The Mandalorian isn’t short of badass heroes. Din and Grogu are obviously a force to be reckoned with, though we also have certified champions like Bo-Katan, Paz Vizsla, The Armorer, and Axe Woves (among many others) all showing off their combat skills in dazzling form.
But for some Star Wars fans, the real MVP of The Mandalorian is an unsung original trilogy character who’s finally getting his moment in the spotlight. This is R5-D4, the red and white astromech droid that Luke and Uncle Owen initially purchased from the Jawas in A New Hope. Just as R5 was rolling towards his new owners, his motivator blew and Luke chose R2-D2 instead.
That was a fateful moment, if R5 hadn’t malfunctioned Luke wouldn’t have seen Leia’s distress call. And without Luke around to blow up the first Death Star and turn Vader back to the light, it’s doubtful that the Galactic Empire would’ve fallen. So we’re happy that, as of The Mandalorian, R5 is actually getting to save the day.
Let’s raise a glass to this unsung hero:
R5 helping Din get over his droid prejudice:
R2-D2 has hogged the attention for long enough!
A comeback story for the ages:
But there are some naysayers who’re putting forward some more traditional rivals:
To be fair to Axe he did deliver the goods when the chips were down:
But we can’t deny R5 stepping up to the plate, despite his obvious fear of the unknown:
The Mandalorian‘s fourth season is apparently already written and plans are afoot for the shoot to begin later this year. Here’s hoping Din keeps R5 on his team, as when the chips are down, he’s the kind of droid we want covering our backs.