The Mandalorianbroke one surprisingStar Warsrule, proving that many rules forStar Warsmovies and TV showsare made to be broken.The Mandalorianis largely considered one ofStar Wars’best shows, in part because of its innovation. Rather than a focus onthe Skywalker family tree, or even really the Jedi/the Force (despite some major cameos), the show, as the title suggests, is focused on Mandalorians. More than even that, though, the show is really about the father-son dynamic between Din Djarin and Grogu.
In that sense,The Mandalorianwas already innovative, but in an interview withEmpire Magazine, showrunner ofAndorTony Gilroy revealed another surprising wayThe Mandaloriandeviated from theStar Warsnorm. Gilroy explained:
“When we started onRogue, there were things that we couldn’t do at all. You couldn’t have a bathroom! Then they had a bathroom onMandalorian.”
Although we’d already known the appearance of a bathroom inThe Mandalorianwas the first of its kind inStar Wars, we had no idea that it was previously forbidden to have a bathroom in the franchise.
Sometimes, Star Wars' Rules Just Don’t Make Sense
George Lucas Wanted To Preserve The Galaxy, But Some Rules Are A Little Much
While I understand and respect that George Lucas had rules forStar Warsbecause he wanted to protect the integrity of the galaxy he was creating,some of the rules in the franchise do take things a bit far. Forbidding bathrooms is a great example, especially because no matter how long ago and far, far awayStar Warsis meant to be, bathrooms would obviously still be necessary. This is also far from the only odd rule that has been broken inStar Warsof late.
Star Wars’latest TV show,Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, had also broken a shocking rule. That is,Skeleton Crewbroke the ‘no paper’ rule inStar Warswhen a paper scroll was found in a pirate’s lair. This is yet another strange one for the franchise. Yes, Lucas wanted cool things like data pads to be the way of the retro-futuristic story he was telling, but did he really have to ban paper?
The “Rules” Of Star Wars Are A Lot More Flexible Than You Think (& They Change A Lot, Too)
Exclusive: Skeleton Crew creators Jon Watts and Christopher Ford reveal just how flexible the “rules” of the Star Wars galaxy really can be.
Our Take On Star Wars' “Rules”
Some Of These Rules Are Meant To Be Broken
I think what we’re seeing with shows likeSkeleton CrewandThe Mandalorianis proof thatStar Warshas outgrown many of these rules from the early days of the franchise. In the original trilogy, when George Lucas was establishing many of these rules, he had good reason to be so strict. He was buildingStar Warsfrom the ground up, and, at that point, the extent of his strictness was due to the need to get the world-building just right.
In the end, I can hardly fault him for that. Clearly, this was well-executed, as, initially, no one really had any idea whetherStar Warswould be successful, let alone anticipate the worldwide phenomenon it would become. However, given it is now that phenomenon,Star Warsshows and movies can relax a little bit and break some of these more ridiculous rules.The Mandalorianincorporating a bathroom may seem like no big deal, but, in reality, it is a sign thatStar Warshas come so far in its nearly 50 years.
