this character. 

A major double-take moment for anyone who had seen the Rebels animated series, this occurred early on in the opening episode of Season 3. The significance is how it serves as a through line between the two shows, setting up the eventual return of Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn, last seen in Rebels on these very Purrgils. It also was the first of many callbacks to the animated series in Season 3. 

Another step in getting Grogu more immersed in the Mandalore culture, The Armorer makes a chest plate made of beskar armor for Grogu’s protection. This is the second item The Armorer made for Grogu after making a chain mail beaker shirt. Both of these proved valuable in Grogu’s decision to become more involved in the covert.