Recently, I've been slowly rewatching Season 3 of The Mandalorian. I was one of those people who wasn't the biggest fan of this outing. However, it's been some time since it came out. I also can look at it as a whole versus in a week-to-week format. I'm finding that I am enjoying it more this time around, especially when it comes to one of my favorite things about the show:
Din Djarin is really bad at Star Wars.
This is NOT a commentary on acting or writing. This aligns with the arbitrary counter of "DING! This person doesn't realize they're in the Star Wars universe" that my buds over at Dark Side Divas use.
I firmly believe that Star Wars should always be a little silly in an all-ages show like this. First and foremost, as George Lucas wished, this franchise is for kids. Some exceptions, likeAndor,were purposely made for an older audience. Overall though, whether it's Ewoks fighting an Empire, Ezra Bridger and Zeb Orrelios stealing fruit, or Din getting his butt kicked by a group Jawas, these types of shows should have a dose of silly. That just so happens to manifest itself as Din Djarin sometimes being really bad at Star Wars.
Before it premiered, I had a fear about The Mandalorian that it was going to be hyper-macho, going all out with the pews pews, and tailoring to one part of the audience. There is nothing wrong with these stories; they have their place in this franchise. They're just not what my taste is in Star Wars.
Imagine my surprise that right out of the gate, our faceless protagonist, while cool, is just sort of this awkward dude. He gets thrown around by a blurrg while being sassed by Kuiil for his failures. He's bickering with IG-11 trying to blow himself up. He doesn't seem comfortable talking with people in general. I was shocked that while he did have cool moments, this new protagonist wasn't the kick-butt bounty hunter I was expecting.
This trend continued as the show progressed. The Jawas mentioned above threw Din off their sandcrawler while making fun of him every step of the way. Peli Motto constantly picks on him (in a friendly way). He gets sassed by Frog Lady for being a bad Mandalorian, challenging his honor. He has no idea what to do with his Force sensitive son half the time. One of the best moments was in "The Believer," where Pedro Pascal gave a masterclass in acting as a man whose face hasn't seen the light of day in years. It was his Ricky Bobby "I don't know what to do with my hands" moment of the show.
"Din's a himbo!" I excitedly realized in Season 1, meaning it in the most loving way possible. Sure, he doesn't fit the exact definition of a himbo, but he has many of the best qualities of this character type. It comes out in those silly moments in The Mandalorian when he's simply trying so hard at life and failing spectacularly. I was reminded of this again, revisiting the episode "The Mines of Mandalore," watching him fight the Alamites. He was so awkward floundering about with the Darksaber as he battled the blade just as much as his enemy. Then, after a great victory, about five minutes later, he gets stuck in a trap set by the Crone. All I could think of at that moment was the "he died in a glue trap" meme.
Din is a perfect mix of 80% himbo and 20% badass bounty hunter. Because when he is that 20%, he is suddenly very good at being in a Star Wars. This is the best balance because it makes Din a fully fleshed-out character. It gives him his high points but also allows him to have flaws. Those flaws are what make him grow throughout the series. He doesn't have all the answers and is constantly failing. It makes him relatable to the viewer.
Din Djarin is a great protagonist. He might not be the best at being in a Star Wars, but he reminds us of an important lesson. Unlike Yoda's "There is no try," Din reminds us of the importance of trying. If you keep going, you might find new friends, family, and find a place in this big universe.
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