The Mandalorian and Grogu has had a polarizing marketing campaign, to say the least. Lucasfilm has always been secretive about Star Wars projects, but some feel the studio has gone to another extreme when promoting its latest movie. The first wave of advertising materials barely hinted at any plot details, with the infamous Super Bowl spot parodying the old Budweiser clydesdales commercials proving to be exceptionally divisive. Even the latest official Mandalorian and Grogu trailer, while a marked improvement from earlier previews, keeps much of the story hidden. We know Din Djarin is working with the New Republic and is searching for a Hutt in the galactic underworld, but that’s just the bare bones of the narrative.
Since Lucasfilm’s marketing department is keeping things close to the chest, fans have tried to learn more about The Mandalorian and Grogu through other sources — and that hasn’t been in vain. A passage from an official 2024 Star Wars book may actually shed light on what Din’s actual mission is in the film. It appears to be part of an initiative from the New Republic that’s rooted in real-world events.
Din Djarin Is Hunting Down Old Imperials for the New Republic
Image Courtesy of Lucasfilm
In the book Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire, it’s mentioned that the New Republic had an “adapted sabacc deck” consisting of 76 cards that featured the “last known image of a wanted Imperial fugitive.” This detail connects to The Mandalorian and Grogu because in the trailer, Sigourney Weaver’s Colonel Ward hands Din Djarin a playing card with a blank outline of someone’s face on it. He assures Ward and he and Grogu will seek out “every bad guy in your deck of cards” and take them out. It’s unclear from the trailer footage if Djarin is being tasked with eliminating one target or multiple, though the dialogue strongly indicates he’s hunting more than one.
This provides some context for Colonel Ward’s line in the trailer where she says the mission is “about preventing another war.” As we’ve seen in the New Republic era TV shows like The Mandalorian, Imperial remnants remained active long after the Galactic Civil War, looking to rise back to power as the New Republic attempted to establish itself. Though the Empire fell in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, these remnants still have access to an impressive amount of resources, making them dangerous threats. In the interest of avoiding another galaxy-wide conflict, the New Republic is doing what it can to remove the highest-ranking Imperial fugitives so they’re no longer a problem.
It goes without saying that the New Republic is not entirely successful in this mission. The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire notes that some of the individuals featured on the custom sabacc deck, including Rae Sloane, Brendol Hux, and Enric Pryde, “would later go on to have a key role in the creation of the First Order.” The First Order, of course, are the main villains of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, meaning another war was not prevented. This doesn’t mean Din Djarin himself will fall short of his personal objectives in The Mandalorian and Grogu, but it adds a tragic undertone to the film’s story, knowing the New Republic couldn’t maintain the peace the Rebels fought so hard for.
Outside of its connection to larger Star Wars canon, this detail is also intriguing because of its ties to the real world. As noted by a user on X, the United States did this exact thing during the war in Iraq, putting the faces of valuable targets on playing cards. If there wasn’t a photograph available for a particular target, the card just had a blank face outline — just like the one Ward hands Djarin in the Mandalorian and Grogu trailer.
How Do the Hutts Fit Into The Mandalorian and Grogu?
Image Courtesy of Lucasfilm
The Mandalorian and Grogu isn’t just telling a story about the New Republic taking on Imperial remnants. The film’s marketing campaign has made a point to highlight the involvement of the Hutts; Din Djarin crosses paths with several members of Jabba the Hutt’s family, including the Twins (Jabba’s cousins who debuted in The Book of Boba Fett) and Rotta the Hutt, Jabba’s son who appeared as a baby in the Clone Wars film from 2008. While the latest Mandalorian and Grogu trailer revealed some additional story details, it still isn’t entirely clear how exactly the Hutts factor in. There have been rumors about Djarin embarking on a mission to save Rotta from bounty hunter Embo, but nothing has been officially confirmed.
One possibility is that Djarin seeks out the Hutts to obtain information. Since the New Republic sabacc card he receives in the trailer does not have an image on it, it means he has the name of a target but doesn’t know what he or she looks like. During the reign of the Empire, the Hutts did not serve under Imperial rule, but the two sides maintained a mutually beneficial agreement with each other, allowing the Hutts to continue to rule their territories without having to worry about any interference from the Empire. With that in mind, it’s reasonable to assume members of the Hutt cartel know things about former Imperials. Since Djarin is targeting war criminals who fought with the Empire, he might be hoping the Hutts can give him a lead concerning the whereabouts of his next target.
It’s also plausible that the Hutts themselves are part of the “deck of cards” Colonel Ward shares with Djarin. When going over the mission details in the trailer, Djarin makes mention of “gangsters” in the same breath as those aforementioned “war criminals.” This could be clever trailer editing on the part of Lucasfilm’s marketing department, or it could be a sign that the Hutts are actually in league with the Imperial remnants, helping them re-establish power in an effort to return the galaxy to the old status quo. In the trailer, the Twins make a threatening statement seemingly directed at Djarin and Grogu, potentially setting them up to be antagonists.
It will be interesting to see what kind of role the Hutts play in The Mandalorian and Grogu, particularly Rotta. There’s been speculation that he actually teams up with Djarin after the two have a skirmish in the gladiator ring, which could tie into a compelling arc for Jabba’s son. Director Jon Favreau has said Rotta is looking to carve out his own path while living in the shadow of his late, famous father. Perhaps Rotta represents a change of pace by being more of a heroic Hutt who helps Djarin track down all of the targets mentioned in the sabacc deck.
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