This week, the flagship Star Wars series heads to theaters for the first time ever, with the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu.

The show has had three seasons on Disney+, comprising 24 episodes, and Din Djarin and Grogu have shown up in three episodes of a sister series, The Book of Boba Fett, as well. So with the theatrical debut of these fan favorite characters, let’s take a look back at the series that spawned it, ranking all 27 episodes.

---

Numbers 16-27:

27. “Guns for Hire” (Chapter 22 – season 3, episode 6; dir. Bryce Dallas Howard)

26. “The Apostate” (Chapter 17 – season 3, episode 1; dir. Rick Famuyiwa)

25. “The Passenger” (Chapter 10 – season 2, episode 2; dir. Peyton Reed)

24. “The Foundling” (Chapter 20 – season 3, episode 4; dir. Carl Weathers)

23. “The Mines of Mandalore” (Chapter 18 – season 3, episode 2; dir. Rachel Morrison)

22. “The Convert” (Chapter 19 – season 3, episode 3; dir. Lee Isaac Chung)

21. “The Gunslinger” (Chapter 5 – season 1, episode 5; dir. Dave Filoni)

20. “The Pirate” (Chapter 21 – season 3, episode 5; dir. Peter Ramsey)

19. “The Prisoner” (Chapter 6 – season 1, episode 6; dir. Rick Famuyiwa)

18. “Sanctuary” (Chapter 4 – season 1, episode 4; dir. Bryce Dallas Howard)

17. “In the Name of Honor” (The Book of Boba Fett chapter 7; dir. Robert Rodriguez)

16. “The Siege” (Chapter 12 – season 2, episode 4; dir. Carl Weathers)

15. “The Return” (Chapter 24 – season 3, episode 8; dir. Rick Famuyiwa)

The season three finale delivered plenty of epic action moments, as Bo-Katan Kryze led the Mandalorian forces against Moff Gideon’s Imperial remnants, intent on taking back Mandalore. As Kryze said, “Mandalorians are stronger together”, and this episode showed that to be the case. If you’re looking for an episode full of action, with lots of Mandalorians fighting against the Empire, Bo-Katan wielding the darksaber, and Din Djarin and Grogu jumping into the midst of the fight, this one’s for you.

14. “The Spies” (Chapter 23 – season 3, episode 7; dir. Rick Famuyiwa)

Edging out the finale slightly is the episode that leads directly into it, setting up the action. It begins by showing the Imperial Shadow Council, which was a super cool touch, but then takes time to dive a little deeper into Bo-Katan’s mindset, her relationship with Din, and Grogu’s continuing growth. But their efforts to retake Mandalore hit a snag as they walk into an Imperial trap, setting up the finale.

13. “The Child” (Chapter 2 – season 1, episode 2; dir. Rick Famuyiwa)

The cliffhanger ending of the first episode was huge, showing off a “child” of Yoda’s species. But the second episode was very important, taking time to establish the relationship between Din Djarin and this child, Grogu. It features very little dialogue, instead letting what you see tell the story (combined with Ludwig Göransson’s inestimable score) – and it works out tremendously well. And as Djarin fights the mudhorn, not only does he win his symbol – but we also learn that there might be more to this child than meets the eye. There was something wonderful about this series before it became really popular, before Grogu became a cultural icon, and before cameos started to connect it to a larger world – it was just the story of a Mandalorian and a child, and it led to some terrific storytelling.

12. “The Heiress” (Chapter 11 – season 2, episode 3; dir. Bryce Dallas Howard)

When this show does pull in other characters from other stories, though, it can do it well. One example of that is Bo-Katan Kryze, whose inclusion in a story about Mandalorians seems perfectly natural. This episode was her live-action debut, and it handled it well – with great action, but also highlighting how different Mandalorian groups hold different views of the Creed. Din was forced to confront the reality that other Mandalorians are ok taking off their helmet. Too bad that didn’t lead to much of any growth for Din’s character down the road, but that isn’t this episode’s fault.

11. “The Sin” (Chapter 3 – season 1, episode 3; dir. Deborah Chow)

In many ways, this was the episode that launched The Mandalorian into hyperdrive. In the show’s first three episodes, Din Djarin tracked down the Child, brought the Child back to Nevarro, and then turned the Child in to the Empire for his payment. Another bounty complete, right? Not quite. Facing a fork in the road, Djarin stormed back into the compound, broke the Child out, and fought his way out of the city – with the help of his Mandalorian clan. It marked this show’s first step into a larger world, setting Djarin and Grogu off on a brand new adventure.

10. “The Marshal” (Chapter 9 – season 2, episode 1; dir. Jon Favreau)

This is the only episode of the series directed by Jon Favreau, and it’s excellent. Leaning heavily into its Western vibes, Din Djarin and Grogu meet Cobb Vanth, and anything with Cobb Vanth in it is going to be good. He’s a sheriff on Tatooine who wears Mandalorian armor, and he agrees to give it to Djarin in exchange for his help fighting a Krayt Dragon. So they fight the beast together in a really fun moment, and as Djarin leaves with the armor we get a hint at what is to come: Boba Fett has survived, and he’s coming for his gear. This episode is proof that the story doesn’t have to be about galaxy-defining stakes. It can just be a lot of fun.

9. “The Reckoning” (Chapter 7 – season 1, episode 7; dir. Deborah Chow)

Convinced that Moff Gideon and the Empire would continue hunting the Child unless, and until, they were dealt with, Din Djarin decides to fight back, recruiting his allies he had met in season one for a final showdown. The penultimate episode of the inagural season is a lot of set-up for later payoff, but it does so in very compelling fashion. It brings the heroes all together, it further highlights Grogu’s power and the mystery surrounding the Empire’s plans with him, and it ends on the most heartbreaking note of them all, setting the stage for all that is to come.

8. “Return of the Mandalorian” (The Book of Boba Fett chapter 5; dir. Bryce Dallas Howard)

In an irony I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to fully figure out, some of the very best episodes of The Mandalorian technically happen in a different series, The Book of Boba Fett. Ok, I know they aren’t officially episodes of this show, but it feels wrong not to include them here because they are, for all intents and purposes, part of this series. Taking a complete break from Boba’s story, this episode follows Din Djarin. He has parted ways with Grogu, is learning how to wield the darksaber, and has gone back to working different jobs. He gets a brand new ship, his N1starfighter, and he agrees to help Fett in his fight against the Pykes. It’s our one (and, crazy enough, only) look at Djarin without Grogu, and it’s a truly great episode. I only wish they had given time for a few more episodes like this before the reunion with Grogu.

7. “The Mandalorian” (Chapter 1 – season 1, episode 1; dir. Dave Filoni)

Looking back at it, the series premiere had all the pieces that made this show so great. Telling the story about a Mandalorian bounty hunter who is a formidable fighter yet who has a moral compass, this sees him take a job that winds up leading to Grogu. There is no better way to begin this series than this, serving as not only the perfect introduction to the show but also one of its finest episodes to this day. It captures so much of what made this show an instant hit.

6. “Redemption” (Chapter 8 – season 1, episode 8; dir. Taika Waititi)

The show’s first season truly stuck the landing. It has lots of action against the Empire, including a great moment where Grogu and IG-11 arrive to turn the tide of the whole situation. It has some real story growth, with Din Djarin unmasked. It has an epic moment with Djarin using his jetpack to fight Gideon. And it leaves off on quite the tease, showing that Gideon has the darksaber. It’s no small task to wrap up all the different story threads in a satisfactory way (and not something to take for granted even in this series), but that’s what happened in season one.

5. “The Tragedy” (Chapter 14 – season 2, episode 6; dir. Robert Rodriguez)

As we enter my top five episodes of The Mandalorian, I think this much is obvious: the ending of season two is the highest peak of the series, and that all begins with “The Tragedy”. Din Djarin continues his quest to reunite Grogu with the Jedi, which leads them to Tython, a world strong with the Force. But Boba Fett and Fennec Shand also track them to Tython, wanting Fett’s armor. And, to make matters worse, the Empire also arrives. It makes for an excellent episode filled with lots of action and tension that leaves you on the edge of your seat. Seeing Boba Fett back in action is great. It’s a really good episode, but also sets all the stakes for the rest of the season.

4. “From the Desert Comes a Stranger” (The Book of Boba Fett chapter 6; dir. Dave Filoni)

Again jumping to The Book of Boba Fett, this episode has a little bit of everything: Grogu training with Luke Skywalker; Din Djarin talking with Ahsoka Tano about Grogu; Ahsoka and Luke on-screen together; Cobb Vanth facing off against Cad Bane; Luke offering Grogu a choice for his future; etc. I love seeing Luke training an apprentice in this timeline, and to have all of these other characters in the mix too is pretty cool. Again, I wish we saw more of Luke’s time training Grogu, but I’m grateful this episode exists. It’s superb.

3. “The Jedi” (Chapter 13 – season 2, episode 5; dir. Dave Filoni)

Speaking of Ahsoka Tano, she has become a major character in this new era of Star Wars storytelling, starring in the series named for her. She was long considered a fan favorite due to The Clone Wars and Rebels, but made her live-action debut in this episode of season two. It serves as a great introduction into this timeline, and it really amps some things up with Grogu’s Force and Jedi connections. It was a bit of a risk bringing her into live-action, but this episode handled it tremendously well. And, well, for the first time we got a Grand Admiral Thrawn name-drop, which just becomes more and more important.

2. “The Believer” (Chapter 15 – season 2, episode 7; dir. Rick Famuyiwa)

This episode is about as perfect as The Mandalorian gets, and shows just how good the series can be. If it weren’t for the pure thrill of how everything wrapped up in the season two finale this would be an easy choice for the top spot, but as it is the season’s penultimate episode takes the penultimate spot on our rankings. I love this series, but it’s not often known for doing much character development whatsoever with its main character. This episode is different. Din Djarin goes undercover infiltrating an Imperial base, taking his helmet off as he does so, to find information crucial to rescuing Grogu (though later storytelling decisions cheapen the moment a bit by reversing any growth with his relationship to his helmet, it doesn’t diminish from this episode). It feels like such an important moment, and his teaming up with Migs Mayfeld is tremendous. It really dives into the psyche of these characters in a way no other episode of this series even comes close to doing. Like I said, this is about as perfect as it gets.

1. “The Rescue” (Chapter 16 – season 2, episode 8; dir. Peyton Reed)

But, in the end, I don’t know how I could give the top spot to anything except the season two finale. The rescue of Grogu is really exciting and compelling, with Din Djarin leading the charge, alongside his allies, into the heart of the beast. They infiltrate an Imperial cruiser, Din fights with Moff Gideon and wins the darksaber, and they rescue Grogu. But that’s not where the episode ends – not by a long shot! As the untouchable dark troopers pin the heroes down, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker shows up, fighting his way with ease through the troopers to rescue Grogu. Djarin removes his helmet to say goodbye in one of the show’s most touching moments, and the child leaves with the Jedi. It is The Mandalorian at its best, and some of the best Star Wars period we’ve seen in quite a while, too.