Star Wars has been a cultural phenomenon since Episode 4: A New Hope released in 1977, and the "Skywalker Saga" it kicked off officially concluded with the release of Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. Similarly, LEGO video game adaptations of the series have become a cornerstone of the industry, with the original LEGO Star Wars turning 15 years old in April 2020. That franchise will soon have its own blockbuster conclusion to the films' overarching story with LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, currently scheduled to release in spring 2021.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga will encompass all nine mainline films in the series, including the content released in prior LEGO Star Wars games as well as brand-new elements such as a playable Yaddle in its 500 character roster. Long-time fans of the video games should already be prepared for the irreverent atmosphere this game will create, as the primarily comedic adaptations have never held their punches with regards to highlighting the absurdity of LEGO-based Star Wars games. However, it will undoubtedly show reverence toward the source material as well, and there's one more auxiliary piece of the Skywalker Saga that deserves some LEGO love: The Mandalorian.
This Disney+ series only debuted in 2019, but its two-season run has been widely regarded as some of the best Star Wars material out there. The show takes place between the events of Episode 6: Return of the Jedi and Episode 7: The Force Awakens, and its character-driven story at the edge of the galaxy is primarily divorced from the larger film canon. However, The Mandalorian dovetails perfectly with LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga thanks to content in Season 2, and the show's expanded marketing suggests DLC could be a sensible move.
The Mandalorian in Video Games
Despite being one of the most recent additions to the Star Wars universe, Din Djarin and his foster son Grogu (better known as Baby Yoda) took the world by storm immediately. The streaming series likely has enough merchandise out there to rival the film franchise, and The Mandalorian has already made cameo appearances in a number of video games.
The most notable appearance of Mando and Grogu is Epic Games' ever-popular battle royale Fortnite. Disney has hosted events in Fortnite before, including a live preview of The Rise of Skywalker with director JJ Abrams, but the launch of Chapter 2, Season 5 last month was headlined by The Mandalorian. Mando is an unlockable skin in the game, whereas Grogu is included as back bling. Locales related to the show have also appeared on Fortnite's map, making it clear that The Mandalorian is Epic Games' big selling point for this season despite it also releasing content from God of War, Halo, and other major franchises.
Another prominent appearance for the streaming series came in Minecraft's Star Wars DLC released last November. This DLC pack is primarily focused on the Original Trilogy films; Episodes 4, 5, and 6; but also includes skins, maps, and more based on The Mandalorian. Cosmetics including a Baby Yoda dashboard decoration were also made available in EA's dogfighting simulator Star Wars: Squadrons leading up to the release of Season 2.
Fan hunger for a game based on The Mandalorian has also been expressed through numerous mods adding Mando to games like Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Given this, it would make perfect sense for LEGO Star Wars to tackle a Mandalorian adaptation, but making it DLC for The Skywalker Saga would ultimately be fitting for a number of reasons. Spoilers ahead for The Mandalorian Season 2.
The Mandalorian as LEGO Star Wars DLC
Though references to the films and other Star Wars media appear throughout The Mandalorian Season 1, including the obvious point that Grogu became known as "Baby Yoda" due to being the same species as the Jedi Master, Season 2 brings content from the Skywalker Saga into the forefront. One recurring character is Boba Fett, who survived falling into the Sarlacc Pit in Return of the Jedi and winds up tracking down Din to reclaim his iconic armor.
Another major character in Season 2 is Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker's Padawan from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, who guides the father-son duo to where they can find a more appropriate Jedi Master to train Grogu. The last episode of Season 2 reveals this Jedi is none other than Luke Skywalker, who saves the duo and their allies from an army of Dark Troopers on Moff Gideon's cruiser.
These characters are not the only ones with connective tissue to the Skywalker Saga. Fellow Mandalorian Bo-Katan Kryze and her unit, the Nite Owls, also originated in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and there are possible hints alluding to the idea that Gideon's cloning operation on Nevarro may be connected to Snoke - a major antagonist in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi with further connections to Emperor Palpatine.
Both Boba Fett and Ashoka Tano will be getting spin-off series on Disney+ based on their appearances in The Mandalorian, with The Book of Boba Fett teased via a post-credits scene during the Season 2 finale. Given all these ties to the Star Wars filmography and the willingness of showrunners to branch off into other major characters, it only seems right to consider The Mandalorian a key part of the Skywalker Saga. It should at least be key enough to earn itself a spot as a short-form DLC expansion in LEGO Star Wars.
However, if there does not wind up being The Mandalorian DLC included in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, fans can hold out hope for something in the future. In 2010, LEGO Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars was announced based on the spin-off series set between Episode 2: Attack of the Clones and Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. If this series was worth getting its own standalone LEGO Star Wars game outside of the theatrical releases, The Mandalorian certainly has a shot.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga releases in spring 2021 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
