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With The Mandalorian and Grogu bringing the fan-favorite Star Wars characters to the big screen in May, it’s probably the right time to revisit the backstory of everyone’s favorite non-droid pairing from a galaxy far, far away. How best to do that, however? After all, if you want the complete story, you’ll have to criss-cross multiple different shows and explore entire cultures. (It's called 'The Mandoverse' by fans.) Sound confusing? It can be — but that’s why we’ve made this handy-dandy guide to watching The Mandalorian in release order and chronological timeline order.

Think of it as everything you need to know before the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu — and your key to the future of Star Wars.

What’s the best Mandalorian watch order?

For casual viewers, the best watch order to catch up with The Mandalorian is:

• The Mandalorian Season 1
• The Mandalorian Season 2
• The Book of Boba Fett
• The Mandalorian Season 3
• Ahsoka Season 1

While it might look as if both The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka Season 1 are inessential elements, the latter adds important details about the state of the galaxy at the time of The Mandalorian that are likely to play into the movie, while The Book of Boba Fett turns out to be a pretty essential part of the Mandalorian’s own story — especially episodes 5-7.

The Mandalorian in release order

It should be noted that the above watch order is also the release order of the shows to date. Here’s what that means in slightly more detail:

The Mandalorian Season 1 (2019)

• Set 5 years after Return of the Jedi and the fall of the Empire
• Introduces Din Djarin
• Introduces Grogu (as ‘The Child’)
• Introduces Moff Gideon

The Mandalorian Season 2 (2020)

• Explores connections to the larger Star Wars universe, including explicit connections to Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the original trilogy of movies
• Introduces live-action Ahsoka Tano
• Introduces Bo-Katan Kryze
• Reintroduces Boba Fett
• Features a cameo from Luke Skywalker

The Book of Boba Fett (2021)

• Continues Boba Fett’s story from The Mandalorian Season 2
• Episodes 5–7 directly continue core The Mandalorian story
• Grogu and Din are reunited after their separation in the finale of The Mandalorian Season 2

The Mandalorian – Season 3 (2023)

• Continues storylines from The Mandalorian Seasons 1 and 2, The Book of Boba Fett and Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Ahsoka (2023)

• Continues storylines from The Mandalorian Season 2, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels
• Explores the larger Star Wars universe, including establishing the New Republic’s conflicts with the remnants of the Empire
  
  

The Mandalorian in Star Wars timeline chronological order 

If you want to get everything you possibly can out of The Mandalorian experience, the best way to do so might be to go in for a deep dive — and watch the whole story in the order it takes place in. Here’s how to do that. (Remember: “BBY” means “Before the Battle of Yavin,” AKA the original 1977 Star Wars movie. “ABY” means “After the Battle of Yavin.” These are the timeline terms preferred by Star Wars fans; this is the way.)

22 BBY - 19 BBY

• Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 2 Episodes 12-14
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 3 Episodes 5-7, 12-17
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 4 Episode 14, 21-22
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 5 Episode 1, 14-16, 17-20
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7 Episodes 9-12

5 BBY - 1 BBY

• Star Wars: Rebels Season 2 Episode 13
• Star Wars: Rebels Season 3 Episode 7, 11, 15-16, 21-22
• Star Wars: Rebels Season 4 Episodes 1-2

9 ABY - 12 ABY

• The Mandalorian Season 1 Episodes 1-8
• The Mandalorian Season 2 Episodes 1-8
• The Book of Boba Fett Episodes 1-7
• The Mandalorian Season 3 Episodes 1-8
• Ahsoka Season 1 Episodes 1-8

You might have noticed a lot of episodes of both Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels in there that we haven’t mentioned before; they set up the majority of the Mandalorian lore that is referenced heavily in the second and third seasons of The Mandalorian. We did say this was if you wanted everything you possibly could get — but if you’re okay with picking up the details as you go, you can start straight with The Mandalorian Season 1.

Do you need to watch Clone Wars or Rebels before The Mandalorian?

As alluded to above, the short answer to whether or not you need to check out the either The Clone Wars or Rebels before The Mandalorian is no — but, depending on what you’re looking for from the show, it could help. The Mandalorian is understandable in its own right — although you will need to dive into The Book of Boba Fett between seasons 2 and 3 for it to make sense — but the animated shows offer more details on the following:

• Mandalorian political and cultural history is established in Star Wars: The Clone Wars
• The Darksaber is established in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and explored more in Star Wars: Rebels
• The core relationships (and many of the characters) in the Ahsoka series are established in Star Wars: Rebels

If you’re watching The Mandalorian for a full Star Wars experience, or want to get the full background before The Mandalorian and Grogu, it’s worth the time. (Also, you know, they’re fun in their own right.)

Should you watch Boba Fett before The Mandalorian Season 3?

The short answer is "yes." The final three episodes of The Book of Boba Fett prove to be central to the Mandalorian's own story, to the point where they act as closure to a plot element left unfinished in the show's second season. You can skip The Book of Boba Fett and just dive straight into Season 3, but you'll probably be left wondering what you missed when it comes to Mando and Grogu's relationship.

Where does The Mandalorian fit in the Star Wars timeline?

The Mandalorian is set in between the Original Trilogy of movies (Star Wars/A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi) and the Sequel Trilogy (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker). More precisely, it’s set in the so-called ‘New Republic’ era, following the defeat of the Empire at the end of Return of the Jedi, when the remaining Imperial Forces were rallying in secret, ahead of their transformation into The First Order.

Is The Mandalorian getting a Season 4?

The status of The Mandalorian TV show is actually somewhat unclear at present. Series creator and showrunner Jon Favreau told Empire Magazine in 2025 that he'd written the entirety of a fourth season before the decision was made to bring the characters to the big screen, and that the plot of The Mandalorian and Grogu is not a reworking of the fourth season plot. Could the characters return to Disney+ after they've made it as movie stars? So far, no-one is saying one way or another.

Where to Watch The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian and Grogu will be the first Star Wars project to be theatrically released since 2019 when it hits theaters May 22, 2026. Until then, everything Star Wars — including all seasons of

• The Mandalorian
• The Book of Boba Fett
• Ahsoka

— are streaming exclusively on Disney+.

Get to know, understand, and love the Star Wars franchise more with our Star Wars watch order, guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies & TV shows, and all the Star Wars movies and Star Wars TV shows ranked.