I think Grogu’s Star Wars journey echoes Anakin’s—But with a chance at hope

I’ve thought about this a lot more than I probably should. There’s something about Grogu that tugs at a familiar thread in the Star Wars saga—a thread that feels eerily close to Anakin Skywalker's. But here’s the twist: while Anakin’s story spiraled into tragedy, Grogu’s seems to be reaching toward hope.

They were both born in the same year. Both were considered anomalies by the Jedi. Both carry a power that others want to control. But while Anakin was consumed by the chaos around him, Grogu seems to be navigating it differently. More gently. More freely. More… balanced.

This isn’t about rewriting Anakin’s story or forcing Grogu into his mold. It’s about recognizing the parallels—and understanding why Grogu, despite all the similarities, might just end up breaking the cycle. His journey might look like Anakin’s at times, but that doesn’t mean it has to end the same way.

And honestly, in a galaxy that’s seen too much darkness, that possibility feels like a small but necessary kind of hope.

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Star Wars parallels between Grogu and Anakin

Shared Origins and Abilities

This part always gets overlooked, but it’s fascinating—Grogu and Anakin were born around the same time: 41 BBY. Yep, they’re technically the same age. While Anakin raced through his childhood and into war, Grogu… well, he stayed baby-sized. But make no mistake—both had sky-high midichlorian counts. The Force didn’t just whisper to them; it roared.

And the Jedi noticed. Anakin was yanked from Tatooine because of it. Grogu, meanwhile, was hidden away after the fall of the Jedi Temple. Both were taken in late by Jedi standards. Both were outsiders from the start. The kind that institutions both fear and need.

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Similar Challenges

Anakin struggled with attachment. His love for his mom and later for Padmé clashed hard with Jedi teachings. He didn’t just want to love—he needed to. And that need became his undoing.

Grogu, in his own tiny, cooing way, faced the same dilemma. When Luke Skywalker gave him the choice—Jedi training or his bond with Din Djarin—Grogu chose Din. That’s huge. He rejected the old Jedi idea that attachment is a weakness. In doing so, he rewrote the script Anakin had followed to the letter.

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Temptations and Trauma

Anakin’s story was built on trauma. Slavery. War. Loss. Palpatine. All of it chipped away at him until he broke. The people who should’ve guided him—like the Jedi—missed the signs until it was too late.

Grogu? He’s seen his share of trauma, too. He survived Order 66. He remembers the fall of the Temple. But instead of being shaped by fear and manipulation, he’s surrounded by people who care. Din Djarin didn’t demand obedience; he offered safety. Ahsoka and Luke gave him choices. He’s healing, not breaking. That’s a big difference.

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Key differences that signal hope

Choice and Agency

This is the heart of it for me. Anakin was told who he was, what to feel, and what not to feel—until he snapped. Grogu, though? He gets to choose. He chose Din. He chose to wear that little beskar shirt instead of holding a lightsaber.

That moment of choice isn’t just cute or sentimental—it’s revolutionary. Grogu isn’t being dragged down a path. He’s walking his own.

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Breaking the Cycle

Here’s where Grogu really breaks away from Anakin’s shadow. Anakin’s attachments led to obsession, secrecy, and fear. Grogu’s bond with Din is open, honest, and mutual. It’s not about control or desperation. It’s about care. That changes everything.

In a galaxy that keeps repeating mistakes—Jedi falling, Sith rising—Grogu offers a different model. He’s not trying to be a Jedi in the traditional sense. He’s just trying to be whole. And that’s kind of the point.

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A new kind of hero’s journey

Star Wars usually tells us that heroes need to leave people behind to become who they’re meant to be. Grogu’s story says the opposite. He didn’t “leave” to find himself—he stayed to do that. His adventure isn’t in a Jedi Temple or on some distant battlefield. It’s in the bond he chose to keep.

And maybe, just maybe, that bond will lead him back to the Jedi someday—but on his own terms. That’s not weakness. That’s evolution.

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The Force and the Balance

The Force’s search for equilibrium

There’s a quiet theory floating around: what if Grogu is the Force’s answer to Anakin? Not as a replacement, but as a reflection—light responding to darkness. The Force doesn’t take sides. It seeks balance. Anakin tipped the scales. Grogu might help steady them again.

It’s subtle. But Star Wars is full of these echoes—these rhymes. Grogu isn’t here to swing a saber and defeat a dark lord. He’s here to show that healing and connection are just as powerful.

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Symbolic Connections

Think about Grogu’s meditation scenes in The Mandalorian. Peaceful. Focused. Surrounded by blue butterflies—symbols of hope and transformation. Compare that with Anakin’s visions in Revenge of the Sith—dark, chaotic, fueled by fear. The visual language is telling us something. Grogu is what Anakin might’ve been if he’d been allowed to just be.

He’s not the anti-Vader in a dramatic sense. He’s the gentle counterweight. Not a warrior. A healer.

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Grogu’s future: A new hope

Potential for redemption and renewal

Anakin’s story was one of redemption, but at a high cost. Grogu’s story could be one of prevention. Of renewal. He doesn’t need to fall to be meaningful. He just needs to keep choosing the path that feels right.

And he already is.

He’s bridging Jedi and Mandalorian traditions. He’s choosing empathy over legacy. And that could mean a whole new way forward for Force users—one that actually learns from the past instead of repeating it.

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Impact on the Star Wars Universe

Grogu could become the symbol of a new Jedi Order—if he ever returns to it. Or he could stay Mandalorian and still wield the Force with wisdom. Either way, his presence is challenging old binaries: Jedi vs. Sith, attachment vs. detachment, tradition vs. instinct.

He’s small, quiet, and barely says a word—but his choices are shaking the foundations of what the Force means. That’s the kind of legacy Anakin never got to have.

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Grogu and Anakin started in the same place, but the roads they walk are wildly different. Where Anakin was pushed, Grogu is choosing. Where Anakin was isolated, Grogu is loved. Where Anakin fell, Grogu stands—small but steady.

This isn’t about fixing what went wrong with Anakin. It’s about learning from it. Grogu’s journey is still unfolding, but every step he takes is a reminder that destiny isn’t fixed. Cycles can be broken. And even in a galaxy like Star Wars, hope isn’t just an idea—it’s a choice.