The latest film from the Star Wars universe contains a rare portrayal of a good dad, says Giles Gough. It reminds Christians of the beauty of God’s unconditional love for his children but, despite the poignant storyline, this TV series adapted for the big screen doesn’t quite hit the emotional depths that it should
When it was released in 2019, The Mandalorian was the first live action Star Wars TV series. The show is a brilliant example of a space western. The Mandalorian is the lone gunslinger, riding into town and putting injustices right, for a price. But the thing that elevated the show was its ability to deal with weighty themes.
Obviously, the Star Wars franchise is not explicitly Christian in any sense. But people who dismiss space operas and sci-fi in general are missing a great opportunity to discuss the Christian themes that are unintentionally on display.
Who is the Mandalorian?
For those not in the know, Mandalorians are a humanoid warrior race in the Star Wars universe. Their home world destroyed by the evil empire, most of the surviving Mandalorians live cloistered away in secret.
The titular Mandalorian is Din Djarin, played by Pedro Pascal, one of the few who lives openly in the world, working as a ruthlessly efficient bounty hunter. On one job, he is sent to capture and return an alien toddler colloquially known as ‘Baby Yoda’ and later; ‘Grogu’. But Djarin can’t bring himself to hand over Grogu to the evil scientist who wants to experiment on him. Eventually, Djarin adopts Grogu.
Adoption in a galaxy far, far away
The concept of adoption is central to Christianity. John 1:12 tells us that “to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God”.
Our relationship with Jesus has nothing to do with lineage or blood lines. We chose to be adopted into the family of God, and God chose us in return. So, if you’re looking for a simple metaphor that illustrates our relationship with God, you could do a lot worse than looking at The Mandalorian and Grogu.
There are not many good dads in the Star Wars universe, so Djarin deserves to be celebrated. He gently guides Grogu, cares for him and is willing to do anything to keep him safe, even compromising his religious beliefs.
The Mandalorian and fundamentalist religion
Din Djarin belongs to a religious sect called ‘the Children of the Watch’. They are a fundamentalist cult whose core belief is that you do not remove your helmet in front of anyone, under any circumstances. To do so risks being exiled by your community. The penance for this crime is arduous and life-threatening.
And yet, when Grogu’s life is in danger, Djarin doesn’t hesitate. As Molly Brizzell, from Screen Rant put it: “Din breaking his Creed for Grogu proved that his son meant even more to him than the one other thing he held dearest, not that the Creed had become meaningless to him”.
This is a brilliant illustration of love being more important than creed. Jesus said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31).
As a metaphor for our relationship with God, you could do a lot worse than looking at the Mandalorian and Grogu
Love is more important than the various hoops we have created to ‘show’ we love Jesus. If someone says you have to choose between your children and your religion, it is not true. God gave up his child for you; he does not want you to give up your child for Him.
Sadly, The Mandalorian and Grogu film has none of this pathos. It has been met with a muted response from critics and Star Wars fans alike. Due to various reasons, the fourth season of The Mandalorian TV series was cancelled, and the scripts reworked into the feature film currently in cinemas.
Consequently, the film feels quite episodic, like it’s not really building to anything. There is a lot to love however - the action scenes are on point, Grogu is adorable and the film is lifted by the presence of Sigourney Weaver as Colonel Ward.
But it doesn’t scale the heights of what a Star Wars film can provoke in terms of emotions. It is a welcome return to this part of the Star Wars universe, if not a revelatory one.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is in cinemas now
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