Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill, returns in The Mandalorian season 2 finale, “Chapter 16: The Rescue,” to save Grogu aka Baby Yoda and train him to be a Jedi. The Mandalorian season 2, episode 8 lived up to its title, with Din Djarin, Cara Dune, and Fennec Shand, aided by Boba Fett and joined by Bo-Katan Kryze and Koska Reeves, heading up a rescue mission to get Baby Yoda back from the clutches of Moff Gideon.
Having located Gideon’s light cruiser, with some help from Dr. Pershing, the team embarks on the quest that involves facing off with Dark Troopers, a beskar vs. Darksaber duel, and a number of twists of fate that sees the Child pass in and out of safety several times before the end of the episode. Eventually, with hope lost as Mando et al are prepared to face down the Dark Troopers in a match-up they cannot possibly win, a new hope arrives.
An X-wing lands on the light cruiser, a hooded figure emerges, a black-gloved hand ignites a green lightsaber. Dark Troopers are defeated, and Grogu clearly reacts to the presence of someone in the Force, before that person is eventually revealed. Luke Skywalker has arrived in The Mandalorian, saving Baby Yoda and taking him to train as a Jedi, which sets up a huge story for The Mandalorian season 3 and perhaps even further into Star Wars‘ future.
Luke Skywalker’s return in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 8 is the show’s biggest moment to date, and while it is a huge surprise at the very end of “The Rescue,” the groundwork has been laid for it. Back in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 6, “Chapter 14: The Tragedy,” Grogu was placed on the Seeing Stone on Tython, where he was able to reach out through the Force. At the time, it was speculated that Baby Yoda had possibly seen Luke’s Jedi Order in the Force, and that Luke himself may have sensed his presence, something Ahsoka had suggested could happen. While at first ti seemed like no Jedi had heard Baby Yoda’s call, clearly Luke did.
This makes sense, because around the timeline of The Mandalorian season 2 (roughly 9ABY), Luke is on the search for Jedi and Sith artifacts, and learning more about their history and the Force in general. He’d be well-attuned to the presence of another Force-sensitive, and indeed a place so rich in it such as Tython, which explains how he was able to sense Baby Yoda and then presumably follow that presence to Moff Gideon’s light cruiser, alert to the danger the Child was in. As ostensibly the last of the Jedi Order at this point in time, then Luke would undoubtedly want to do anything it took to save another potential Jedi, and given how strong Baby Yoda is in the Force – as evidenced by his “high m-count” – then he’d be even more aware of how valuable Grogu is.
This version of Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian is the one fans have long wanted to see on screen, because he’s clearly at the height of his powers. He became a true Jedi in Return of the Jedi, but continued to train and grow stronger, and it’s easy to see his immense power here in how easily he defeats the Dark Troopers. It also gives fans a chance to see him wield the green lightsaber properly in the Disney era, after the weapon was largely missing (bar flashbacks) from the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Mark Hamill returns to play Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian season 2 finale. With theories and speculation that Luke could appear in the show, then there has naturally also been talk of who would play him, with Sebastian Stan the most popular fan cast. Since that was true of Rosario Dawson too, who was cast as Ahsoka Tano, then it did feel like a possibility, but instead The Mandalorian opted to bring back Hamill, with the use of a lot of CGI, similar to how Rogue One: A Star Wars Story brought back Princess Leia, with Hamill’s digitally de-aged face superimposed over his double, Max Lloyd Jones. Credited as “Double for Jedi,” Loyd-Jones isn’t a well-known name, but has several credits, including Tom Thornton in TV show Where Calls The Heart, Blue Eyes in War for the Planet of the Apes, and Jacob in Once Upon A Time. The “deep fake” Luke may prove to be divisive because of how the effects look, but ultimately this feels like the right choice, since it’s a huge moment for Star Wars and Hamill is Luke Skywalker to many. Recasting the role, even with a star as popular as Stan, would’ve been extremely difficult to pull-off, and the good-will from Hamill returning trumps any issues with CG.
Luke Skywalker has arrived, and more specifically, he’s here to rescue Grogu. Having sensed his presence in the Force, Luke is acutely aware that Baby Yoda needs to be trained by a fellow Jedi, so that he can master his potentially incredible abilities and truly be safe. This fits with Baby Yoda’s backstory, as previously he had to hide his Force powers in order to stay hidden; it was those same powers that drew the attention of Moff Gideon and the Imperial Remnant, and without the likes of Mando helping him, Grogu’s fate could have been very different and a lot more tragic. With the right training, then Baby Yoda no longer has to be as defenseless, and can have more agency in his own future.
Quite what that future is remains to be seen. Luke Skywalker is taking Baby Yoda to train him, but the timeline means it is still a few years away from Luke starting his Jedi Academy with a young Ben Solo, who was said to be his very first student. This raises a couple of possibilities: The Mandalorian is retconning Star Wars, or Baby Yoda does not become part of Luke’s Jedi Order. Both feel plausible, since Disney has happily disregarded its own canon built up through books and comics if it means better servicing their major live-action properties, so it wouldn’t be too surprising if Baby Yoda were to become the foundation for Luke’s Jedi Order. If that were to happen, though, then it would perhaps mean a very dark fate for Grogu: Ben Solo will eventually turn to the dark side, becoming Kylo Ren and killing Luke’s other students, which could mean Baby Yoda dying at his hand. That said, Baby Yoda has already survived one Jedi Purge, so it’s possible he could miraculously be stolen away and saved yet again – The Mandalorian makes a brief connection between him and R2-D2, for example, who could find a way of helping with that.
Alternatively, there’s the option that Baby Yoda does not fully train as a Jedi with Luke Skywalker, or at least doesn’t make it to his Academy, but is instead just with him for a spell in The Mandalorian season 3. This feels more logical, because ultimately The Mandalorian is not Luke’s story, but that of Din Djarin and Grogu, so it seems impossible that they won’t see each other again soon. The goodbye between the pair, with Mando not only showing Baby Yoda his face but allowing him to touch it (which is likely the first time anyone has touched his face since he was taken in as a foundling), further cements the inextricable bond between the two. Ahsoka Tano has said that Grogu needed to choose his own path. That meant being found by the Jedi, but it may ultimately be with the Mandalorians. Now that Din has the Darksaber and could learn to become the Mandalore, then it may be setting up a future where Grogu sides with him, choosing the Force but also his family, which could even stretch as far as being the second-ever Mandalorian Jedi. Either way, Baby Yoda’s long-term future in The Mandalorian should be with Mando, not Luke Skywalker.
Originally from https://screenrant.com/mandalorian-luke-skywalker-mark-hamill-grogu-jedi-future/