THE MANDALORIAN IS ALL ABOUT FATHERHOOD
The Mandalorian declares that “I am your dad.” This sci-fi western is more than just blasters and shootouts. It takes us on an adventure of fatherhood. Star Wars or not, The Mandalorian asks you to pay attention. Something is compelling: the father’s love.
Joseph Campbell published The Hero With a Thousand Faces in 1949. He discusses myths and gives what he considers the synthesis of all great stories–the Monomyth or The Hero’s Journey. Campbell says that every story is defined as the protagonist’s journey through a “region of supernatural wonder,” a journey with 12 stages. These stages begin with the “ordinary world” before ending with the “return to the elixir.” This template can be applied to Mandalorian. It reveals that the drama of fatherhood underpins the story’s standoffs and shootouts. Din Djarin’s tale teaches us that a father must be a hero to be a great father.
THE ORDINARY WORLD and THE CALL TO ADVENTURE
The Mandalorianbegins, as with most stories. We meet Din Djarin and an icy bounty hunter dressed entirely in steel and a remnant from the once-mighty Mandalore.
Our hero can dispatch a group of ruffians and approach the gilded man wanted for embezzlement before speaking a word. The target begs for mercy, and Din Djarin offers a bribe. He speaks with a steely voice and tells his mark, “I can either bring you in warm or cold.” When he returns to the bounty hunters guild, he gives the criminal a large amount of money and demands his next assignment.
This is his ordinary world, his status quo. He is a hardened professional who jumps from one planet to the next, determined to capture or kill for a profit. There is no time for emotions when there are bounties. Our hero is struggling to fill the void in his life. He resorts to violence and money to stop it. This doesn’t last.
Din Djarin is on a very lucrative mission, and his tracking fob takes him to a pod about the same size as a medicine ball. Inside, he finds an alien toddler who loves to sing.
He quickly enlists with the bounty droid with whom he is allied, and he immediately steps forward with his murderous intent. Its contractors have assigned it as a task to end the asset. Din Djarin fires down the droid without hesitation. The crowing goes on. Our hero now steps forward. He stares in amazement. He stares in wonder at the “call to adventure” waiting for him. It’s an invitation to get out of his everyday world and follow a mysterious path through a “region full of supernatural wonders.” He almost subconsciously extends his hand towards the child, driven by a deeper instinct. The child responds in kind, and the journey begins. Fatherhood is calling.
THE REFUSE, MENTOR, and THRESHOLD
Campbell says that it is common for heroes to refuse to go on adventures. At this stage–the “refusal”)–that their fears can be expressed. Frodo rejects the trek to Mordor, believing it is too difficult for him. The Mandalorian, however, refuses fatherhood because he is not well-armed against the rigors of the Mandalorian. He refuses to feel the emotion and returns to the guild with his bounty.
He soon learns that Jawas have taken his ship and rendered it immobile. He can’t help but turn to Kuiil, the familiar face who guided him through the region’s terrain.
Campbell doesn’t know this, but he would call him the mentor. His role is to give the hero the insight they need to “cross the threshold.”
Kuril discovers Din Djarin’s predicament and takes him to the Jawas, where it is agreed that the stolen parts would be returned in exchange for Mudhorn eggs. Kuril offers his assistance once the pieces are reclaimed and repair the ship like it was his own.
Din Djarin offers Kuiil a portion of his bounty when it is time to part ways. But Kuiil refuses. He did not deserve to be repaid for his kindness. Our mentor says goodbye and tells our hero: “Good luck with your child.” It may survive, and you will be rewarded handsomely.
The Mandalorian learns a lesson about selflessness, a fundamental principle of fatherhood. Kuiil’s final words should not be taken at face value as he points out the beauty of nurturing another. This handsome reward is not something to be taken for granted.
The Mandalorian, however, returns to the guild and gives the child a cartoon bear. It’s back to business. He then finds his next job and starts his ship. The top of his lever, a steel ball, has been removed. Din Djarin realizes that it must have been the little boy, and his heart begins to stir. Silent contemplation ensues. Our hero then speeds down his ship with determination and speed and “crosses over the threshold.” Bounties are available to wait. Fatherhood is calling.
TRIALS AND TUBULATIONS
Every hero crosses the threshold and is faced with “trials, tribulations.” This is the meat of their story: Harry’s war against Voldemort, Othello’s psychological turmoil, and Hercules’ labors.
Mandalorian’s trials are about fatherhood. The first test is to see if a father can protect his child at all costs.
Din Djarin saves the child from what could have been a terrible fate. The boubounty hunters guild surrounds him, and Din Djarin must be held responsible for his flagrant breach. The tension builds quickly, and trigger fingers start itching as they stand on the street. TheThe guild’sngleader offers Din Djarin the chance to escape unscathed before letting his men go. He says to him,” Yo set the bounty down and may maybe I’ll your pass””
I should sound appealing, but thither isn’t the case. Our hero has changed. He has someone to defend. He steps to the side and pretends to surrender. Then he begins a vicious firefight, even though he is outnumbered. His fellow Mandalorians join the fray just as all seems lost. Din Djarin can escape with the child.
There are also the more mundane ordeals that can be encountered out there in the cosmos. The daily parenting struggles include keeping the child safe from thethe ship’sntrol, keeping it in one place, and figuring out what it should eat.
These mundane moments are where the Mandalorian’ss kindness, patience, and bond with Grogu grow. He then delves deeper into fatherhood until reaching its”innermost Cav,” which Campbell describes as the place where the hero must deal with his journey’s intricacies and challenges.
THE INNERMOST CAVE
The Imperial remnants of the villain Moff Gideon capture the child after a failed mission. Din Djarin and his comrades quickly jumped to the child’s rescue, and thanks toKuiil’ss sacrifice, ey succeeded. Our hero is left with severe injuries from an explosion that causes him to lose his helmet. Din Djarinisn’tt concerned about this as his time as a father prepared him for the inevitable. Heihe isn’t ready to betray his family.
While his allies search for underground escape routes, a bounty hunter tries to take his helmet off to treat his injury. Instinctively, Din Djarin stops her. It is against the Mandalorian creed that he was an orphaned boy, and he cannot have his face visible to any living creature. He realizes that he is still an individual and that even a father can have beliefs to defend to ensure the life of his child. Although his death will be a disaster for the child, he still has to keep his vows. He accepts this as his final act and begs his friends to let him go.
A droid arrives after everyone has gone and nurses our hero to his health. Din Djarin points its blaster at the droid and threatens it to shoot as soon as it grabs his helmet. Din Djarin accepts its help reluctantly. After being healed, Din Djarin follows the underground to be reunited with his child. It is a happy but temporary ending. The”supreme ordorderawaits.
THE SUPREME ORDEAL
Din Djarin is assigned to return the child to its species after encountering Moff Gideon. He eventually meets Ahsoka Tano, who reveals that the child is Grogu and leads them to the Seeing Stone, located on the planet Tython. Group can communicate with the Force and hopefully find a Jedi who will be willing to become his master. Gid one’s forces arrive atGrogu’ss home and take him captive. This happens within minutes of his arrival at the stone. Din Djarin calls on his trusted allies, but this time the plan is more complicated. They don’t think where Moff Gideon took Grog. They must disguise themselves as Imperial troopers to access an Imperial terminal.
Din Djarin arrives at the terminal by the skin of his teeth. But, it is there that he faces his most incredible ordeal: access to the airport requires a scan of theuser’ss face. Din Djarin must take off his helmet when there are breathing, living Imperial troopers.
This is a problem. Our hero proved that the Mandalorian creed was sacred through his encounter with death and the innermost cave. He would rather die than lose his faith, so how could he overestimate its importance? Is there anything that could change this stubborn resolve, which he has had since childhood? The ultimate ordeal pits Din Djarin and the Mandalorian against each other and the father.
But our hero does not waver. Group is everything, and the creed is sacred. Din Djarin, with the same determination, that he crossed the threshold, removes his helmet, and the Mandalorian bows in love to afafather’sve.
DinDjarin’ss determination grants himGideon’ss address where a fierce battle is waged. Our heroes are up against the cutting edge of military technology and come close to defeat. However, Grog is saved by the unexpected help of the Jedi Luke Skywalker. Although there is much to celebrate, the hero’s journey ends on an unexpectedly sad note.
THE FINAL STAGES
Campbell explained that the”rear” is when the hero receives the rewards of their efforts. After a brief respite, the heroes recommit to their journey again and begin their” ro d bac” to everyday life. They face a final test along the way, and their victory leads to their”resurrection,” where they are transformed or born again.
These stages are not chronological for Din Djarin and are not to be enjoyed. Grog is now safe because Moff Gideon has been defeated, but the”rear,” which is more, is harder to accept. Before Din Djarin, Grogu is Luke Skywalker, a Jedi Master. They have been looking for this person all along. The following two stages of our hero’s merge as Din Djarin realizes that Grogu is not on his path back. Group is part of the Jedi.
Grog looks at his father as Luke Skywalker calls Grog. Din Djarin informs Grogu that hedge doesn’t want him to go with you. He wants this to be true.
He is corrected by the Jedi: “He needs your permission””
H continued,””He is strong using the Force, but talent is nothing without training” H will be safe only if he masters his abilities. I will risk my life to protect him.
This is all a father should hear. It breaks Din Djarin apart. But he takes Grogu into his arms, and he carries him as slowly to the Jedi as he can, buying time for someone else to change their mind. Grog touches DinDjarin’ss helmet and asks for his identity. Group is safe. Group will be able to afford a house. This is the end of the mission. Din Djarin has no incentive to violate the creed again. Group can do anything. Group sees the entire world. Our hero reveals his face in a tender moment. He is wracked by pain that only a father could know. He then tells his child,” Alright, buddy,” It’s time for you to leave.
