When does the new Star Wars live-action series The Mandalorian take place exactly? You might be surprised by the answer. You see, The Mandalorian takes place during an interesting moment within the overall Skywalker saga story that Lucasfilm began telling back in 1977 with Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. If you watch the first episode of The Mandalorian closely, you might be able to figure out when this series is taking place.
Image via Disney+/Lucasfilm
If the Stormtrooper heads on pikes and the severe lack of Darth Vader didn’t clue you in, The Mandalorian takes place right after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. The 1983 film ends with the Rebels, blowing up the Empire’s Death Star, Darth Vader dying and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) burning his body on a funeral pyre on Endor, and later Luke, Leia (Carrie Fisher), and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) being fêted by the rest of the Rebel Alliance.
The Mandalorian picks up five years after the events of Return of the Jedi, which means the Empire has fallen and Luke, Leia, and Han Solo are still alive elsewhere in the galaxy. Additionally, this means that Rey and Finn have not been born yet and Kylo Ren (still known as Ben Solo as this point) is just a little kid. Pretty trippy, right? Since The Mandalorian takes place on the Outer Rim, however, it’s highly unlikely we’ll see any of the main character from the Skywalker saga pop up, although the chances are good they could be referenced considering the events of Return of the Jedi are part of this show’s recent memory.
Now that you know when The Mandalorian takes place, it’ll be much easier to place it within the chronological order of Star Wars movies and TV shows. If you’re interested in watching those movies and TV shows in the Skywalker saga, the Star Wars Twitter account has you covered. Earlier this weekend, they tweeted out a fun infographic to help you find the right viewing order on Disney+ for all your binge-watching needs. Check it out:
?#DisneyPlus
└? Star Wars
└? Movies
└? Prequel trilogy marathon.
└? Series
└? #TheMandalorian watch party.
└? Start your Star Wars: #TheCloneWars rewatch.Weekend watch recommendations from a galaxy far, far away.
— Star Wars (@starwars) November 15, 2019
The Mandalorian is currently available to stream on Disney+, with new episodes releasing every Friday (for the most part) through the end of December. For more, check out our roundup of the best TV shows on Disney+.
