The Mandalorian introduced fans to a whole new corner of the Star Wars galaxy. After a plethora of films and series focusing primarily on characters or events closely tied to the Skywalker Saga, The Mandalorian was something completely different. Not only was the series set in the age of the New Republic — an era relatively untouched by the Star Wars films — but it introduced a protagonist who was far removed from the events of the films.
Din Djarin was a Mandalorian foundling, who grew up in the relative isolation of his tribe’s covert. This has repeatedly been made clear in The Mandalorian, which sees Din encountering characters and elements of the Star Wars universe that may be familiar to fans, but that are alien to him. Some fans have joked that he doesn’t seem to realize he’s in Star Wars. But given what has been revealed of Din’s background, does it make sense for him to be so unfamiliar with certain aspects of the galaxy?
Din Djarin Should Be More Aware of Other Mandalorian Traditions
One of the new elements The Mandalorian introduced to Star Wars lore was the idea that Mandalorians were forbidden from removing their helmets. This initially caused confusion among fans, who were used to seeing Mandalorian characters freely remove their helmets on series such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. However, in Season 2, it was revealed that Din Djarin had unknowingly been raised in a Mandalorian sect of religious extremists known as the Children of the Watch who had adopted this custom. However, Season 1 implied he shouldn’t have been so in the dark about this.
In Season 1, it was revealed that Din Djarin was not born on Mandalore, but taken in by Mandalorians from the splinter cell known as Death Watch during the Clone Wars. Death Watch would eventually break up into warring factions, one of which became the Children of the Watch. If Din was taken in before this event, though, he should have been there to witness the emergence of the Children of the Watch and their customs, making him fully aware that he was raised within this particular sect. When Death Watch appeared on The Clone Wars, they were also seen freely removing their helmets, suggesting Din Djarin should have been accustomed to seeing Mandalorians remove their helmets when he was first taken in by them.
The Season 1 finale also saw Din deduce Moff Gideon’s identity from the fact that Gideon knew his name. Din claimed that the only place his birth name was recorded was in the registers of Mandalore. While this concept hasn’t been further explored, it appears to imply that Din had some contact with mainstream Mandalorian society beyond the moon of Concordia, where Death Watch was cloistered. This should also have introduced him to the differences between Mandalorian factions and their customs.
Why Wasn’t Din Djarin Aware of the Mandalorians’ Wars With the Jedi?
The end of Season 1 saw Din Djarin tasked with bringing Grogu to one of his own kind: a Jedi. When the Armorer gives Din this mission, he seems completely unaware of the Jedi, having been taken aback by Grogu’s Force powers. Season 2 sees him seeking out other Mandalorians to guide him to a Jedi, admitting he knows nothing of such things. While it’s true it would have been rare for any individual to encounter a Jedi in the galaxy as their memory was swiftly stamped out by the Empire, at the same time, the Armorer knows about them.
Given the fact the Armorer freely offers information on the Jedi to Din, it seems odd that he had never been told about the Mandalorians’ ancient enemy before this point. Of course, Din’s lack of knowledge about such things serves a practical purpose from a real-world point of view: it allows the audience to experience the galaxy through his eyes, learning about the worlds beyond the Tribe’s covert as Din does. However, in a franchise as ubiquitous as Star Wars, this may not be necessary to so great an extent. Given what has been revealed of his past, Din should really be better versed in the history of the Jedi and the Mandalorians.