The Mandalorian And Grogu's Shocking Events Could Have Major Consequences For The Star Wars Galaxy

This post contains spoilers for "The Mandalorian and Grogu."

On the surface, it might seem as though "The Mandalorian and Grogu" tells a completely discrete story, cut off from the broader "Star Wars" galaxy. There's something nice about a standalone story that doesn't seem to have wide-ranging implications for all corners of the universe, though some fans have taken that as a negative. Peek behind the curtain of the "Star Wars" canon, though, and you realize that the events that punctuate the ending of "The Mandalorian and Grogu" could have massive, consequential repercussions not just for the characters of the film, but for the Outer Rim, the New Republic, and the galaxy at large. 

As Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal, Brendan Wayne, and Lateef Crowder in a role they all share credit for) and his young ward, Grogu, set out on the final mission of their first big screen adventure, they infiltrated the palace of the Twins — the late-Jabba the Hutt's cousins, crime lords who had taken a piece of his criminal empire — in order to rescue Rotta the Hutt and find a ride off the planet. On their way, they blast through the droid foot soldiers of the Droid Gotra, blow through the Hutt stronghold, free Rotta the Hutt from his torture, and are rescued by a New Republic bomber squadron that utterly obliterates the Hutt palace. While it might not be apparent by the film's dénouement, this action may well reverberate through future storytelling and have far-reaching consequences for all involved.

Throughout the "Star Wars" storytelling, the Hutts have been portrayed as powerful gangsters not to be trifled with. Going back to the Clone Wars, the Hutt crime families were even courted by the Republic and Separatist governments. Both governments wanted the Hutts to end their neutrality in the conflict so that one or the other could use their hyperspace lanes through the Outer Rim territories — that was the entire point of the kidnapping plot that saw Rotta the Hutt abducted as a baby. 

Governments that are large enough to petition a criminal syndicate speak to their vast size. Sure, they were cut down some (literally) by Maul when they were forced to join his Shadow Collective (which you can learn more about in our explainer of the Shadow Collective here), but they still held on to a significant amount of power, even if Jabba consolidated much of it. His death certainly created a vacuum, but we don't have a complete picture of how that vacuum has been filled in a post-"Return of the Jedi" galaxy. The Hutt crime families aren't just in the one palace; there are many Hutts on Nal Hutta, on Nal Hutta's moon of Nar Shadda, where they do most of their business, and throughout the galaxy. The Hutts who remain will almost certainly want to retaliate against the New Republic the same way the Twins wanted to retaliate against the Mandalorian for his refusal to turn Rotta over to them. 

With the New Republic staring down the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn and, further in the future, the looming threat of the First Order, having the Hutts as active enemies isn't going to do them any favors.

Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) seemed to have acted under her own authority, leading the bombing run that destroyed the palace and decimated the Droid Gotra forces protecting it. Not only is the Droid Gotra its own criminal enterprise, but the Hutts are also a powerful enemy in the Outer Rim. Earlier in the film, Zeb (Steve Blum) even tells the Mandalorian that, if things go south, backup from the New Republic can't be called in outside the New Republic's jurisdiction. Colonel Ward goes in to extract the Mandalorian, Grogu, and Rotta the Hutt anyway, essentially declaring war on the Hutts on behalf of the New Republic in the process. 

In any other military organization, this would earn a reprimand, if not something more severe. At this point in the timeline, Chancellor Mon Mothma is quite dedicated to peace and pacifism (even going so far as to disarm the New Republic fleet), and starting unnecessary wars is not something the New Republic Senate is going to be pleased about. Looking to "Ahsoka" as an example, General Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) can't even get the Senate to allow her to investigate rumors of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelson) without a hassle. It seems like a very real possibility that the Hutts will start a war against the New Republic, and Colonel Ward will be the one held ultimately responsible for it. 

In interviews, Jon Favreau has been direct about everything being connected, so when the New Republic is besieged by threats like the Hutts from the Outer Rim, we shouldn't be surprised. And after breaking things down logically, no one should be able to say "The Mandalorian and Grogu" offered no consequences to the universe. As Han Solo learned in "The Empire Strikes Back," angering the Hutts always has consequences.

"The Mandalorian and Grogu" is in theaters everywhere.