The Mandalorian (and Baby Yoda) are the most-talked-about additions to Disney+, but should you watch the series before seeing Star Wars Episode 9?
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is nearly here, and the end of the Skywalker Saga could not come at a better time for Disney and Star Wars thanks to the arrival of Disney+.
Sure, we will all be sad to see our beloved Skywalker Saga go, but Disney+ has opened the door for something unheard of in Star Wars up to this point: a live-action series.
The Mandalorian has been everything we could want and more as fans have become instantly immersed in a post-Empire world and obsessed with the true star of the show, Baby Yoda.
However, should you watch The Mandalorian before seeing Star Wars Episode 9 in theaters?
Well yes, and no.
The Mandalorian has been absolutely terrific so far, especially after expectations were tempered due to the Star Wars spinoff movie Solo: A Star Wars Story. Even if it is not your ideal Star Wars series, it does a phenomenal job of sticking to its roots as a space Western – a sign that good things are to come for each future series regardless of genre.
You should watch The Mandalorian because it’s a great series with a great plot, and because of Baby Yoda, of course.
That being said, do you need to watch The Mandalorian before seeing Star Wars Episode 9 in theaters?
No, you don’t.
The Mandalorian, while captivating millions of Disney+ subscribers everywhere, does not yet have any tie-in into the adventures of Rey, Kylo Ren, or any of the other major characters in Star Wars. The Mandalorian does fit into Star Wars canon as a whole — with its connection to the world after the Empire and a few references to places and creatures seen in the Star Wars universe — but none of it directly ties into the Skywalker Saga.
Given this is set way before Episode 7, there’s hardly a chance that the narrative of this story could connect to the final movie. Based on where it fits in the timeline, however, the potential is there for a tie-in with the rise of the First Order. But, as of now, there is no real connection.
You should watch The Mandalorian because it’s a great series, but you do not have to if you are worried about not understanding something in The Rise of Skywalker.