Should Fans Be Worried That Grogu Is Using 1 Specific Power in ‘The Mandalorian’?
Going into Friday’s newest episode of The Mandalorian, fans might have already been a little nervous because the title was “The Tragedy.” And it really did follow through on that name.
But in doing so, the last scene of the episode sheds a little light on how Grogu handles tough situations. Should fans be worried about one power he uses? One he’s used on Cara Dune in Season 1? Not necessarily. But, also, maybe. [Spoiler alert: Spoilers ahead for The Mandalorian, “Chapter 14: The Tragedy.”]
Ahsoka deferred training Grogu because his attachment to Mando was far too strong
At the end of Season 1, Mando went from trying to save Baby Yoda from ex-Imperial officers from doing experiments on him, to trying to take him to the Jedi in Season 2. Just like Din Djarin was a foundling, the child is now his foundling with powers that give Mando a purpose.
After coming in contact with Frog Lady, and helping a fellow (yet different) Mandalorian, Bo-Katan, out, he finally gets the name and location of Ahsoka Tano. Of course, her name is one that many fans know well. So when she finally showed up in live-action form, it was an event.
But, as many might have guessed, she refused to train Grogu, which she revealed was his real name. Because, as anyone with senses can tell, Mando and Grogu’s attachment toward each other is strong. Mando is definitely like a father to Baby Yoda, and the baby sees him that way as well.
Ahsoka is disturbed as she tells Mando that she knows exactly how attachment can disrupt even the strongest Jedi. This is a reference to her former master Anakin Skywalker. She was in denial for a while, that he had turned into Darth Vader, but it was confirmed (for her) on Malachor in Star Wars Rebels.
Baby Yoda showed that he can and will use the Force to defend himself, using 1 power Jedi never do
She doesn’t definitively tell Din that Grogu will become a Sith Lord or turn to the Dark Side if she were to train him. But she just doesn’t feel comfortable doing it. Plus there’s just a lot that Mando doesn’t know about the Force and the Jedi Code, and the fact that Ahsoka isn’t even a Jedi at this point in her life, that there’s no point in her getting into the nitty-gritty of it all.
But a major part is that Grogu is too attached to Mando. And there may be other negative tendencies that he’s showing that could hint at other reasons why Mando should let his powers fade.
Last season, Baby Yoda caused a little bit of a stir when he Force choked Cara Dune. Now, he’s taking that out on two Stormtroopers.
Moff Gideon’s Dark Troopers came and stole Grogu from atop the ancient Jedi Temple as Mando was fighting off the Stormtroopers with Boba Fett and Fennec on Tython. Grogu, obviously, didn’t like that, and Force choked them on the ship. Pretty aggressively too, although that’s typically the case when you choke someone.
Moff Gideon seemed pleased by this, and it’s not clear if that’s because he thought it was funny or liked that Grogu was behaving this way. Or if this was something he’s seen the child do before.
If you can’t remember Jedi Force choking people, that’s because it’s not something Jedi did. The only one who Force choked people, kind of regularly, was Anakin, and, well, we saw how that turned out. This is an aggressive, angry attack method and therefore wouldn’t vibe with how Jedi fought.
However, because he is so young, this isn’t a damning gesture just yet
Grogu was so young while training in the Jedi Temple during the Clone Wars, he could have learned that this wasn’t ok. But, then again, it’s possible he didn’t get to that lesson yet.
But because he is so young, Grogu isn’t damned to be a Sith just because he’s Force choking Stormtroopers. The audience has seen that Baby Yoda is very reactionary and that’s most likely due to his young developmental age. He might be 50 years old, but he’s a baby or young toddler behavioral-wise. And they tend to throw fits or just act on emotions without thinking.
So when Mando was being attacked by the Mudhorn or Cara got a little too aggressive in Season 1, Grogu reacted. And this time, when he was taken from his father-figure, he did it again by attacking the Stormtroopers. It’s not a sign that he’s turning evil, per se, and it might just show that he’s more combative.
Does this mean that he should let his powers fade? That maybe, down the line, if a Jedi were to pick up his training, he’d turn as Anakin did? The future is, obviously, hard to predict, so who knows. But remember: only a Sith deals in absolutes.
