Is Baby Yoda's return to Star Wars imminent? What we just learned in The Book of Boba Fett.

From a certain point of view, The Mandalorian's third season just arrived sooner than expected.

The latest episode of The Book of Boba Fett pulled an unexpected reversal by pausing its main plot to focus on the plot of The Mandalorian instead. The entire fifth episode centers around Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) — who wasn't announced as being in the show — and addresses key lingering questions from The Mandalorian's second season finale.

For one, that finale raised the question of when, or if, Din would be reunited with Grogu (a.k.a. Baby Yoda), and The Book of Boba Fett strongly implies their reunion is imminent. Din decides he'll visit Grogu, who is being trained by Luke Skywalker, and even makes a gift for him. But the show sets up a potential conflict in that Grogu is being trained as a Jedi, and Jedi are traditionally called upon to forgo attachments. Will Grogu's bond with Din be intact?

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The episode ends with Din vowing to visit Grogu before joining Boba Fett, suggesting the reunion could happen as soon as the next two weeks on The Book of Boba Fett. Alternatively, perhaps it will occur off screen and be seen in The Mandalorian's third season, but regardless, the idea that the characters will be separated for a long period of time now appears less likely.

The episode also shows Din returning to bounty hunting and getting a new ship familiar to prequel fans. Plus, we learn what happened to Moff Gideon, get a glimpse at Mandalore, and see Din confronted with the removal of his helmet, all moments that one would think would be saved for The Mandalorian. It's the biggest instance yet of Disney's live-action Star Wars shows crossing over to tell one big story rather than trying to stand alone. But given Lucasfilm has said several shows will build to a "climactic story event," this may represent the shape of things to come.