We all remember the immense cuteness of Grogu running towards the Mandalorian and saying “patu” when Mando caught him swiping frog eggs in “The Mandalorian” Season 2. But beyond this heart-warming cuteness, Grogu has also learned the ways of the Force in “The Mandalorian” spin-off, “The Book of Boba Fett.” Even though he had some knowledge of how to use his abilities, which he used to save the Mandalorian from a Mudhorn in “The Mandalorian” Season 1, after proper training, he’s far better at using the skills of a Jedi. As the latest episode of “The Mandalorian” dropped today, we witnessed just how far the little green guy has come in using the Force to save his dad’s life as well as his own. Here’s a deeper look into his skills, which are only going to improve from this point forward.
Till the second season, Grogu was rather ill-equipped when it came to using the Force unless it was extremely important, and even then, he’d tire out very quickly after making use of his powers. After meeting Ahsoka Tano, however, he had some semblance of an understanding of how to channel the Force, allowing him to grab the shiny metal ball from Mando’s Razor Crest or the blue cookie from a kid in Nevarro. Grogu’s skills as a Jedi were truly honed only after he spent time training with Luke Skywalker during “The Book of Boba Fett,” and by the finale, he was able to put the massive Rancor to sleep using the Force.
By “The Mandalorian” Season 3, he’s an adept Force user, even though he still babbles and coos. In the first episode, he surreptitiously snuck a candy from High Magistrate Greef Karga’s candy bowl and chewed it without anyone noticing. When we see him again in Episode 2, he jumps out of the Starfighter much like Luke would jump while fighting, so it looks like Grogu learned a lot more than just lifting frogs in the air during his time with Master Luke. Sure, he’s still a little child and hasn’t been able to say his first word yet, but he listens intently when Papa Mando gives him any lesson, be it about whom to trust or how to navigate one’s way through space. When the father-son duo lands on Mandalore, he seems concerned about the R5 droid being sent out into the unknown cave, so it’s clear that even as a child, Grogu has developed empathy, even for droids. In a galaxy where the creatures are quick to draw their blasters at the slightest disagreements, having empathy for a mechanical droid shall go a long way for the little green guy. After all, we can’t have another Jedi turning to the dark side!
When Mando is suddenly captured by the crab droid, Grogu is terrified and hides in the corner, and given his age; it’s the only logical reaction. But he’s not about to abandon his dad, and neither is he going to leave him helpless, so Grogu uses Force and disrupts the machine that was holding Mando in the cage. He’s come a long way from confusing the red and blue wire in the second season to knowing exactly where he needs to use his Force to help his dad. However, the biomechanical creature is alerted to his presence, and he has to flee immediately, but he manages to keep his calm and make his way out of the cave while a flying lizard is hot on his tail. While leaving, he’s suddenly stopped by one of the four-eyed humanoid creatures called Alamites that Mando had fought earlier, and one would think the little green guy would panic, given how tough his dad had it trying to fight these creatures. Grogu makes quick work of the Alamite, however, and we see the creature being thrown away by the child in a pram through effective use of the Force. At this point, Grogu is strong enough to take down a few of these creatures using just the Force, aside from being a lot smarter than he was in the earlier seasons.
Grogu jumps into the Starfighter, where the R5 droid was already waiting, and hurriedly points towards the planet of Kalevala—princess Bo-Katan’s residence—and makes the droid take him to the royal Mandalorian. So, after all, he was listening when Mando explained to him the different planets in the Mandalorian system. When Bo-Katan learns that Mando is in trouble, she rushes to Mandalore with Grogu and asks him to navigate to the place where his dad was taken captive. He’s scared of the flying lizards and is babbling his protest against having to take the lead in venturing down the scary path, but when Bo-Katan reminds him of his duty to get her to his dad, he braces himself and agrees to take her to the place. We’ve seen several instances that prove Grogu is very smart, including when he and Bo-Katan are attacked by the Alamites. He knows better than to get in the princess’s way and chooses to wait on the side as she puts the creatures down.
After Bo-Katan manages to end the cyclops monster and resuscitate Mando, he offers his son half of his Pog Soup, probably as a pat on the back for a job well done. Even Bo-Katan praises the little green guy for being a good navigator and being tougher than his cuteness lets on. However, like any child, Grogu is terrified when his dad is dragged to the bottom of the Living Waters, and only after Bo-Katan resurfaces with Mando does he let out a relieved squeal. From passing out after just a little bit of Force usage to blowing away Alamites before traveling through space with just a droid, Grogu has come a long way, and it’ll be interesting to see how far he progresses in the path of the Jedi as he keeps accompanying his dad in more of his adventures.
