I rewatched the first season of The Mandalorian recently with my family, and when the arm wrestling scene came up, my brother asked who would’ve won if Grogu hadn’t Force-choked Cara. I told him it’d probably be Cara because of her experience as a shock trooper and her unmatched physical strength.
Let’s break it down.
Why Care Dune Should Have Won
When I told my brother that Cara would win the arm wrestling match with ease, it was because they already had a fight in The Mandalorian Season 1, Episode 4, “Chapter 4: Sanctuary.” Their first encounter turned into a brief skirmish since both of them mistakenly saw the other as a threat. Cara, who was laying low on Sorgan, thought Din was a bounty hunter sent after her, while Din assumed she was a potential enemy. The fight ended in a stalemate, and they eventually realized it was all a misunderstanding, leading to them teaming up.
That said, Cara definitely had the upper hand during their fight. She tossed Din around and knocked him down multiple times. At one point, Din tried to use his flamethrower to create some distance, but Cara avoided the flames by stepping on his arm to stop him. Even with his best efforts, Din couldn’t get the upper hand, and the fight only ended when they both pointed their blasters at each other.
Grogu Saves Din Djarin Because He Knows Din Is Losing
Another perspective I shared with my brother is that Grogu used the Force choke because he sensed Din was losing. As a Force-sensitive being, Grogu can definitely feel Din’s emotions and distress.
We’ve seen something similar in Episode 2 when Din fought the Mudhorn.
Din was completely outmatched—nothing he tried could even scratch the beast. In the end, when Din realized he had no other options, he prepared for one last desperate charge, hoping to exploit any opening with his knife. But before the Mudhorn could land its final blow, Grogu stepped in. Using the Force, he lifted the massive creature, giving Din the chance to strike a critical blow and defeat it.
This moment parallels the arm-wrestling match with Cara Dune. Din was likely reaching his limit and about to lose, and Grogu could sense his distress. Thinking Din was in danger, Grogu instinctively used the Force choke on Cara—almost killing her in the process.
