The first of many to come Star Wars web series on Disney+ has closed it’s pilot season in The Madalorian. Starring Pedro Pascal in the titular role, the series follows five years after the events of Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. The Mandalorian sails the stars in search of work, until one job involving a mysterious child makes him question himself and his actions.

The Mandalorian is a 2019 space western web series, it is produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney. Season one is currently available in its entirety exclusively on Disney+.

Editor’s Note: This review contains near complete to complete spoilers for The Mandalorian season one.

Fan-favorite Star Wars group Mandalorians gets its own spinoff on Disney+. Featuring a no nonsense bounty hunter as the lead, the main character goes from planet to planet searching for his next big job. In the pilot he goes to planet Nevarro for his next gig to retrieve a VIP, while also learning that a small group of Mandalorians are also stationed there as a secret home base. Having completed his initial task he begins to question himself upon learning that his VIP is actually a “child” that the last remaining remnants of the Galactic Empire want to possess. The Mandalorian makes his new permanent mission to protect the child (a member of Yoda’s species) at all cost.

THE GOOD: One of the things I love most about The Mandalorian is that unlike many spin-offs it never feels embarrassed by or distant from its source material. Usually when a character gets spun off from an established series the writers seem to want to go out of their way to inform the audience that this is based entirely around said character or characters and the original content they were based in shouldn’t be expected to appear at all. The Mandalorian takes its source with gusto and breathes new life into it. Not only does The Mandalorian feature key components and elements of the Star Wars universe and lore, but it also celebrates it and its fans. Though Jon Favreau and his team are careful to not let the fanservice overshadow The Mandalorian’s own original flare. We do get some characters with connections to past Star Wars lore. If you’re a fan of the expanded universe then you’ll be happy to know that The Mandalorian has some of those characters at the very least represented in some manner, such as Moff Gideon. Who has somehow come to wield the infamous Darksaber most known from the Star Wars Rebels animated series.

During the first initial minutes of the pilot we get an idea of who The Mandalorian is as a character. He’s no nonsense, tough as nails, soft spoken, and only cares about getting the job done more often than not by any means necessary. However, after his interactions with The Child he begins to change. He has a much more laxed approach towards completing his jobs and even eventually makes it a point to only kill when necessary compared to previous moments where he killed without so much a second of thought. Not only does The Child change The Mandalorian but other key characters such as humble mechanic/farmer Kuiil, Guild Master Greef Karga, and Rebellion fighter turned mercenary Cara Dune have a lasting effect on his character. In addition to those characters The Mandalorian has a bit of a bonding experience with his own people on the planet of Nevarro after being pinned down in an effort to protect The Child from the remains of the Galactic Empire. 

Most of the episodes in The Mandalorian have a self-contained story within the 32-40 minute run time. This usually involves The Mandalorian jumping from planet to planet for a job, or doing so for his own reasons. One such case involves him saving an ex-partner from imprisonment and naturally things don’t go as planned. The loose storytelling of the series didn’t exactly always work for the series and it did slow things down for the earlier episodes, but the pacing thankfully works itself out around the middle point of the series. 

THE BAD: Some viewers may find The Mandalorian a bit tropey, which might annoy them. However, The Mandalorian does it in a way that doesn’t feel too cringy or insulting so it can get away with it. There’s also some plot pacing issues in the earlier episodes. This could likely be contributed to the uncertain episode count of the first season, but it eventually works itself out by episode three or four.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: For a freshman attempt on Disney+ The Mandalorian is an above and beyond effort in the future of the live-action Star Wars franchise on the new streaming platform. With season two set this Fall and other Star Wars projects on the way and likely to connect to the overall canon of the franchise things are looking up for the fandom. Otaku Dome gives The Mandalorian Season One a 95 out of 100.