The Mandalorian season 4 has overtaken its third season in a very special way. The future of one of Star Wars‘ best-ranked TV shows is unclear at the moment, as is that of the franchise on the small screen as a whole. Ahsoka season 2 is the only confirmed live-action show set to be released in the next year, throwing Star Wars‘ New Republic era into doubt.
That said, it has recently received an injection of life. This came in the form of a follow-up to The Mandalorian season 3, which was partly responsible for damaging the hype for this section of the franchise in the first place. Alongside The Book of Boba Fett, Lucasfilm somewhat fumbled the projects of the New Republic era, but they are now slowly getting back on track.
This follow-up to The Mandalorian season 3, thus, essentially The Mandalorian season 4, is The Mandalorian & Grogu. A theatrical film, and the first in a big batch of upcoming Star Wars movies, The Mandalorian & Grogu is set after The Mandalorian season 3, with the titular characters taking down various Imperial warlords in the Outer Rim. In many ways, due to this plot, The Mandalorian & Grogu is just The Mandalorian season 4.
What’s more, it is better than The Mandalorian season 3 was. The Mandalorian & Grogu feels like a few episodes of the show blended together and is all the better for it as it emulates classic season 1 Mando. With a good focus on the characters and a fun, unassuming story that builds on The Mandalorian season 3, the fourth installment of the subfranchise is a compelling mix of smaller adventures.
The Mandalorian’s Actual Season 4 Should Learn From The Mandalorian & Grogu
If The Mandalorian season 4 actually happens, as Jon Favreau has repeatedly teased it could, it should learn from The Mandalorian & Grogu. The biggest issue with The Mandalorian season 3 over seasons 1 and 2 was its lack of focus; the show moved beyond the central relationship between Din Djarin and Grogu, instead focusing on wider elements like the planet Mandalore, Bo-Katan Kryze and her leadership of it, and the succession of the Darksaber.
This led to several unsatisfying conclusions, as well as an overall absence of any meaningful relationship moments between Din and Grogu. The Mandalorian & Grogu, though, as the title suggests, fixes that. The two characters are together throughout most of the film, and their relationship is always front and center. Yes, other story beats happen, but it never loses sight of its two main heroes. This makes the movie infinitely more charming than The Mandalorian season 3, which season 4 should strive for.
The Mandalorian Franchise Can Still Improve
With this in mind, The Mandalorian can continue to improve after season 3’s low point. Despite some criticism that The Mandalorian & Grogu was pointless due to not having wider franchise implications, this is exactly what dragged season 3 down. Also, that criticism doesn’t work when looking at Grogu’s character development.
An entire section of the movie focuses on just Grogu, giving him a lot more agency than any season of the show has thus far. The argument could thus be made that Din Djarin’s arc is done after being concluded in season 3. Now, Grogu could take center stage, with each installment of The Mandalorian growing him up a bit more than the last. With Din there to guide him as he was in The Mandalorian & Grogu, Grogu’s future is inherently compelling, allowing the franchise to continue to improve.
- Release Date
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May 22, 2026
- Runtime
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132 Minutes