Today marks five years since the premiere ofThe Mandalorianon Disney+ asStar Wars’first live-action TV show, and its legacy proves just how historical this moment was for the franchise. First announcd in 2018,The Mandalorianhas become an integral part of theStar Warsuniverse. Din Djarin and Grogu are now revered as some ofStar Wars’best characters, and their story will now be the first inStar Warsto ever go from the small screen to the big screen inThe Mandalorian and Grogumovie. It all started on this day five years ago.
I can hardly believe it’s already been half a decade sinceThe Mandalorianpremiered, as it truly does feel like just yesterday that we met Din Djarin and “Baby Yoda” for the first time. UsStar Warsfans were eagerly awaiting the final movie in the sequel trilogy,Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, whenThe Mandalorianarrived, causing a major shift in theStar Warsfandom - one that drifted towards us being united for the first time in many years. WhileThe Mandalorianhas certainly changed over the course of five years, here’s a look at its full impact.
The Mandalorian Launched A Brand-New Era Of Star Wars
The New Republic Era & The Star Wars TV Show Era
Perhaps the biggest contributionThe Mandalorianmade to theStar Warsfranchise with its premiere was the way it launched an entirely brand-new era ofStar Warsstorytelling. Despite being detailed inStar WarsLegendsbooks and comics,The Mandalorianbrought the years afterReturn of the Jedito life for the very first time, taking audiences to theNew Republic era. This story had audiences so intrigued and captivated that this era has becomeStar Wars’newest focus, with three separate TV shows and at least twoupcomingStar Warsmoviesnow taking place during this time period.
Everything Star Wars Has Revealed About The History Of The Mandalorians
Mandalorians have a long, complicated history in the original Star Wars Expanded Universe, but what is known about them in the official canon?
It also, however, launched a brand-newStar Warsera in the real world: the era of television.The Mandalorian’s success motivatedStar Warsto pursue its TV shows eagerly, and ever since, we have gotten a huge variety of live-action series, includingThe Book of Boba Fett,Obi-Wan Kenobi,Andor,Ahsoka,The Acolyte, andSkeleton Crew- three of which are direct spin-offs ofThe Mandalorianitself. These TV shows would likely never have happened ifThe Mandalorianhad missed its mark, proving how its success has truly changed the franchise.
Din Djarin & Grogu Drew In A New Generation Of Fans
Audiences Both Young & Old Watched Their Story
The Mandaloriandidn’t just open doors forStar Warsitself, though. This TV show drew in many new viewers, particularly with the introduction of Grogu. Children all over the world couldn’t, and still can’t, get enough of “Baby Yoda,” and he alone has encouraged many young fans to engage withStar Warscontent. The same goes for Din Djarin, whose iconic look is recognizable to just about anyone - regardless of whether they have watched the show or not. The success rewarded to Din Djarin actorPedro Pascal afterThe Mandalorianhas also drawn in new viewers from his own fans.
The story of Din Djarin and Grogu resonated with audiences in a way that no other Star Wars story ever had, creating a gateway for many new fans.
Together, Din Djarin and Grogu have introducedStar Warsto a brand-new generation ofStar Warsfans, both young and old. People who may not have been keen on the sequel trilogy were willing to giveStar Warsa chance again.Those who had never engaged withStar Warsbelow the surface level of the movies suddenly found themselves wanting more, from the animated TV shows to books and comics. The story of Din Djarin and Grogu resonated with audiences in a way that no otherStar Warsstory ever had, creating a gateway for many new fans.
Despite Its Stumbles, The Mandalorian Still Has A Bright Future
The Mandalorian And Grogu Movie Arrives In 2026
With such a high bar set for itself after season 1,The Mandalorianwas bound to take a stumble somewhere along the way. For some, that happened withThe Book of Boba Fett, where Din Djarin and Grogu’s story was heavily integrated with the titular bounty hunter’s. For others, it was inThe Mandalorianseason 3, which sawBo-Katan Kryzetake more of a spotlight as she led the Mandalorians back to their homeworld. Despite its positive reception,The Mandalorianseason 2 was even the first stumble for some viewers, particularly because of its plentiful character cameos.
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Despite these stumbles, however,The Mandalorianis certainly not beyond redemption. WithThe Mandalorian and Groguset as the nextStar Warsmovie, and the first for the franchise to hit theaters since 2019’sThe Rise of Skywalker,The Mandaloriancontinues to makeStar Warshistory. There are limitless possibilities for Din Djarin and Grogu’s story, and there’s no doubt thatStar Warswill continue to take advantage of each open avenue they can find.The Mandalorianremains as one ofStar Wars’most well-known, and highest regarded, titles ever created.
How The Mandalorian Changed My Life Over The Last Five Years
It Altered The Course Of My Career
I myself am a living testament to just how impactfulThe Mandalorianhas been ever since its premiere 5 years ago. I was seated for the premiere in my college dorm room, and its story completely swept me away. Even as a life-longStar Warsfan,no story truly enraptured me the way this one did. Over the course ofThe Mandalorianseason 1, I grew a deep connection to Din Djarin and his story, and by the end, I was completely hooked. From there, I went on to indulge in all theStar Warscontent I could find.
When Each Season Of The Mandalorian Came Out & When They Were Filmed
The Mandalorian premiered in 2019 and has since run for three seasons. Here’s when each season was released, and when were they all filmed.
I watched all the animatedStar WarsTV shows for the first time, aside from catching stray episodes ofStar Wars: The Clone Warsas I was growing up. I also began to pick upStar Warsbooks, learning more and more about the galaxy that I had always loved but had only just recently truly connected with. It was just a month or so afterThe Mandalorian’s premiere that I changed the trajectory of my career path;I found myself enamored with on-screen storytelling, and I set my focus on that as I continued my writing journey.
The Mandalorianis quite literally the reason why I’m writing this article right now. Every step that has been taken in my career ever since then is because of this TV show, which opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of storytelling with characters that I truly care about to my core. I even had the incredible opportunity to work in Disney’sStar Wars: Galactic Starcruiserimmersive resort for eight months because of the path this TV show put me on. Because of that, I’ll always love and celebrateThe Mandalorian, even long after these last 5 years.
The Mandalorian
Cast
Released on June 17, 2025 The Mandalorian follows a lone gunfighter navigating the galaxy’s outer reaches after the Galactic Empire’s fall. As a skilled bounty hunter, he operates in a lawless universe, undertaking various missions on the fringes of the New Republic’s territories.
