13 minute read

THERE ARE A LOT OF VARIABLES THAT PLAY

a role in creating a memorable line. Intense drama halted by humor at just the right time, Easter eggs for die hard fans to share a knowing look and life lessons learned along with the protagonist are just a few reasons lines stick with us.

The Mandalorian has provided its audience with a bounty of quotable lines that serve as both meme material and sage wisdom. What’s more, the laundry list of quotes come from a range of characters featured in the series. The showrunners have provided so much depth to the cast that it’s difficult to choose your favorite character, much less which lines they’ve uttered.

It would be a fool’s errand to rate such indelible lines from worst to first. Instead, let’s enjoy our fandom and replay several scenes in our head for the 20 best quotes from three seasons of The Mandalorian.

Din Djarin (Season 1, Chapter 1)

Our stoic protagonist walks into a small, intergalactic cantina on the icy planet of Pagodon, and instantly, the tension is palpable. Without uttering a word, he walks past a group of trawlers roughing up a lowly Mythrol. Our bounty hunter ignores them, for now. He orders a drink as the trawlers try to intimidate him before being taken down by the Mandalorian. The glib talking Mythrol thanks the bounty hunter for his help, but his gratitude is premature.

In slides a holopuck marking the Mythrol as the Mandalorian’s target. With his hand hovering over the blaster in its holster, our protagonist speaks for the first time and sets a chilling tone which resonates through the first chapter, “I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold.”

“I WILL HELP YOU. I HAVE SPOKEN.”

Kuiil (Season 1, Chapter 1)

On the desert world of Arvala-7, the Mandalorian expects to find his next bounty. Using the scope of his rifle, Mando scans the area for possible dangers and finds a blurrg beast off in the distance. As the bounty hunter lowers his rifle, he is ambushed by another blurrg who grabs his arm and tosses him around like a ragdoll. The Mandalorian tries to fight back, but his efforts are unsuccessful. The grim scene seems like the end of our protagonist until a tranquilizer dart takes down the blurrg. Help comes to our bounty hunter in the form of an Ugnaught named Kuiil. He is mounted atop a domesticated blurrg and recognizes the bounty hunter for what he is, a Mandalorian. Kuiil adds a little levity to Mando’s intense battle with the blurrg when the Ugnaught tells our hero he will assist him on his travels through Arvala-7. Where we first saw the Mandalorian in complete control when intimidating the Mythrol bounty, we now see Kuiil take control over our bounty hunter when he assertively declares, “I will help you. I have spoken.”

“I’M A MANDALORIAN. WEAPONS ARE PART OF MY RELIGION.”

Din Djarin (Season 1, Chapter 2)

After having most of his ship scavenged by Jawas, the Mandalorian travels with Kuiil to retrieve his belongings. The Ugnaught rides his blurrg companion while dragging a hoversled behind him carrying our bounty hunter and a new companion known as the Child. Upon arriving at the Jawas’ location, Kuiil exchanges greetings in their native tongue. Kuiil notices the Jawas take umbrage to the Mandalorian’s presence, and our bounty hunter informs him he has evaporated several of their clan. Naturally, the Jawa clan wishes for our bounty hunter to leave his weapons behind on the hoversled before negotiating with the Jawas. Here, we are provided further insight into the Mandalorians and their ways. Mando matterof-factly explains, “I’m a Mandalorian. Weapons are part of my religion.”

“SOOGAA!”

Jawas (Season 1, Chapter 2)

One of the cutest moments in The Mandalorian series finds our bounty hunter and the Jawas negotiating their terms for releasing the stolen ship parts. With Mando’s armor out of the question, the Jawa clan settles on a different prize: a mudhorn egg they refer to as “sooga.” What makes this line so memorable is the tone of the Jawas as they shout excitedly for their prized possession. It becomes more than a word. Their use of it becomes a chant or mantra that will keep audiences repeating the Jawa language as they complete trivial chores at home shouting, “SOOGAA!”

“THIS IS THE WAY.”

The Armorer (Season 1, Chapter 3)

After returning to the tribe with his spoils from delivering the Child our protagonist and another Mandalorian engage in a small scuffle over who forged his beskar reward. We learn even more about the Mandalorian clan and how they used to have strength in numbers. However, the Great Purge of Mandalore has caused them to go into hiding, only to be seen one at a time. With their altercation settled, Mando and The Armorer speak about the suit of armor she will make for our bounty hunter. In the midst of their conversation, The Armorer speaks the mantra of the Mandalore which they all repeat, providing the audience further understanding of their creed: “This is the way.”

“BAD NEWS. YOU CAN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE.”

Din Djarin (Season 1, Chapter 4)

Looking for a place to hide after rescuing the Child from those who contracted our bounty hunter to deliver him, Mando and the Child travel to the planet Sorgan. Expecting to hide out for a while, the planet proves more eventful than expected. Besides running into a Rebel Alliance Shock Trooper, our protagonist finds himself contracted by some local farmers who have been ransacked by Klatooinian raiders. An investigation proves saving the farmers may be more than a Mandalore and shock trooper can handle. When relaying this message, Mando doesn’t mince words. Much like we’d expect from a stoic bounty hunter, our hero declares, “Bad news. You can’t live here anymore.” The bluntness mixed with the gravity of the situation makes this line hit hard and deliver a laugh.

“YOU HAVEN’T SHOWN YOUR FACE TO ANYONE SINCE YOU WERE A KID?”

Omera (Season 1, Chapter 4)

In one of the more poignant moments of The

Mandalorian, Omera and Mando share a conversation where the bounty hunter allows himself to be more vulnerable. One of the most artful qualities of the show is how they reveal pieces of Mandalorian lore. As we’ve already seen, certain moments provide space for dialogue to help us understand Mando and the creed of the Mandalore. When Omera and Mando finally share a private moment, she asks the bounty hunter when he last removed his mask.

Misreading the question, the Mandalorian responds, “yesterday.” However, Omera follows up by asking when he last removed his mask in front of another living being. Instead of giving some trivial amount of time, the writers decide to provide more art to their dialogue. Mando responds by pointing to the children playing and claiming he was around their age. His response helps the audience see how different Mandalore can be, especially after Omera’s shocked response of, “You haven’t shown your face to anyone since you were a kid?”

“OR PERHAPS THE DECOMMISSIONED MANDALORIAN HUNTER, DIN DJARIN, HAS HEARD THE SONGS OF THE SIEGE OF MANDALORE…”

Moff Gideon (Season 1, Chapter 8)

For almost the entirety of the first season and this article, we have known the protagonist Madalorian as Mando and a bounty hunter. However, we learn the Mandalorian’s name in the final episode of the first season. Pinned down by Moff Gideon and his army of Stormtroopers, Mando, the Child, Cara Dune and Greef Karga begin to panic as they see the enemy building an E-Web heavy repeating blaster. This massive piece of machinery is well known to Cara, and even more so to the Mandalorian. Gideon makes sure we understand the connection between Mando and machine with his malevolent monologue. The sharp tongued warlord provides an abundance of depth to our hero. Through a loaded threat against Mando’s life, we hear our bounty hunter’s name for the first time and learn of his personal connection to Moff Gideon. Simply artful.

“WHEREVER I GO, HE GOES.”

Din Djarin (Season 2, Chapter 9)

Our bounty hunter and the Child begin building a bond through mutual respect and saving one another’s lives. Eventually, they become a clan of two, a title bestowed upon them by The Armorer. This bond, along with the Mandalorian creed, moves Mando to assist the Child in reuniting with his kind. While in a seedy fight club, the Mandalorian and the Child sit beside an Abyssin. The alien chastises Mando for bringing the Child to such a place. Without missing a beat, the Mandalorian declares, “wherever I go, he goes.” The delivery is quick and dry, par for the course with our bounty hunter. However, the line is important as it highlights the growing relationship between this clan of two.

“I’M NOT LEAVING MY FATE UP

TO CHANCE.”

Din Djarin (Season 2, Chapter 9)

Abyssin opinions aside, the Mandalorian and the Child have entered the fighting arena with a purpose. They seek an audience with Gor Koresh, another Abyssin who may be able to help Mando find additional Mandalorian to assist in reuniting the Child with his kind. However, Koresh is not easily persuaded to assist. Instead, he tries to gamble with our bounty hunter. Koresh wishes to bet on the current fight. Koresh will put up the information if Mando puts up his beskar armor. His response is the dust heroes are made of. The Mandalorian declares he will pay for the information because “I’m not leaving my fate up to chance.”

It is a line showing our protagonist is the type to stare fate in the eyes and declare, “this is the way.”

“THERE YOU WILL FIND AHSOKA TANO.”

Bo-Katan Kryze (Season 2, Chapter 11)

Some hard hitting lines might feel trivial to the uninitiated, and to those of you, I apologize. However, this next entry is important because of what it signifies to fans of The Clone Wars. For a long time, many were chomping at the bit to see Ahsoka Tano make it to live action. They went so far as to cast the character before there were plans to bring her to life outside of animation. Thankfully, fans got their wish, and you can almost hear the cheers of elated fans when Bo-Katan assists Mando with his quest to reunite the Child with his kind by sending him to the forest planet of Corvus. Specifically, he is to travel to the city of Calodan because “there you will find Ahsoka Tano.”

“IN A WAY. GROGU AND I CAN FEEL EACH OTHER’S THOUGHTS.”

Ahsoka Tano (Season 2, Chapter 13)

Much as we were in the dark of Din Djarin’s name until the final chapter of season one, we were oblivious to the Child’s name until the second season. The audience were stunned to discover the Child’s name was not, in fact, Baby Yoda. Unlike our discovery of Din Djarin’s name during such a tense altercation with Moff Gideon, we learn the Child’s name through an insightful conversation between Ahsoka and Djarin when she declares, “in a way, Grogu and I can feel each other’s thoughts.”

“I’VE SEEN WHAT SUCH FEELINGS CAN DO TO A FULLY TRAINED JEDI KNIGHT. TO THE BEST OF US.”

Ahsoka Tano (Season 2, Chapter 13)

Sage wisdom can come from the most unexpected places. For a show cashing in on its connection to the

Star Wars franchise, one might not expect to learn many life lessons. For the masses privy to Star Wars lore, there is a library’s worth of lessons to learn from the stories of a galaxy far, far away.

A poignant moment between Ahsoka Tano and Din Djarin works as one such lesson. It’s not only a callback to the tragedy of Ahsoka’s relationship with Anakin Skywalker but also, a word of caution of the possible consequences for those building close relationships. Ahsoka warns Djarin when noticing his closeness to Grogu stating, “I’ve seen what such feelings can do to a fully trained Jedi Knight. To the best of us.”

“HE MEANS MORE TO ME THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW.”

Din Djarin (Season 2, Chapter 15)

Love and friendship are bonds that drive us to do amazing things. The Mandalorian shows us how these bonds can change who we are and provide us an opportunity to become better than anyone would expect. After Grogu is taken by Moff Gideon, Djarin and company fight to get him back. What started out as a bounty run for a big payout has turned Djarin into a protective father figure staring into the abyss saying, “bring it on.” In one of the most poignant and badass moments of the series, Din Djarin turns Gideon’s words from their last encounter back on him, insisting the warlord thinks he knows what he has in his possession, but he does not. Grogu and Djarin have built a relationship greater than any amount of money or power imaginable. When Djarin declares, “he means more to me than you will ever know,” we know nothing will stop him from reuniting their clan of two.

“I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN. I PROMISE.”

Din Djarin (Season 2, Chapter 16)

One of the most shocking moments of The Mandalorian series is also one of its most emotional. After fighting through Moff Gideon and his forces, Din Djarin and company watch an unidentified Jedi take down the last of Gideon’s dark troopers. Djarin opens the blast doors allowing the Jedi to enter. Upon pulling back his hood, the Jedi reveals himself to be Luke Skywalker. Djarin provides the necessary permission for Grogu to leave with Skywalker, but before doing so, they share an important and sentimental moment. As we learned earlier in this list, Djarin had not shown his face to any living being since he was a child. However, Grogu reaches for Djarin’s helmet and the Mandalorian removes it, showing the Child his face. The clan of two has been through quite a journey and this moment shows their immense respect for one another. If this isn’t enough to pull at your heart strings, Djarin declares to Grogu, with tears in his eyes, “I’ll see you again. I promise.”

If there is one thing we have learned about Djarin through this journey, this is a promise he intends to keep.

“BEING A MANDALORIAN ISN’T JUST LEARNING ABOUT HOW TO FIGHT.”

Din Djarin (Season 3, Chapter 17)

We’ve seen the Mandalorian’s concern for the Child’s safety from the moment his basket opens; we have witnessed the Child use his raw powers to save Mando’s life; and, we have seen the clan of two share a bond stronger than any creed, Mandalorian or otherwise. Their father/ son relationship has been ever-present, and it grows stronger with every interaction. In a private moment while traveling through space, Djarin and Gorgu continue the development of their relationship. We learn a life lesson along with Grogu as Djarin explains how “being a Mandalorian isn’t just learning about how to fight.” More importantly, it is about learning how to navigate because one is never certain where they are headed next. It’s a familial moment and evolution of their relationship

“ONE DOES NOT SPEAK UNLESS ONE KNOWS. IS THAT NOT THE CREED?”

Din Djarin (Season 3, Chapter 20)

The familial relationship between Djarin and Grogu continues during their time at The Tribe’s covert.

During a training session, a Mandalore trainee declares Grogu is too young to fight if he is too young to wear a Mandalorian helmet. In this moment, Djarin provides sage wisdom to the young trainee the rest of us should follow. He reminds the young ward of the Mandalorian creed which states, “one does not speak unless one knows.”

He then punctuates this lesson by following up with a rhetorical question, “is that not the creed?” It is a perfect moment showcasing a father standing up for his child when others are underestimating them.

“KID, NEVER TRUST A PIRATE.”

Din Djarin (Season 3, Chapter 21)

Their relationship fully established, the clan of two run into some trouble while traveling through space.

A group of pirates attack, and Din Djarin takes four of them out. While speaking to the pirate leader, Gorian Shard, Djarin tries to teach Grogu restraint by claiming he has no quarrel with the band of pirates.

However, Shard claims he will spare the lives of Djarin and Gorgu if he surrenders his ship. Some advantageous swindlers, such as Greef Koragen, might consider taking on this empty offer. However, Djarin uses this as another teachable moment telling Grogu, “Kid, never trust a pirate,” before hitting his hyperdrive for the escape.

“BO-KATAN WALKS BOTH WORLDS. SHE CAN BRING ALL TRIBES TOGETHER.”

The Armorer (Season 3, Chapter 21)

One of the primary traits of all Mandalorians is their refusal to show their faces to any living being. We covered earlier how Din Djarin did just that with Grogu proving their relationship strong. However, Bo-Katan is one Mandalorian who isn’t afraid to breach this part of the creed. While others may find this action unbecoming, The Armor informs The Tribe that “BoKatan walks both worlds.” With the Mandalorians needing to strengthen their numbers to retake Mandalore, The Armor declares it is Bo-Katan, not Din Djarin, that “can bring all tribes together.” This moment cements Bo-Katan as a force to be reckoned with and one of the most important Mandalorians in all of Star Wars lore.

“IS THERE NO ROOM FOR FORGIVENESS IN A GALAXY SO VAST?”

The Duchess (Season 3, Chapter 22)

The final entry on our list hits hard not only in The Mandalorian series but in our own reality as well. Star Wars lore is as vast as the distance between reality and the galaxies their stories take place. Stitched within those stories are a plethora of grudges held between characters, races of alien life and a myriad of factions which inhabit the worlds we’ve come to know well. However, The Duchess begins to pull at the thread of these grudges with a simple line of questioning that characters and audiences alike must consider. Her sage wisdom begins to unravel all the trouble humans and aliens have created for themselves through their belief that they know what is best.

Moreover, it is a question that can serve us all well should we consider an answer. Are we to believe our opinions and beliefs are greater than the galaxy where they’re allowed to grow, or can we find a way to forgive those who, for whatever reason, may go against us? “Is there no room for forgiveness in a galaxy so vast?”

The Mandalorian series has taken its audience through a myriad of emotions in only three short seasons. It has provided us with adventure, humor and enough sentimentality to soften even the hardest of hearts. In doing so, it has provided us with some amazing quotes that highlight the depth of its slew of characters. It is a world choc full of hopeful awareness that can turn a stoic bounty hunter into an insightful father-figure. It is a show that grabs its audience by the hand when they feel most lost and shows them, “this is the way.”

BY REBECA NISHI