Summary
- All 3 seasons of The Mandalorian have all contributed to cementing its legacy as one of Star Wars' very best pieces of media, with Din Djarin and Grogu both quickly becoming Star Wars icons.
- Despite its flaws, The Mandalorian season 3 still had successful moments, such as the live-action debut of Mandalore and Katee Sackhoff's character's story of redemption.
- The Mandalorian season 2 is regarded as the highest-ranked season, with its surprises, meaningful moments between Din and Grogu, and the emotional finale that left viewers cheering and crying.
As the first Star Wars live-action TV show, The Mandalorian cemented its place in the galaxy's history early on, and it has since garnered a decorated and highly-praised legacy. From the moment Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin and Star Wars TV show became a global phenomenon, not only generating millions of inescapable "Baby Yoda" memes, but also paving the way for the future of Star Wars storytelling. The Mandalorian has left many new spin-off Star Wars shows in its wake, in addition to beginning a brand-new era of Star Wars that will soon be culminating into one of Star Wars' first cinematic events since the conclusion of the Skywalker saga.
The Mandalorian has since churned out 3 seasons, with The Mandalorian season 4 on the way. Each season has developed the world of Din and Grogu in its own way, with the scope of the story getting wider and wider with every new installment. Despite each season's individual receptions, they have all been considered as successes in their own ways, adding on to The Mandalorian's growing legacy. Here are all 3 seasons of The Mandalorian, ranked worst to best.
3 The Mandalorian Season 3
Premiere Date: March 1, 2023
The most recent installment of The Mandalorian was met with an unprecedented amount of criticism and overall mixed reviews, especially given how high the Star Wars TV show set its own standard with seasons 1 and 2. The chief complaint about The Mandalorian season 3 is the way it was heavily set up in its spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett, which saw both Din's excommunication from his tribe as a result of removing his helmet as well as his quick and long-awaited reunion with Grogu. Viewers of The Mandalorian who didn't watch the spin-off show found themselves lost right at the beginning of the season, and the let-down of The Book of Boba Fett stalled momentum for The Mandalorian season 3 before it even had the chance to air.
Despite this, The Mandalorian season 3 still had many areas of success and incredible Star Wars storytelling. This season marked the live-action debut of Mandalore, a famous planet in Star Wars history that's vital to the Mandalorians as a whole. It also allowed Katee Sackhoff's Bo-Katan Kryze to tell her story of redemption, as she goes from being a disheartened warrior who's fallen from grace to the rightful ruler of a newly-liberated planet. The Mandalorian season 3 had plenty of incredible Star Wars action, from thrilling dogfights to all-out battles between Mandalorians and their adversaries. The end of the season also saw Din at last adopting Grogu as his own, a heartfelt moment leading directly into The Mandalorian season 4.
The story of The Mandalorian season 3, however, had just as many lows as it did highs. Din's story of redemption on Mandalore was completed within the first three episodes of the season, and the shift of focus onto Bo-Katan left many viewers feeling as if Din was completely cast aside. The season also abandoned Din's previous arc of questioning his helmet rule as set up in The Mandalorian season 2, thus becoming the first installment of the show to lack even a single glimpse at Din's face. The Mandalorian season 3 had some pacing issues, as well as some stories and cameos that simply felt out of place in the grand scheme of the overall story. Still, The Mandalorian season 3 is a thrill, but it certainly ranks lower than its previous two seasons.
2 The Mandalorian Season 1
Premiere Date: November 12, 2019
The Mandalorian season 1 just narrowly misses first place with its historic and unforgettable introduction to the Star Wars galaxy. This installment of the Star Wars TV show made it possible for all else following it to exist, both within and outside its own series. The Mandalorian season 1 had the difficult task of worldbuilding within the greater Star Wars galaxy, and it did so in a heartfelt and exciting way - with only a few minor flaws.
The premiere of The Mandalorian season 1 proved this show would be a massive success, from its introduction to the ruthless bounty hunter Din Djarin himself to the reveal of Grogu as "Baby Yoda." Season 1 established the episodic structure that perfectly fits its western genre, taking viewers on week-to-week journeys with Din and Grogu that fit within the overarching story of the season. The Mandalorian season 1 depended on zero legacy Star Wars characters, instead fleshing out its own original characters to create a unique pocket of the Star Wars galaxy that captivated its audience from the very beginning. Din's and Grogu's bond became one of viewers' favorites within the entire franchise, cementing their places as Star Wars icons.
Still, even The Mandalorian season 1 fell short in some areas. The second act of the season, stretching from episodes 4 to 6, felt to many like a distraction from the overall plot. While these episodic adventures were all still relevant and enjoyable, they slowed the pacing of Din's and Grogu's impending conflict, making it more difficult to reach the season's incredible two-part finale. For some, the scope of The Mandalorian also felt too small and far-removed from the rest of the galaxy, as it kept its ing cast tight and lacked any references to the more well-known parts of Star Wars. Despite these flaws, The Mandalorian season 1 still stands as its own legendary installment, which is something that will never change.
1 The Mandalorian Season 2
Premiere Date: October 30, 2020
With the return of several iconic Star Wars characters and a perfectly widened scope for its story, The Mandalorian season 2 stands the test of time over and over again. Releasing less than a year after season 1, The Mandalorian season 2 is mostly known for its incredible surprises and its meaningful moments between Din and Grogu. This season of the Star Wars TV show also beautifully developed arcs for Din and Grogu respectively, leading into the unforgettable and emotional finale that left viewers both cheering and crying.
The Mandalorian season 2 started off strong with a 50-minute premiere that saw Din take on a krayt dragon alongside Timothy Olyphant's Cobb Vanth, a character whose origin lies within the interludes of a Star Wars book trilogy. Cobb became the first of many characters to make the leap from another Star Wars medium to live-action, ing most notably Bo-Katan and Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka Tano. Each new episode of The Mandalorian season 2 promised both an incredible Star Wars surprise as well as an exciting progression of the overall story, much of which led to the returns of both Temuera Morrison's Boba Fett and Luke Skywalker himself. Din removed his helmet on two occasions for Grogu's sake, raising the stakes for his character in a way that simply makes this season legendary.
Only the repetitive nature of calling in favors can truly be named as The Mandalorian season 2's weakness, with each episode seeing Din having to cash in a favor in order to gain information for his quest - aside from the epic two-part finale. Overall, the legacy of The Mandalorian season 2 has only grown more favorable in the years following its conclusion, with many viewers hoping for the show to return to such a structure and story in the season 4. There's no doubt The Mandalorian season 2 universally ranks the highest for most viewers of the show, though all 3 seasons have left an impactful legacy on the Star Wars galaxy - and each rewatch only makes these stories better and better.
