WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2, Episode 5, "Chapter 13: The Jedi," streaming now on Disney+.
The latest episode of The Mandalorian, "The Jedi," revealed that Grogu trained at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and is a survivor of Order 66, the event that led to the near destruction of the Jedi Order and the rise of the Galactic Empire. Thousands of Jedi Knights across the galaxy fell to the blaster fire of the Clone Troopers they once viewed as comrades, and at first, only a handful survived both Order 66 and the proceeding Jedi Purge, including Master Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
In the years since the release of Revenge of the Sith, however, Star Wars has introduced several new survivors of the event, including Ahsoka Tano from The Clone Wars, Jedi: Fallen Order's Cal Kestis, Kanan Jarrus and most recently, Grogu. While the backstory adds further layers to the Child and ties him in even more with the franchise's most famous events, the franchise needs to stop introducing survivors of Order 66 and find new ways to incorporate Force users into the story.
Following the destruction of the Jedi Order, Obi-Wan and Yoda go into hiding, hoping that any survivor would do the same to avoid the wrath of the Empire and Darth Vader. The Original Trilogy then paints Luke Skywalker as the last and only Jedi after the deaths of Obi-Wan and Yoda. The idea that Luke was the last of his kind who almost singlehandedly brought the Light Side back from the brink of extinction added to the character's appeal and heightened the story's stakes.
However, with the introduction of even more Jedi survivors, Order 66 goes from being one of the darkest and most tragic events in Star Wars history to a plot device pushing the Jedi survivors to rebuild the Jedi Order. The stakes seem less dramatic and urgent than before because if Luke were to fail in his mission or fall to the Dark Side as the Emperor intended, another Jedi could step up to the plate. While the franchise has cleverly found ways around the lack of other Jedi in the Original Trilogy, it still makes one wonder why no other Jedi stepped forward to help Luke and the Rebellion in their most pivotal stand against the Empire on Endor.
In the aftermath of Order 66, most Jedi survivors would have felt that they failed in their mission to protect the galaxy and restore peace. Some of them abandoned the ways of the Force and found ways to blend into the general populous, but other Jedi continued the fight in their ways. Ahsoka played a pivotal role in the founding of the Rebellion, Kanan saw to Ezra's training and Obi-Wan dutifully watched over Luke on Tatooine. Still, the Empire was the most significant threat to the galaxy, and it's hard to believe any Jedi would forgo their duties to the Force and the universe at large and stand by as the Emperor's minions brought immense suffering to billions of innocent people.
Big things are in the works for the future of Star Wars, including a limited miniseries about Obi-Wan Kenobi, the continuation of The Mandalorian and the possible live-action appearances of Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn. This is a new and exciting time for the franchise, but to make sure things stay fresh, rather than tying everything to Order 66, the powers that be should find a new way to introduce Force users to a galaxy far, far away.