Star Wars Just Made The Mandalorian's Backstory So Much More Tragic

Summary

  • Din Djarin’s traumatic past on Aq Vetina explains his strong hatred for droids in The Mandalorian.
  • As the sole survivor of the attack on Aq Vetina, Din’s guilt and gratitude drive his adherence to the Mandalorian Creed.
  • Din’s backstory reveals the depth of his trauma and explains his continued aggressive behavior towards droids in the series.



Throughout The Mandalorian season 1, Din Djarin’s backstory is explored in flashbacks, showing audiences how he both became a Mandalorian and developed such a strong hatred for droids. These flashbacks reveal just how much trauma Din went through the day the Mandalorians took him in as a foundling, a memory that connected him even more deeply to Grogu – another child whose life was rocked by tragedy, much like Din’s own. What’s revealed is just enough to help viewers understand how Din became the man he is in The Mandalorian, and these reveals are already tragic enough on their own.

Din used to live on a world named Aq Vetina, which is shown throughout the flashbacks that culminate in The Mandalorian season 1 finale. When his settlement is attacked by Separatist battle droids during the Clone Wars, Din’s parents sacrifice themselves to protect him, a task they ultimately succeed in. The Mandalorians then arrive just in time to save Din from a battle droid that’s found his hiding place, and it’s that Mandalorian who takes Din with them and, presumably, raises him as a foundling. As it turns out, however, there’s an even more tragic layer to this fateful day.


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Din Djarin Was The Sole Survivor Of Aq Vetina

The Battle Droids Killed Everyone He Knew & Loved

It’s been confirmed in a preview page for Star Wars’ upcoming Star Wars Encyclopedia that Din Djarin was the sole survivor of the attack on his Aq Vetina settlement. Previously, it was simply thought that the Mandalorians had taken Din in because he was an orphan who needed guardians, and that perhaps other survivors had remained on Aq Vetina. Now, however, it’s clear that the reason why Din went with the Mandalorians is that he had no one and nothing else to take care of him in the aftermath of this brutal, tragic attack.


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Now We Know Why Din Djarin Is So Traumatized

He Lost Everything to the Battle Droids That Day

Knowing that Din Djarin was the sole survivor of the attack on Aq Vetina completely recontextualizes his trauma, especially where droids are concerned. It was already easy to understand why Din fostered such a hatred for droids in the aftermath of what happened on his homeworld, but this new information makes it clear that the heavy weight of survivor’s guilt is also set upon his shoulders. This explains why he adheres so faithfully to his Mandalorian Creed, especially in The Mandalorian season 3; refusing to honor it meant turning his back on the second chance only he was offered.

Din was, and still is, willing to do anything to express his gratitude for the Mandalorians saving him, and while his own sense of honor drives his devotion, guilt is also no doubt partially responsible for his strict adherence to the Creed.


This is something Din acknowledges back in The Mandalorian season 1. When the widowed farmer on Sorgan, Omera, expresses her shock at the fact Din’s never shown his face to anyone ever since he was a child, he explains himself by saying “I was happy that they took me in.“ This single line carries a new, and heavy, weight. Din was, and still is, willing to do anything to express his gratitude for the Mandalorians saving him, and while his own sense of honor drives his devotion, guilt is also no doubt partially responsible for his strict adherence to the Creed.

When it comes to droids, this still rings true. While Din’s journey in The Mandalorian has seen him warm up a little more to specific droids, such as IG-11, R5-D4, and Peli Motto’s other droids, Din still cannot trust most of their kind – especially the B-2 battle droids who attacked Aq Vetina. This is why he continues to act so aggressively towards them, and the various other droids, on Plazir-15 in season 3. Din’s backstory in The Mandalorian is even more traumatic than anyone realized, and it still affects his character to this day.