Highlights

Bo-Katan is a complex and nuanced character who has undergone significant growth and development throughout her appearances in The Mandalorian and other Star Wars series.
Bo-Katan's history, including her involvement with the Death Watch and her struggles with her past, makes her backstory more compelling and adds depth to her character.
Bo-Katan's character arc surpasses that of Din Djarin, as she has transformed from a villain to a remorseful leader, positioning her as a potential dynamic protagonist for future seasons of The Mandalorian.

The Mandalorian premiered on Disney+ to much applause in 2019, giving fans a new character to follow in the rich galaxy of Star Wars. This kind of character has obviously existed in Star Wars before, but never had a bounty hunter Mandalorian been the primary focus of a cinematic project. More importantly, it's a character who doesn't use the Force, which is appealing on its own. Fans expected the series to delve deeper into the Mandalorian culture, and it didn't disappoint.

Now, three seasons in, along with an impactful appearance in The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian has given its audience more than they could have imagined. It has featured an appearance of the Darksaber, multiple significant run-ins with the Imperial remnant, and the inclusion of renowned Mandalorians like Bo-Katan Kryze. Din Djarin has been a great addition to the Star Wars universe, but it might be time for Bo-Katan to step up as the titular Mandalorian of the series.

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Bo-Katan is a More Interesting Mandalorian

Bo-Katan is a former lieutenant of Death Watch, an extremist terrorist group of Mandalorians that didn't agree with Mandalore's shift to pacifism. She was also ruler of Mandalore before it fell to the Empire. She faced off against her sister, Duchess Satine Kryze. Those who only met Bo-Katan in The Mandalorian might have a hard time believing she was a villain, but that's because she's an effectively nuanced character who has undergone a great deal of development. One has to only look at her complete 180 in The Mandalorian season three to get a hint of the kind of growth she's undergone.

Bo-Katan derided the Children of the Watch as a cult in her live-action introduction, only to rely on them throughout the third season. She's a character capable of identifying her flaws and adjusting accordingly. Not only does she accept the Armorer's help, but she also ventures out to unite the other Mandalorian clans in the hopes that she can bring them back to Mandalore and rebuild the once great culture that they had. That's not to say that Din Djarin isn't three-dimensional, but he always goes where the plot needs him to go. His own decisions do not guide him the way that Bo-Katan's guide her.

Bo-Katan's History is More Compelling

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It's not really fair to compare Din Djarin and Bo-Katan's history, because Bo has been around significantly longer than Din Djarin. However, that's the way the cookie crumbles. She debuted in The Clone Wars, where fans got an in-depth look at the Mandalorian culture and the domed cities of Mandalore. She even appeared in Star Wars: Rebels, where Sabine Wren passed the Darksaber onto her. Bo-Katan Kryze is a flawed character who struggles with her past, including the death of her estranged sister, in which she had a hand.

The Death Watch had hatched a plan with Darth Maul to fabricate a conflict with Maul's men, which would paint the dissenting Mandalorians as saviors in the end. This would, in turn, oust Duchess Satine from her seat of power. Bo-Katan's part was simple: Capture Maul's syndicate goons and bring them to justice. Pre Vizsla (voiced by The Mandalorian showrunner Jon Favreau), leader of the Death Watch, goes on to capture the Duchess and force her to announce him as Mandalore's Prime Minister. Once named leader of Mandalore, Maul challenges Pre Viszla to a duel for the right to rule the planet and its people, which Vizsla accepts and promptly loses his head. Maul subsequently kills Satine in front of Bo-Katan after Bo refuses to accept Maul as Mandalore's leader.

Bo-Katan and her compatriots got into bed with the devil, and lived to regret their actions. Maul gained control of both the Darksaber and Mandalore that day. Luckily, his rule didn't last long, as Ahsoka eventually joined Bo-Katan's efforts to take back the planet and apprehend Maul. But, the wounds the Sith lord left were deep. Katee Sackhoff masterfully relays that pain to the audience in all of her scenes on The Mandalorian.

Bo-Katan Has a Deeper Character Arc

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Bo-Katan might have begun her tenure in Star Wars as a villain, but that didn't last. She goes on a bit of a hero's journey, in which Satine's death serves as the catalyst that changes her perspective and sets her future in motion. The amount of character growth she exhibited in The Clone Wars impressed audiences and made her the fan-favorite that she is today.

Fast-forward to The Mandalorian, and audiences again see growth and development in her character. Din Djarin doesn't exhibit the same kind of character development. In fact, he's not too different from who he was at the start of the series. He has accepted his role as a father, but he's still mostly a loner of few words who does as he's told. He showed signs of turning his back on "the way" when he willingly removed his helmet in the season two finale. Unfortunately, that didn't stick, as he fell back in line with the Armorer and her teachings. The main character needs to evolve and learn from their experiences.

Looking back at the Skywalker family, Luke and Anakin both ended up in different places from where they started. Luke started out as a younger farmhand who knew little about the galaxy. By the end of his trilogy, he's a wise Jedi master who sees good in the second most evil man in the universe. Bo-Katan Kryze is not anywhere near where she started as a character. She's gone from a closed-minded terrorist, to a remorseful leader, to the only Mandalorian to see a Mythosaur and potential savior of the Mandalorians. She's not even close to done evolving, either. Unfortunately, Din Djarin might be in a developmental dead end, but Bo-Katan could continue pushing the series forward as a dynamic protagonist.