Although we know that The Mandalorian occurs after that the events that occurred during Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, it is not clear exactly when. One year later? Twenty years later? The only clue we had were comments made by Jon Favreau -creator of the series- in interviews. For many a retcon in all rule, since, in theory, the space of time between the film and the series was minimal.
Now, during season 3 episode 5, something Din Djarin says would confirm when exactly it happens. The Mandalorian within the Star Wars timeline. It is a detail, one more moment, but important.
When Mando is trying to convince the other Mandalorians to help Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) and the people of Nevarro, he says that “the clash between them happened many, many cycles ago.” This is in reference to the first season of the series, in which Karga betrays Djarin, to try to capture Grogu.
If that conflict happened “many, many cycles” ago, it means that, indeed, many more years have passed than it seems between the first and third seasons of The Mandalorian.
How long is a long time in ‘The Mandalorian’?
How much time, exactly, passed between season 1, season 2 and season 3 of The Mandalorian? The productions of Star WarsIn general, they do not speak of years, because in a galaxy the passage of time is relative. A year on one planet may be a month on another.
But the theory is that, after the delivery of Grogu to Lukę Skywalker, in the events of the last episode of The Mandalorianand the visit of Din Djarin that led to his return during Boba Fett’s bookthey could have passed much longer than it seems from the way the series is narrated.
It also doesn’t help that the few faces we see in the series don’t seem to be affected by the passage of time. So it could be the equivalent of three or four years, only. Although that contradicts the words of Din Djarin during episode 5 of the third season and his “many, many cycles”.
Part of the reason why the production of The Mandalorian would be interested in accelerating the passage of time in the series is to get closer to events related to the constitution of the first orderfounded from the remains of the galactic empire. In fact, what we see in the fourth episode of the third season suggests exactly that.