I adore The Mandalorian. It’s such a great show and a joy to watch. As Mando looks for a Jedi to train The Child, some fans have begun to wonder about the whereabouts of the most famous Jedi Master of time, Luke Skywalker. Where is Luke, his sister Leia, his friend Han and their son, Ben Solo — who goes onto become Kylo Ren, the villain of the sequel trilogy — at the time of The Mandalorian?
The Mandalorian is set in 9 ABY (After the Battle of Yavin). The Battle of Endor, the climatic battle of Return of the Jedi where the Rebels destroy the second Death Star happened five years earlier in 4 ABY. The Imperials continued fighting the Rebels for another year until the Battle of Jakku in 5 ABY. We see the aftermath of this battle in the The Force Awakens twenty-nine years later in 34 ABY.
What happens to Luke, Leia, and Han after Endor?
Between the events of Return of the Jedi and the Battle of Jakku, Luke had begun to train Leia in the ways of the Force. During one of their sparing sessions, Leia receives a frightening vision that her unborn son — Ben Solo — would die if she completed her training. This is shown as a flashback in the Rise of Skywalker. Leia had ended her Jedi training with Luke prior to Ben’s birth.
Leia’s abrupt end to her training shook Luke. He, again, doubted himself and his ability to restart the Jedi Order. He set off on a quest to learn more of the Jedi. He sought out Jedi artifacts and the location of the first Jedi Temple.
Immediately following the Battle of Jakku, the Galactic Concordance was signed, marking an official end to the Galactic Civil War. Ben Solo is born the same day. There were conflicting stories about whether or not Luke visited, but I find the idea that he wouldn’t have highly unlikely.
Where are Leia, Han, and Ben living?
As heroes of the rebellion, Luke, Leia and Han would have a role in the new government. The rebels chose Chandrilla, the homeworld of Mon Mothma, as their new capital. Mon Monthma had helped to form the rebellion in the waning days of the Clone Wars and had remained an important part of its leadership. The Republic then moved the capital to the midrim world of Nakadia, but by the time of The Mandalorian, Chandrilla has the role once again.
Doing a little math, we can determine that Ben Solo is four to five years old during the event of The Mandalorian. I think it’s safe to assume Han and Leia are living happily on Chandrilla. Her marriage only came apart when Ben fell to the Dark Side of the Force. Her political career is still strong at this point as Leia’s parentage is still a secret. Few know she is the daughter of Darth Vader. When that becomes public, it will end her career in the Senate.
Can Mando take The Child to Luke at the Jedi Academy? UPDATE: YES!
SPOILERS for The Mandalorian season 2.
At the end of season 2, we see Mando hand The Child over to Luke Skywalker. It was one of the most amazing scenes, not only of the show, but in all of Star Wars. Then, in The Book of Boba Fett, we see Mando visit Luke and Grogu on an undisclosed planet where he is building the very academy we see in The Force Awakens. This is a change, a retcon if you will, from the original lore where Luke started the temple after Leia sent Ben to train with him in 15 ABY, six years after the events of the current season of The Mandalorian.
Where are Luke, Leia, Han and Ben Solo during The Mandalorian?
So, Leia, Han and Ben are on Chandrilla. As a Core World, Chandrilla is far from the Outer Rim where most of The Mandalorian takes place. Luke is building the academy.