After receiving the new trailer for Star Wars’ upcoming movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu, it’s become clear that many fans may have misunderstood the story of The Mandalorian all along. While the trailer has been met with plenty of high praise, it’s also had a fair share of criticisms, including a supposed regression in Din Djarin’s character.
This stems from the return of both Din Djarin’s Razor Crest gunship and his Amban phase-pulse blaster rifle, which originally debuted with the character in The Mandalorian season 1. After being destroyed together in season 2, many argued that their return marks a step backwards in Din Djarin’s character journey, though this isn’t necessarily the case.
Star Wars Is Restoring The Classic Mandalorian “Silhouette”
The Razor Crest and the pulse rifle, the latter especially, have long since been a key part of Din Djarin’s silhouette as a character, which contribute to making him “the” Mandalorian as opposed to “a” Mandalorian. This silhouette was forced to change in season 2 after he lost them, and it was supplanted by the Darksaber.
The Darksaber, however, was also destroyed in The Mandalorian season 3 finale, after Din Djarin had already passed it off to Bo-Katan Kryze. Star Wars was thus presented with an opportunity to reestablish Din Djarin’s silhouette, and heading into the TV show’s brand-new cinematic era, they decided to restore the classic silhouette.
The silhouette has always been critical to this character in particular, as reinforced time and time again by series creator and The Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau. The return of the Razor Crest and the pulse rifle is nothing more than a return to form, then, as opposed to any intentional regressing in the character’s story.
Why WOULDN’T Din Djarin Replace His Equipment?
One of the biggest reasons why fans are insisting that the return of this ship and weapon marks a regression in Din Djarin’s story has to do with an attribution that was made to their destruction. Many identified it as symbolism for Din Djarin leaving behind his bounty hunting ways for good – but that’s not what ultimately happened.
The continuation of Din Djarin’s story in The Book of Boba Fett makes it clear that he’s never really had any intentions of leaving bounty hunting behind, as he continued to complete jobs even in Grogu’s absence. Din even calls himself “a bounty hunter by trade” when he makes a deal to work with the New Republic rangers.
Instead, for Din Djarin, a replacement Razor Crest and pulse rifle are instead a means to an end, pieces of equipment that will make his new bounty hunting escapades much easier. It’s similar to a Jedi replacing a lost or broken lightsaber. The Mandalorian and Grogu knows its hero needs good equipment, and why not bring back what works best?
The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters May 22, 2026.
