Fictive kinship

But there's something else going on inside a group like the Children of the Watch.

When the anthropologist sits in the cantina and sees that the Mandalorian has adopted a foundling, Grogu, we're seeing the creation of something called fictive kinship.

The term is a classic in anthropology and refers to kin-like relationships that are not based on biological descent or marriage.

You know, godparenthood, adoption, fosterhood, sworn brotherhoods, milk kinship in parts of the Islamic world, or ritual co-parenthood in Catholic Latin America.

There are rules for who counts as family.

There are rituals for making new family members, and the obligations outlive the individuals.

And fictive kinship is one of the most widespread features in the history of religion.

Consider early Christian communities who called each other brothers and sisters.