This article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian season 3, episode 1.One delightful scene in The Mandalorian season 3, episode 1 saw Grogu stunned by a sight of space whales called purrgil, and it may hint at a much greater hyperspace theory. Star Wars tends to view hyperspace as simply a means of getting from one world to another; ships jump into this mysterious dimension to travel faster-than-light, crossing the entire galaxy at phenomenal speeds. The Mandalorian season 3, episode 1 defied this utilitarian perspective, however, featuring a beautiful scene in which Din Djarin and Grogu traveled through hyperspace in their N-1 Starfighter. Grogu looked out at hyperspace with childlike wonder, and it felt almost like a mystical experience to him.
Part of this wonder lay in the realization Grogu and Din Djarin were not alone; their own hyperspace tunnel came close to bisecting that of a flock of Star Wars' space whalles - purrgils. One of the few known species to be capable of jumping into hyperspace under their own power, the purril migrate across the galaxy in search of food sources they are able to convert into a crude form of hyperspace fuel. Some space travelers view them with disdain, considering them a major navigational hazard. Others look on them with excitement, dreaming of following the purrgil into uncharted space. But Grogu saw them as a source of wonder, perhaps even sensing their majesty through the Force. His experience in hyperspace may hint at his own personal future - and he may well have sensed it.
Hyperspace Has A Complicated Connection To The Force Itself
The true nature of hyperspace is something of a mystery, even in the Star Wars galaxy itself. According to some of the books in Lucasfilm's Star Wars: The High Republic initiative, some believe there is a connection between hyperspace and the Force; indeed, there's been speculation it is actually another plane of the Force, akin to the more esoteric World Between the Worlds seen in Star Wars Rebels. This would certainly explain why it is believed the first beings to travel through hyperspace, inspired by their studies of the purrgil, were Force-sensitives. It would also explain the strange number of Force-powers associated with hyperspace, many of which are now duplicated with navicomputers.
The first Jedi were explorers, using a power called wayseeking to sense worlds rich in life. They would meditate as they traveled through hyperspace, drawn towards the most powerful vergences in the Force, discovering worlds like Ilum and Ossus. Others would use a Force-power sometimes named "Skywalking," which allows a Jedi to sense the gravitational distortions that would pull their ship out of hyperspace. Combining these abilities, Force-sensitives would discover the first secure hyperspace routes through major planets. If hyperspace is indeed another aspect of the Force, then it's reasonable to assume the purrgil use similar abilities to navigate it - and Grogu may well have sensed them doing so.
The Purrgil Could Point To Grogu's Future As A Mandalorian
Grogu's experience of the purrgil, his glimpse of these majestic creatures, could potentially point to his own future. He is a powerful Force-sensitive, already demonstrating many basic Force-powers. Many Jedi develop a particular specialty, though; Mace Windu has a "Shatterpoint" ability, for example, while Jedi: Fallen Order's Cal Kestis can experience an object's past when he touches it (a rare Force power called psychometry). It's entirely possible Grogu's will involve hyperspace travel.
It's interesting to note that Din Djarin is already focusing on teaching Grogu how to navigate. In his view, to be a Mandalorian is to be able to travel the galaxy, although - as a non-Force-sensitive - he is thinking purely in terms of reading the galaxy map and using a navicomputer to calculate safe hyperspace jumps. Din Djarin has little experience of Jedi, and he has no idea there are Force powers that would allow Grogu to perform these feats on an instinctive level.
Such abilities would therefore serve to emphasize Grogu's role as a bridge between Mandalorians and Jedi - a role he would be perfectly suited to because of the Force. This would fit well with The Mandalorian season 3, episode 1, in which Grogu experienced hyperspace with wonder, and saw other creatures with a natural bond to this mysterious plane of reality. Perhaps even inspired by his brief encounter with the purrgil, he could yet develop in a fascinating new direction.