This article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian season three
In The Mandalorian, Din Djarin/Mando is treating Grogu like he’s a real Mandalorian and it should only be a matter of time before the conversation about the helmet comes up, especially as the little green man consciously chose the path of the Mandalorian in favor of becoming a Jedi.
As they’ve been flying from planet to planet on a mission to prepare for Mando’s ritualistic dip in the living waters beneath the mines of Mandalore, he’s been teaching his little green pal how to navigate the galaxy and what it means to be a true Mandalorian. But the Children of the Watch comes with other traditions that he’ll need to adhere to if he’s serious about it.
Mando isn’t allowed to take off his helmet and his face can’t be seen by other living beings because he follows the Mandalorian creed. There’ve been a few instances we’ve seen him take it off where it was permitted, for example when he had to eat on the planet Sorgan and he takes it off again when IG-11 has to remove his helmet to save his life. No one saw him when he was on Sorgan and IG-11 isn’t a “living thing” so he was allowed to circumvent the rule.
The Mandalorian season two has two instances of Mando breaking his creed — and this time, they aren’t permitted. When Mando and Migs Mayfeld infiltrate an Imperial processing facility, Mando shows his face to access an Imperial terminal, and he takes off his helmet again when he gives Grogu to Luke Skywalker to say goodbye, before he learned the ways of the Jedi. When Mando meets with the Armorer in The Book of Boba Fett, she makes it clear that he’s a Mandalorian no more because of this, and outlines what he will have to do to reclaim the title.
In season three, Mando, Grogu, and R5 travel to the planet Mandalore and discover that Bo-Katan was right about the planet not being poisoned and uninhabitable. The mines are also still accessible, and Mando fights his way through Alamites, but gets caught by a giant insectoid creature. He’s freed by Bo-Katan and he’s able to get to the living waters so that he can return to the Armorer and become a Mandalorian once again. But what about Grogu?
With his status reinstated, it’s possible that Mando could ask about Grogu becoming a Mandalorian. The beginning of The Mandalorian season three showed a ceremony of a young boy being initiated into the Children of the Watch, and Grogu could go through the same process. The question is whether or not Grogu will actually want to follow this part of the creed; Grogu has a hard time following rules and listening to authority. He likes pressing buttons when he shouldn’t, eating frog eggs, and hugging Anzellans like they’re pets, so he might not be ready for such a big commitment.
The Mandalorian helmet is non-negotiable, and the Armorer isn’t going to let it slide if Grogu refuses it. How Mando will respond is another story; he’s shown before that he’d break his creed for Grogu, and he’s given Grogu the opportunity to make his own choices. As much as Mando missed him, he let Grogu decide whether he wanted to rejoin him, or stay with Luke. If Grogu doesn’t take the helmet, he won’t be a true Mandalorian in the eyes of the Armorer. Mando has followed the Armorer’s rules, but this might be a tougher choice for him if it means Grogu can’t be a Mandalorian.
Mando is in possession of the Darksaber, however, and with its power he could decide to change the rules if he so chooses. He’s shown that he doesn’t want to be in a leadership position; when he defeated Moff Gideon, he tried to give the Darksaber to Bo-Katan, and in season three he’s shown very little interest in wielding the power it gives him. There’ve been hints all throughout this series that “the way” might not be the proper way, and Mando could choose a different direction and journey away from his original path, if Grogu’s involved.
