Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2 needs to address this Mandalorian plot hole

The people demand more Star Wars. Another well-received season of The Mandalorian seems to have rekindled fans’ love of the franchise after a divisive end to the latest trilogy. While plenty of movies and Disney+ shows are in the works, there’s a lot of potential to bring some new elements of the franchise into the gaming world.

While pieces of The Mandalorian have appeared in games like Fortnite and Star Wars Squadrons, a sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order could become a crucial tether to the series. In particular, there’s one specific plot detail from the show’s second season that could very easily work its way into Respawn Entertainment’s next game. And yes, that involves a certain green baby.

If you haven’t already had The Mandalorian’s second season spoiled for you, congratulations. However, we’re going to dive deep into spoiler territory for the series here, so this is your chance to turn around and continue your good fortune.

If you’re still here, here’s a million-dollar pitch: Put Baby Yoda in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2.

That might sound like a bit of fan service shoehorning at first, but there’s a strong narrative reason to do so. While The Mandalorian’s second season gave far more background about who he is (and even gave him a proper name, Grogu), it leaves a few details deliberately vague. That leaves plenty of space for something like Fallen Order 2 to fill in the gaps.

There’s one specific moment that presents an especially strong possibility. Midway through the season, Ahsoka Tano appears and explains that Grogu survived Anakin Skywalker’s massacre at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. What’s not explained is how exactly he managed to escape. All we know is that a mysterious Jedi whisked him away. Who that Jedi is and what happened before Grogu united with Mando is a complete mystery.

As it turns out, Jedi: Fallen Order’s timeline puts it in a perfect position to build on that mystery The first game takes place before The Mandalorian begins. The game’s hero, Cal Kestis, couldn’t have been the Jedi that saved Grogu, but there’s good reason to believe the two crossed paths at some point. Just like Grogu, Kestis was a Padawan who escaped the Order 66 purge. It wouldn’t be far fetched if Grogu was temporarily placed in Kestis’ care at some point considering he becomes a full-fledged Jedi.

Bringing Grogu to the sequel wouldn’t just be a convenient excuse to sell more merch (though that would probably be a main selling point for Disney). By taking advantage of the first game’s unique placement on the Star Wars timeline, Fallen Order 2 could show fans exactly how Grogu made his way into Mando’s care. The story could even go one step further by building itself around Kestis’ search for the mysterious Jedi who saved Grogu in the first place.

There’s fun gameplay potential there too. Grogu could offer a clever companion system for the sequel. Fallen Order’s droid sidekick BD-1 was a genuinely delightful part of the game and Grogu could serve a similar utility thanks to his Force powers.

The fact of the matter is that fans aren’t done with Grogu. While Mando successfully delivered him to safety, signaling a change of pace for the show’s next season, there are plenty of natural opportunities to expand on his story. Since Disney is focused on highlighting characters like Boba Fett and Ahsoka next, it’s unlikely that we’ll see Grogu on screen for a bit (though, it’s hard to imagine he won’t show up in The Mandalorian Season 3). That’s where video games can fill in the gaps.

Truthfully, Star Wars games have always felt like a secondary part of the Star Wars canon. There’s rarely ever a game plot that plays an important role in the movie universe. Fallen Order itself feels like a side note that could be easily wiped from history if Disney pulls another refresh down the road. With a character as beloved as Grogu in the mix, Fallen Order 2 could become the first Star Wars game to break through that ceiling and become an essential chapter in the universe.

If Disney is serious about making Star Wars games feel more important, this is the way.