A Basic Guide to How 'The Mandalorian' Fits in to the 'Star Wars' Universe

If you’re new to the Star Wars universe, Disney Plus’ The Mandalorian might be a tough show to follow. The series is set in the same galaxy far, far away, but features a whole new cast of characters. 

Scroll down for a basic guide to the latest entry in the beloved space franchise.

This is an easy one. The protagonist, played by Pedro Pascal, is simply known as the Mandalorian. "[He] is a mysterious, lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy," the actor said of his character. 

"Some might say he has questionable moral character, in line with some of our best Westerns and some good samurai [films.] And he’s a badass," the Game of Thrones alum shared before adding, "He’s got a lot of Clint Eastwood in him."

According to a behind-the-scenes interview with Pedro, the Mandalorian does have an actual name, which is apparently Dinn J’Aren. Whether or not that tidbit is an essential part of the plot remains to be seen.

The Mandalorian is neither Jango Fett nor Boba Fett, who was one of the inspirations for the character. Pedro initially thought he was playing the legendary bounty hunter during his first meeting with series creator Jon Favreau.

"So we met in Jon's office, which was covered with story illustrations from this show — and I noticed the Mandalorian, a Boba Fett-looking character, immediately," he recalled to D23. "I thought to myself, 'Oh, it's amazing that they are finally gonna get into this character.'"

The 44-year-old even asked the Marvel director, "'I get to play Boba Fett?' He said, 'No, he's not Boba Fett. He's the Mandalorian.'"

Jon hammered that point home when teasing details about the action-adventure last year. "After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe," he wrote on Instagram. "The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order."

Given that it takes place five years after Return of the Jedi, The Mandalorian is technically a prequel to Star Wars’ third trilogy. In terms of the franchise’s on-screen timeline, it comes before The Force Awakens.

For those confused by the presence of baby Yoda — who popped up in The Mandalorian’s first episode — the little green cutie is actually the lovechild of Yoda and Yaddle. 

Jon admitted to ET that it wasn’t easy keeping the insanely adorable infant a secret. "I have to thank Disney and Lucasfilm because the way the cat usually gets out of the bag with that stuff is merchandising and toy catalogs and things like that," he explained. 

"So they really backed us up because we really wanted to have it be that you had to watch it yourself, so that every time you watch the show, there are new twists and secrets that come out."

Don’t worry, there’s now plenty of baby Yoda merch to fill up your Christmas list. 

New episodes of The Mandalorian drop weekly on Disney Plus.