The Mandalorian: Jon Favreau Says Din Djarin Wasn’t Destined to Be Star Wars ‘Aragorn’

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Season 3 of The Mandalorian.

The Mandalorian showrunner Jon Favreau has defended the decision to make Bo-Katan Kryze the new leader of Mandalore, explaining that Din Djarin was not supposed to be an “Aragorn” for Star Wars.

Disney Gallery: The Making of The Mandalorian Season 3 just landed on Disney+, giving viewers an inside look at how the talent behind the Star Wars spinoff series crafted its ambitious third season. Notably, Favreau offered further insight into the development of the main character arcs.

I think people expected Mando… He’s gonna change from a travelling bounty hunter to Aragorn or something

He explained why it was the right move for Katee Sackhoff’s Bo-Katan to take over as the titular Mandalorian, even though it didn’t align with fan expectations (some viewers complained about Pedro Pascal’s character taking somewhat of a side-step in The Mandalorian Season 3). 

“I think people expected Mando… He had the sword, he’s gonna take the throne. He’s gonna change from a travelling bounty hunter to Aragorn or something,” Favreau said at one point, reflecting on Din Djarin’s journey. “And you felt like, ‘Oh, that seems like where you’re gonna go with it.’

“But if you look at the clues, it actually hopefully, makes you reach the conclusion of where we went because if you notice from the first time [Din Djarin] uses the Darksaber, it’s heavy for him,” he noted. “Even The Armorer tells him that.”

Favreau emphasized the stark difference between Bo-Katan’s wielding of the Darksaber and Din Djarin’s use of the ancient, black-bladed lightsaber, which was yet another clue that Bo-Katan was the rightful choice to become the new protagonist of The Mandalorian.

“Bo-Katan gets her hands on the Darksaber when Din Djarin’s trapped, and she uses it like a fencing foil,” Favreau remarked. “She coveted that Darksaber so much but, without thinking, gives it back to him before he wakes up. After she rescues him.

“And so, what many may have expected to be a showdown between the two of them ends up with them both going for something very different and working together. And ultimately, all of the different Mandalorian groups coming together,” he said in conclusion.

Executive producer Rick Famuyiwa confirmed to IGN in April that Din Djarin is no longer considered the sole titular Mandalorian within Disney, and now they must define what it means to take the mantle. Whatever happens, Pascal fully supports Bo-Katan taking over.

And with how The Mandalorian Season 3 ended, fans might need to get used to Bo-Katan having even more of a central role in the Disney+ series, though only time will tell exactly how the rest of the story will play out in Season 4 and the upcoming Star Wars: Ahsoka spinoff.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.