Star Wars: Did Darth Vader Train As A Jedi Alongside Grogu?
Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker and Din Grogu aka Baby Yoda are two of the best Force wielders in the "Star Wars" franchise. Sadly, though, they've never shared a minute of screen time. Maybe "The Mandalorian" showrunner Jon Favreau and executive producer Dave Filoni can change that moving forward in the ever-expanding galaxy far, far away. But just because fans have never seen the Sith Lord and Mando's (Pedro Pascal) apprentice share a scene doesn't mean they don't know one another. And after witnessing Grogu escape Order 66 in Season 3 of "The Mandalorian," it begs the question: Did Vader and Grogu learn the ways of the Force together?
"It's interesting to think that they were that close to each other," Filoni said in an interview with Insider. Filoni is referring to the fact that both young Anakin (Jake Lloyd) and Grogu were living on Coruscant in "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith."
"And interesting to think that even when Anakin was a little boy, that he was there at the temple at the same time as Grogu," Filoni continued. "So, there's all kinds of weird things to melt your brain and wrap your head around, but, in a fun way." It's exhilarating to know that both beloved "Star Wars" characters were on the same planet right before Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) became the absolute ruler of the dreaded Galactic Empire. But there is no chance whatsoever that Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) trained alongside Grogu — zero.
There's absolutely no way Vader trained with Grogu
Grogu has never met Darth Vader, even in "The Mandalorian" Season 3, Episode 4, "The Foundling." It's then that Order 66 is seen through Grogu's eyes, but there's no sign of the Sith Lord. It's important for fans to remember and understand the distinction: Anakin and Vader are not the same person while Anakin is wholly consumed by the Dark side of the Force. Thus, Grogu and Vader didn't learn the ways of the Jedi growing up together.
The evidence supporting Anakin's split personalities is well-documented in both the live-action and animated "Star Wars" arenas. First, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) finds out the hard way that his friend and former apprentice isn't shrouded by Vader's iconic suit during the final episode of the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" Disney+ miniseries. Second, Ahsoka (Ashley Eckstein), in an eerily identical mask-spitting lightsaber duel, also learns that her old master is absent when she confronts Darth Vader in the Season 2 finale of "Star Wars: Rebels," titled "Twilight of the Apprentice: Part 1." "My master could never be as vile as you," Ahsoka chastises Vader.
"Anakin Skywalker was weak," Vader taunts her. "I destroyed him." Ahsoka then allows revenge to seep into her heart. "Then I will avenge his death," She threatens the Sith Lord. True, there's a moment in their fight when Anakin's personality seemingly comes through after Ahsoka damages his mask. But it's short-lived as Vader takes back control almost immediately.
Anakin might have trained with Grogu
Born in 41 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin), Anakin is the same age as Grogu. So, it's likely they knew one another during their youth at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. But it's not likely they trained together. The reason: It boils down to the maturity gap that exists despite their identical ages. By the time Anakin is 22 years old in "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith," he's become a powerful enough Force user to defeat Count Dooku, aka Darth Tyranus (Christopher Lee).
But when fans first meet Grogu in "The Mandalorian," the youngling doesn't have a grasp of the Force. It's not until Grogu begins training with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) on "The Book of Boba Fett" that he starts learning the Jedi way. Had Anakin lived, both characters would be in their 50s. So, why did Anakin evolve in the Force faster than Grogu?
Even though Grogu is 50 years old in the first season of the Disney+ series, he is still a child. Mando's apprentice is one of Yoda's species, and fans know that the Jedi master lived to be 900 years old. So, if the adjustment is made mathematically, Grogu is about 5 years of age in human years — versus Anakin/Vader's five decades of experience. So, yes, the two characters probably were aware of one another. However, it's doubtful they trained together since Anakin arguably took AP Jedi, and Grogu was enrolled in daycare.