The Mandalorian season 2 reveals Grogu survived Order 66 but was R2-D2 the one who saved the young Jedi? The introduction of Baby Yoda in The Mandalorian season 1 raised several questions right away. The show confirmed he was 50 years old, placing his birth firmly in the prequel trilogy era. Due to the overall secrecy surrounding Yoda's species that Star Wars has long had thanks to George Lucas, it wasn't until The Mandalorian season 2 that Grogu's backstory started to be explored.
Much of the information about Grogu's past came in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5. The episode brought Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) to live-action, and she connected with The Child through the Force to learn about his backstory. Ahsoka told Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) that Baby Yoda's real name is Grogu and that he was trained by many Jedi Masters previously. This is also where The Mandalorian reveals someone saved Grogu on Coruscant during Order 66 to prevent him from being another one of Darth Vader's younglings. However, Ahsoka refused to train Grogu due to his attachment to Din, and she sent the pair to Tython so the Force-sensitive child could determine his future.
It was during The Mandalorian finale that the show packed another surprise, as Luke Skywalker showed up to save Grogu. The Jedi Master responded to Grogu trying to connect with another Force user to continue his Jedi training. After a touching goodbye with Din, Grogu leaves his father figure behind to join Luke and R2-D2. This makes Grogu's future with The Mandalorian uncertain, but it also meant season 2 ended without answering the Grogu-related questions it raised. However, a quick moment in The Mandalorian season 2 finale might be enough to suggest R2-D2 saved Grogu from Order 66.
Does R2-D2 Recognize Grogu In The Mandalorian Finale?
When Luke Skywalker appears in The Mandalorian season 2 finale, he is initially the only one who approaches Din about taking Grogu with him. However, it isn't long before R2-D2 rolls into the room too. The trusty droid has played a key role in Star Wars' history, especially in Luke's story. And while viewers were elated to see R2-D2 appear alongside the de-aged Luke Skywalker, they weren't the only ones who were excited. When R2-D2 sees Grogu, he begins beeping and focusing on him. While it is impossible to know exactly what R2-D2 is beeping about, it seems as if there is some recognition between the two. Grogu coos and R2-D2 begins to shake, and that moment can be read as excitement on R2-D2's part.
It's possible that R2-D2 is just happy that the current mission to find Grogu is complete, but there's also a chance the droid recognizes him. R2-D2 spent a lot of time on Coruscant and with the Jedi Order during the prequels. This would've been the same time that Grogu was also be trained by the Jedi. Now, the Jedi Temple is a big place with many members and padawans, but the odds of R2-D2 and Grogu crossing paths isn't outside the realm of possibility. A passing knowledge of each other, though, likely wouldn't elicit the reactions either of them has at this moment. So why would they potentially recognize each other and be happy to see the other? It could be because R2-D2 played a role in saving Grogu.
Theory: R2-D2 Saved Grogu From Order 66
Ahsoka confirmed in The Mandalorian that someone saved Grogu after the Empire rose to power and hid him away. This sparked a lot of speculation that someone within the Jedi Order was responsible for keeping Grogu safe, but Ahoksa never specifies that it was a Jedi at all. All we know is that someone found him on Coruscant and kept him safe. So, could R2-D2 be the one who kept Grogu safe during Order 66? For this to be the case, the droid would have to be on Coruscant around or during the time of the Jedi Order's massacre.
When Order 66 happens in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, R2-D2 is confirmed to be on Coruscant. The movie doesn't show him during the actual executions of the Jedi, but he is shown to be on Anakin Skywalker's ship when he arrives at Padmé Amidala's house immediately after. Anakin had just got done slaughtering the younglings at the Jedi Temple and flew to see Padmé before he went to Mustafar to end the war. This suggests that R2-D2 was with Anakin at the Jedi Temple, and the droid is acting weird when C-3PO approaches him upon their arrival.
R2-D2's behavior could be because he knows Anakin has turned to the dark side, but it is possible that R2-D2 went on an adventure of his own during Order 66. The droid could've witnessed Anakin and the clone army wiping out the Jedi and decided to try and save some padawans himself. If R2-D2 already knew that Grogu was so powerful, the child could've been his priority. Hiding Grogu for a later time or sending him away immediately might be all R2-D2 had time to do before Anakin would return to the ship. This could even explain why C-3PO tells R2-D2 to keep his beeps quiet during their brief interaction. Perhaps R2-D2 was even telling C-3PO of what he did in case other steps needed to be taken.
How R2-D2 Saving Grogu Sets Up Mandalorian's Future
If R2-D2 did save Grogu from Order 66, the two of them being paired up gives The Mandalorian a chance to explore more of their past. The Mandalorian's future seasons may use flashbacks to show how Grogu survived Order 66. R2-D2 and Grogu can tell Luke about their shared history, especially if it goes beyond a chance encounter that involved keeping The Child safe during the horrific event. This could even open the door for The Mandalorian to show flashbacks of R2-D2 being present for some of Grogu's training sessions with past Jedi Masters like Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi. And if R2-D2 was sneakily saving Grogu during Order 66, the death Anakin was responsible for could be shown in a new light.
R2-D2 could also have another secret recording stored in his system that explains why Grogu needed to be saved. R2-D2 could be storing information on Yoda's species and maybe even instructions on what to do with Grogu if something happened to him. This information could result in Luke bringing Grogu back to Din so they can go on the final adventure together. There's no question that Grogu will be back in The Mandalorian's future, but that doesn't mean his past won't continue to be important to where the story goes.