‘The Mandalorian’ pays tribute to a beloved ‘Star Wars Rebels’ character in the most heartbreaking way

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian season three finale.

The Mandalorian has wrapped up yet another season, and while the third run’s finale might not be as mind-blowing a conclusion as season two’s (no Luke Skywalker cameo this time, folks), it’s still making a big impact on Star Wars die-hards. One thing you can’t accuse season three of skimping on is the connections and allusions to the wider saga, and that certainly continued in the finale thanks to one epic moment that called back to one of Star Wars Rebels‘ most powerful scenes.

In “Chapter 24: The Return,” Grogu pulls off one of his most impressive Force feats yet when he manages to protect his daddy Din Djarin (yes, they really are father and son now) and Bo-Katan from a blazing inferno. This sequence hit even harder for Rebels viewers, though, as it brings back strong memories of the death of Kanan Jarrus in the Rebels series finale. For those who need a reminder, Kanan used the Force to protect The Ghost crew from a similar blaze, sacrificing himself in the process.

Some are managing to see the funny side…

… But for others, it’s still too soon.

Meanwhile, certain fans are offended at the implication baby Grogu is more powerful than properly trained Jedi Kanan.

Grogu made it look easy.

To be fair to Kanan, the situations aren’t exactly the same and he definitely had the tougher job.

Due to his demise, Kanan isn’t one of the Rebels characters we expect to see make the jump to live-action in Ahsoka, although some kind of flashback with Freddie Prinze Jr. reprising his role doesn’t feel too far-fetched. Thanks to The Mandalorian for keeping his memory alive with this emotional (or offensive, depending on your personal opinion) callback.