The Mandalorian Weakens One of Star Wars Rebels Greatest Moments

The Big Picture

• There is an inconsistency between the death of Kanan Jarrus in Star Wars Rebels and Grogu's survival in The Mandalorian , questioning why Grogu could stop an explosion with his bare hands when Kanan couldn't.
• There is question as to the believability of Kanan's death now that it has been shown that a baby survived a similar blast, suggesting that Grogu's lack of training should have resulted in his demise.
• It is noted that Kanan was trying to protect his crew, stop the explosion, and temporarily restore his vision all at the same time, pulling his strength in separate directions, while Grogu's actions were solely focused on stopping the blast, which could explain the difference in outcome.

Ahsoka has premiered on Disney+, taking audiences back to the galaxy far, far away with a new live-action adventure that continues the Star Wars Rebels story. But looking back at the connection between Dave Filoni's animated projects and the new batch of live-action adventures he's been producing for the streaming platform, a major inconsistency was found involving the cutest baby in the known galaxy. If Grogu can survive an enormous explosion in the third season finale of The Mandalorian, why couldn't Kanan do so in the final episodes of Rebels?

The Mandalorian

The travels of a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic.

Kanan Jarrus Sacrificed Himself To Save the Ghost Crew in ‘Star Wars Rebels’

Rebels was always about the journey of Ezra Bridger going from a lonely boy in Lothal to a powerful Jedi apprentice, but one of the most emotional moments in the series comes when Kanan Jarrus (voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr.) gives his life to save his found family from a devastating explosion that would have made the crew of the Ghost meet their demise. By using his Force abilities to hold back the blast while his friends escape, Kanan is able to save their lives before sacrificing his own as a result of the fire from the exploding Imperial facility.

Some time before his death, Kanan loses his vision during a dangerous battle against Darth Maul, forcing him to start his training from scratch to adapt to the new way he perceives the world. The process is emotionally tough for the Jedi, who painfully mourns his eyesight. But thanks to conversations with Ezra (portrayed by Eman Esfandi in Ahsoka) and Hera (portrayed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead in Ahsoka), Kanan is able to move on from the tragedy, using his connection to the Force to feel the surrounding environment.

When it is time for him to save the main Rebels crew from the dangerous explosion, he uses the last of his powers to restore his sight for a few short moments, seeing the faces of the people he loves one final time before becoming one with the Force. The event is tragic, and it gives Ezra the last push of motivation he needs to face Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen). But the latest season of The Mandalorian has cheapened the impact of Kanan's death because of a single unforgettable detail.

Din Djarin's Battle Against Moff Gideon in 'The Mandalorian' Season 3 Finale

Since the first season of The Mandalorian, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal, Brendan Wayne, and Lateef Crowder) had been spending his days collecting bounties from the most questionable places in the galaxy. But everything changed when he found a baby who belonged to the same species as Master Yoda (Frank Oz), one of the most powerful Force users in history. His emotional connection to Grogu prompts Din to change his way of life, looking for a safe place for the baby to develop his abilities instead of mindlessly torturing bad guys around the galaxy.

But one particular antagonist interested in retrieving the baby for evil purposes is Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), a former Imperial officer who believes the violent institution can return to its former glory thanks to unconventional cloning experiments that are secretly being conducted while the New Republic is being formed. Grogu's Force-related skills make him a prime subject for DNA extraction, and the villain spends three seasons chasing Din Djarin and his son to get the samples he needs for his wicked plans.

The third season of The Mandalorian is determined to place the main characters on a path that will lead them to a final confrontation, setting the stage for a big battle that will shape the future of the galaxy. During the climactic showdown, the Imperial facility where Gideon is fighting both Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) is blown into pieces by the New Republic. The protagonists of the story are saved when Grogu uses a trick similar to Kanan's to protect everyone from the blast, only to feel evidently tired as a result. Something doesn't add up.

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Is Grogu More Powerful Than Kanan?

Why is Grogu capable of stopping an explosion with his bare hands when Kanan isn't able to? The baby is seemingly tired after saving everyone, but shouldn't the effort have taken his life if the franchise wants to remain consistent? Obviously, Jon Favreau and the team behind The Mandalorian can't afford to lose the most recognizable element of their television show. But why would they place such an inexperienced being in the middle of a situation that couldn't be handled by Jedi with proper training? How is Kanan's death supposed to be believable now that it has been shown that a baby survived a similar blast?

The Bad Batch proved that Kanan's training wasn't completed due to Order 66 wiping the Jedi off the map, but he was still a fully grown adult with abilities he learned on his own while trying to hide from the Empire. In the meantime, Grogu's training was lighter by comparison, with a few years of lessons held on Coruscant and a short season of summer camp with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in The Book of Boba Fett. It's hard to believe that Grogu could be more powerful at this point in time than Kanan was when it was time for him to meet his fate.

While it could be argued that Grogu's skills are heightened by the fact that he belongs to the same species as Master Yoda, his lack of training should have sent him into oblivion with the explosion suffered at the hands of the remnants of the Empire. And when comparing his accident to Kanan's, it's also important to point out that Ezra's mentor was trying to protect the ship his crew was on, stop the explosion, and temporarily restore his vision at the same time, which pulled his strength in separate directions. Ultimately, it just feels like Filoni using the same story beat in a context that perhaps The Mandalorian could live without.

Regardless of the different contexts of the situations, it doesn't seem logical for one of them to die while using the same powers. Mixing the stories told through live-action projects with the ones coming from animation was always going to be tough for Lucasfilm, but that doesn't mean that they should overlook such a glaring flaw. Either Grogu should have passed away or Kanan should be alive and well, enjoying his live-action debut with the rest of his Rebels family. Unfortunately, it looks like this inconsistency will remain one of the Force's biggest mysteries.

The Mandalorian is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.

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