In the Star Wars universe, when does The Mandalorian occur? Something we’ve been wondering about a lot lately, owing to The Book of Boba Fett and its Grogu-shaped crossover. Because characters from the Original Trilogy, prequels, and spin-offs are crashing around The Mandalorian’s narrative, it’s only natural to go back and see where The Mandalorian fits into the Star Wars history.
As we continue, it’s important noting that the Mandalorian timeline isn’t as complicated as it appears. We’re in the middle of the Original Trilogy and the sequel trilogy. Understanding when The Mandalorian is set is crucial to comprehending the franchise’s heritage and development, especially with so many new Star Wars shows on the way.
When does Star Wars/The Mandalorian timeline work?
First and foremost, the chronology centers around a singular event, much like our Gregorian calendars in the tragically lightsaber-free real world. That’s the Battle of Yavin in this situation (otherwise known as the first assault on the Death Star in A New Hope). Just before the Battle of Yavin, this is known as 0 BBY.
The Mandalorian is set in 9 ABY, nine years after A New Hope and five years after the Emperor’s downfall in Return of the Jedi. Here’s a complete timeline of where The Mandalorian takes place in the Star Wars universe, according to the current canon.
Where is The Mandalorian timeline in the Star Wars timeline?
- Star Wars: The Phantom Menace – 32 BBY
- Star Wars: Attack of the Clones – 22 BBY
- The Clone Wars – 22 BBY-19 BBY
- Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith – 19 BBY
- The Bad Batch – 19 BBY
- Solo: A Star Wars Story – 13 BBY – 10 BBY
- Star Wars Rebels – 5 BBY – 1 BBY
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – 1 BBY
- A New Hope – 0 BBY
- The Empire Strikes Back – 3 ABY
- Return of the Jedi – 4 ABY
- The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2 – 9 ABY (Here)
- The Book of Boba Fett – 9 ABY
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens – 34 ABY
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi – 34 ABY
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – 35 ABY
What does the Mandalorian timeline signify for the series and The Book of Boba Fett?
The Mandalorian is set in a historical period that has been mostly ignored by Star Wars culture. Although novels have been written on the events that occurred between the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy, few have recounted big storylines about well-known characters. That means we’re in for plenty of cameos, as seen by appearances by Boba Fett, Ahsoka Tano, and Luke Skywalker thus far. Leia, Han, Lando, and Chewie are all out there someplace, and they might show up in the program.
Between The Mandalorian and the sequel trilogy, there’s another quarter-century, which means there’s an opportunity for a few more stories to be told. Mando’s inclusion in The Book of Boba Fett demonstrates that the writers aren’t frightened of a crossover. Din Djarin wields the Darksaber, while Boba Fett, actual name Grogu, stands by his side. The Mandalorian season 3 will most likely take up after the circumstances of Boba Fett’s show.
Other noteworthy events: Grogu was born around 50 years before The Mandalorian, making him roughly the same age as Anakin Skywalker. Grogu was also trained on Coruscant’s Jedi Temple 30 years before the program aired. That implies we now know where he was throughout the prequels, particularly Revenge of the Sith.
More possible tie-ins with the cartoon program Rebels are also on the way. We’ve previously seen Ahsoka and heard her reference Thrawn, but there’s a major sequence in the series that will be addressed in the Star Wars programs at some point. While the majority of the story takes place before the Battle of Yavin, the epilogue takes place at an unknown point in the future.
Dave Filoni, the creator of the Mandalorian and the Rebels, said: “When you look at the epilogue of Rebels you don’t really know how much time has passed. So, it’s possible that the story I’m telling in The Mandalorian actually takes place prior to that. Possible. I’m saying it’s possible.”
For the time being, though, Mando may carve his own path in the Star Wars chronology. Check out all of the upcoming Star Wars movies and series for additional information on the franchise’s future.
