Grogu

Grogu, colloquially referred to as Baby Yoda, is a character from the Star Wars Disney+ original television series The Mandalorian. He is a toddler member of the same species as the Star Wars characters Yoda and Yaddle, with whom he shares a strong ability in the Force. In the series, the protagonist known as "the Mandalorian" is hired to track down and capture Grogu for a remnant of the fallen Galactic Empire, but instead, he becomes his adoptive father and protects him from the Imperials. The character's real name was not revealed until "Chapter 13: The Jedi", which also explained that Grogu was raised at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant during the Clone Wars. Prior to this, the character's official name, as used in subtitles and captions, was "The Child".

Grogu
Star Wars character
Grogu in The Mandalorian (2019)
First appearance"Chapter 1: The Mandalorian" (2019; The Mandalorian)
Created by
  • Jon Favreau
  • Dave Filoni
Voiced byDavid Acord (effects)
In-universe information
Nicknames
  • The Asset (by the Empire)
  • The Child
  • The Kid (by Din Djarin and others)
SpeciesYoda's species
GenderMale
Occupation
  • Jedi Initiate
  • Mandalorian foundling
Affiliation
  • Jedi Order
  • Mandalorians
FamilyDin Djarin / The Mandalorian (adoptive father)
Masters
Age50 years (born ca. 41 BBY)

Grogu has appeared in every episode of the first two seasons, with the exception of "Chapter 15: The Believer". He was created by The Mandalorian creator and showrunner Jon Favreau based upon his desire to explore the mystery around Yoda and his species. The character was further developed in early conversations between Favreau and executive producer Dave Filoni, and the character's imagery was defined by concept artist Christian Alzmann. Grogu is mostly a work of animatronics and puppetry, although accentuated with computer-generated imagery.

The puppet was designed by Legacy Effects. Actor Adam Pally has stated that showrunner Jon Favreau told him it cost about $5 million to make.[1] It is controlled by two technicians, one who operates the eyes and mouth and another who controls other facial expressions. The character's voice and sounds were created using a combination of adult and infant vocals, as well as recordings of a bat-eared fox and kinkajou. The dynamic between the Mandalorian and Grogu embodies a theme of parenting and fatherhood prevalent in The Mandalorian, with the character also raising questions about good and evil and nature versus nurture in the series.

Grogu has received a positive reception from fans and reviewers, is widely considered the show's breakout character,[2][3] and quickly became a popular Internet meme. The Guardian called him "2019's biggest new character",[4] and The Hollywood Reporter has said the character "represents the future of Hollywood".[5] Many writers have described Grogu as a key part in the success of Disney+.[6][7][8][9] Grogu was kept secret and was deliberately withheld from The Mandalorian's pre-release marketing and merchandise plans to avoid leaks before the show aired. As a result, merchandise of Grogu was not immediately available after the first season debuted in November 2019, which some analysts say cost Disney $2.7 million in revenue, but Bob Iger, Disney's CEO at the time of The Mandalorian's premiere, has defended the strategy.

Appearances

Backstory

A member of the same species as the Star Wars character Yoda,[10][11] he is 50 years old during the events of The Mandalorian, but still appears to be an infant because of the pace at which that species matures.[12][13][14] The species has never been given a proper name because Star Wars creator George Lucas wanted Yoda to maintain a sense of mystery.[2][4][15] Until Chapter 13 (i.e. episode 5 of season 2) of The Mandalorian, Grogu was not identified by a proper name, being referred to by sympathetic characters as "the child", "the kid", or "the baby", and by the antagonists as "the asset", "the bounty", "the target", or "the donor".[11][16]

Season one

Grogu first appears in the series debut, "Chapter 1: The Mandalorian", when the Mandalorian accepts a valuable commission from a mysterious man known only as "The Client" (Werner Herzog), who works for a remnant of the now-fallen Galactic Empire. The assignment is to track down and capture an unidentified fifty-year-old target.[17][18][19] The Mandalorian and a fellow bounty hunter droid, IG-11 (Taika Waititi), infiltrate a remote and heavily defended encampment on the planet Arvala-7 and find Grogu. When IG-11 attempts to kill Grogu, the Mandalorian protects him and instead shoots and destroys IG-11.[19][20][21] In "Chapter 2: The Child", Grogu is present when the Mandalorian is attacked by a giant rhinoceros-like creature called a Mudhorn. As the beast rushes toward the Mandalorian for the kill, Grogu uses the Force to levitate the mudhorn, allowing a surprised Mandalorian to kill it.[22][23][24] The Mandalorian delivers Grogu to the Client on the planet Nevarro and collects his bounty in "Chapter 3: The Sin", after which the Client orders his colleague, Dr. Pershing (Omid Abtahi), to "extract the necessary material" from Grogu.[25][26] The Mandalorian later has second thoughts and returns to the Imperial compound to rescue Grogu, killing multiple stormtroopers.[27][28] This violates the code of the Bounty Hunters' Guild, and a group of bounty hunters led by guild leader Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) ambush the Mandalorian and attempt to take Grogu back from him.[29][30][31] The Mandalorian and Grogu are saved when fellow warriors from the Mandalorian's tribe come out of hiding to defend them, allowing them to escape Nevarro.[25][31]

In "Chapter 4: Sanctuary", the Mandalorian seeks refuge in the sparsely populated planet Sorgan. He plans to leave Grogu in a village there under the care of a widow named Omera (Julia Jones), but after another bounty hunter tracks them down, he realizes the planet is not safe.[32][33][34] The Mandalorian and Grogu visit the planet Tatooine in "Chapter 5: The Gunslinger", during which the Mandalorian leaves Grogu in the care of a mechanic named Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris). Grogu and Peli are briefly abducted by a bounty hunter named Toro Calican (Jake Cannavale), whom the Mandalorian kills.[35] In "Chapter 6: The Prisoner", the Mandalorian participates in a rescue job as part of a team of mercenaries organized by Ranzar Malk (Mark Boone Junior). The Mandalorian keeps Grogu hidden on his ship during the mission, but the other mercenaries eventually find him. One of them, a droid named Q9-0 (Richard Ayoade), learns of the bounty on Grogu and tries to kill him, but is himself destroyed by the Mandalorian.[36][37] At the start of the first season's penultimate episode, "Chapter 7: The Reckoning", the Mandalorian is contacted by Greef Karga, who says the Client has tightened his control over Nevarro as a result of the Mandalorian's actions there. Greef proposes that the Mandalorian help him kill the Client and eliminate the Imperial presence from the planet, and in exchange he and Grogu will be safe from any further reprisals from the Guild.[38][39][40]

The proposal is a trap, and Greef plans to ambush and kill the Mandalorian and return Grogu to the Client.[29][40][41] Nevertheless, the Mandalorian accepts the offer and returns to the planet along with Grogu and his allies Cara Dune (Gina Carano), Kuiil (Nick Nolte), and the recently-rebuilt IG-11, whom Kuiil has reprogrammed to be a nurse droid and protector for Grogu.[38][39][41] During their voyage, the party is attacked by pterodactyl-like creatures and Greef receives what would have been a fatal injury, but Grogu uses the Force to heal him.[39][42][43] Greef is so moved that he has a change of heart and informs the others about the trap.[29][42][30] They devise a new plan in which Kuiil will bring Grogu back to the Mandalorian's ship, while the others will kill the Client and his troops.[39][40][41] The plan goes wrong and Kuiil is killed by Imperial Scout Troopers,[44][45] who briefly abduct Grogu before he is rescued by IG-11 at the start of the first-season finale, "Chapter 8: Redemption".[46] IG-11 brings Grogu back to the Mandalorian, Cara, and Greef and helps defend them against an ambush by the Imperial leader Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), who is revealed to have been seeking Grogu all along.[47][48][49] He does not reveal why he wants Grogu, but says he "means more to me than you will ever know".[50]

After surviving an attack by Gideon's stormtroopers, during which Grogu uses the Force to deflect the fire of an attacking stormtrooper's flamethrower back against him, the group escapes with Grogu through a sewer grate. They seek help from the hidden Mandalorian tribe, but it is revealed the Imperials wiped out the tribe after they revealed themselves in "Chapter 3: The Sin".[51] The tribe's leader, "The Armorer" (Emily Swallow), instructs the Mandalorian to watch over and protect Grogu,[52][53][54] who she formally adopts into the Mandalorian culture as a "foundling", like the Mandalorian once was himself.[53][55] She instructs the Mandalorian to seek out and deliver Grogu to the others of his kind, and that until this occurs, the Mandalorian and Grogu are a "clan of two", and that the Mandalorian will be like a father to him.[55][56] She declares their signet to be a likeness of a Mudhorn, the creature the Mandalorian and Grogu worked together to kill in "Chapter 2: The Child".[57] The group departs, and IG-11 sacrifices himself to destroy an entire squad of stormtroopers to protect Grogu.[47] After fending off a final attack from Moff Gideon, the Mandalorian once again departs from Nevarro with Grogu.[51]

Season two

Grogu accompanies the Mandalorian during his search for other Mandalorians who could help him find the child's people: the Jedi. In "Chapter 9: The Marshal", the pair return to Tatooine and meet Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant), the Marshal of Mos Pelgo, who is not a true Mandalorian but wears Mandalorian armor. The Mandalorian helps Vanth slay a krayt dragon which had been attacking Mos Pelgo in exchange for his armor, along the way arranging an uneasy alliance between the townspeople and a Tusken Raider tribe, and developing a deep respect for Vanth, to the point he entrusts him to look after Grogu, should he perish during his attempt to kill the dragon. In "Chapter 10: The Passenger", the Mandalorian and Grogu leave for Trask, where they must take a contact, "Frog Lady" (Misty Rosas, voiced by Dee Bradley Baker), and her eggs in exchange for a lead on other Mandalorians. During their journey, Grogu takes a liking to the eggs and eats a few of them despite being explicitly forbidden from doing so by the Mandalorian. Grogu's appetite also gets the group into trouble while stranded on Maldo Kreis, where he eats a spider-like creature's egg just as the rest of the swarm hatches. They are ultimately saved from the swarm by two X-wing pilots (Dave Filoni and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) from the New Republic. In "Chapter 11: The Heiress", the group arrives on Trask and after bringing Frog Lady and her remaining eggs to her husband, the Mandalorian and Grogu encounter Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) and two other Mandalorian warriors, who save them from a crew of Quarrens who tried to kill the two and steal the Mandalorian's armor. While the Mandalorian accompanies Bo-Katan's team on a mission in exchange for a lead on Jedi, Grogu is left with the Frog Man and Frog Lady, during which time the eggs hatch and Grogu bonds with the newborn tadpoles.

In "Chapter 12: The Siege", the Mandalorian and Grogu return to Nevarro for repairs to the Razor Crest, and reunite with Greef Karga and Cara Dune, who have since turned the planet around. While the Mandalorian goes with Greef, Cara, and their Mythrol companion (Horatio Sanz) to destroy the last Imperial base on Nevarro in exchange for said repairs, Grogu is left at a local school, where he uses the Force to steal some cookies from a child. This episode also provides a clue as to what the Empire's plans with Grogu are; while exploring the Imperial base, the Mandalorian and the others stumble upon cloning experiments performed by Imperial scientists, involving Grogu's blood, some of which has already been transfused to the clones to supposedly give them Force-sensitivity.

In "Chapter 13: The Jedi", the Mandalorian takes Grogu to former Jedi Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) on Corvus, who communicates with him through the Force, learning his name and that he is a former Jedi youngling who was rescued from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant during the Great Jedi Purge and hidden for his own safety, which is why he suppresses his Force powers.[58] While Ahsoka is reluctant to train Grogu because of his strong attachment to the Mandalorian, she tells the latter to take him to the Jedi Temple on Tython, where Grogu might reach out to another Jedi through the Force and choose his own destiny.

In "Chapter 14: The Tragedy", the Mandalorian brings Grogu to said temple, where he begins meditating, creating a protective Force field around him. Moff Gideon's Imperial remnant, having tracked down the Mandalorian, soon attacks in an attempt to capture Grogu, who continues his meditation while being protected by the Mandalorian and the recently arrived Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), who made a deal with the former to protect Grogu in exchange for Fett's armor (which the Mandalorian obtained from Cobb Vanth). Despite their best efforts, Grogu is captured by Gideon's Dark Troopers and taken to his cruiser, where he is imprisoned inside a holding cell. Later, Gideon witnesses Grogu using his Force powers on two stormtroopers that he throws around the cell, before stunning him and preparing to take him to Dr. Pershing to complete the blood transfusion.

In "Chapter 16: The Rescue", the Mandalorian boards Gideon's ship to rescue Grogu, assisted by Cara, Fett, Fennec, Bo-Katan, and Koska Reeves (Mercedes Varnado). While Fett provides cover from Slave I and the others take control of the ship's bridge, the Mandalorian confronts and defeats Gideon. With Gideon captured and Grogu in their custody, the Mandalorian and his allies have their escape route cut off by a platoon of Dark Trooper droids until Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) arrives with R2-D2 and destroys the Dark troopers. When Luke offers to raise and train Grogu, the Mandalorian, realizing that the child's destiny is to become a Jedi, reluctantly allows him to go with Luke. During an emotional farewell, the Mandalorian removes his helmet to let Grogu see his face for the first time, and promises to meet him again.

The Book of Boba Fett

Grogu appears in the sixth episode, "Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger", of the spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett. While training with Luke, he helps Grogu remember some of his past, including his home at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and the events of the Great Jedi Purge. The Mandalorian comes to visit Grogu, but decides against it after speaking with Ahsoka Tano, not wanting to hinder his training; however, he gives Ahsoka a gift to deliver to Grogu: beskar chain mail forged by the Armorer. Ahsoka gives the chain mail to Luke, who confesses that he is unsure whether Grogu is fully committed to the Jedi path and that he does not know how to handle the matter. Following Ahsoka's advice to listen to his instincts, Luke decides to let Grogu choose his own destiny by asking him to choose between the chain mail and the lightsaber of his old master, Yoda.[59]

In the seventh and final episode, titled "Chapter 7: In The Name of Honor", Grogu lands in Motto's hangar on Tatooine with R2-D2 in Luke's X-wing starfighter, where it is revealed that Grogu chose the beskar chain mail over Yoda's lightsaber. Motto then takes him to Mos Espa, where he reunites with the Mandalorian. He and Motto aid the Mandalorian, Boba Fett, and Fett's forces in defeating the Pyke Syndicate. However, Cad Bane scares off Fett's rancor, which goes on a rampage in Mos Espa. Grogu uses the Force to put the rancor to sleep, stopping it from causing more damage. Afterwards, Grogu and the Mandalorian fly away together from Tatooine, in the Mandalorian's new Naboo N-1 starfighter.[60]

Characterization

Physically, Grogu closely resembles Yoda, sharing his signature green skin and long, pointed ears.[61] Grogu is small in size, with wide eyes, short hairs, and wrinkled skin.[62][63] Grogu is capable of sitting up, crawling, walking and eating. He appears capable of understanding some language spoken around him, but cannot speak except in baby-like babble noises.[64] Anthony Breznican of Vanity Fair stated: "There is an emotional transference happening here. The audience cares more about the unnamed, faceless Mandalorian because he cares so much about Baby Yoda."[65] Rebecca Keegan of The Hollywood Reporter believes Grogu displays a form of wisdom despite his young age, describing him as "a Dalai Lama in toddler form".[5] Jeanne Cavelos, former NASA astrophysicist and author of The Science of Star Wars, also believes Grogu demonstrates intelligence beyond his years, noting his awareness and empathy toward beings even when their faces or bodies are covered completely, as well as his ability to recognize injury in others and attempt to repair it.[64]

Despite his youth, Grogu demonstrates a considerable ability to use and manipulate the Force, such as when he lifts the large Mudhorn creature into the air in "Chapter 2: The Child",[22][66] and when he deflects the fire of an attacking stormtrooper's flamethrower back against him in "Chapter 8: Redemption".[51] Kevin Melrose of Comic Book Resources noted that in the original Star Wars trilogy film The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Luke Skywalker struggled to lift an X-wing fighter due to its large size, so the fact that Grogu can lift heavy objects despite his diminutive size and young age demonstrates the vastness of his Force powers.[66] Grogu also repeatedly shows a desire to use the Force to help those around him, such as when he attempts to heal the Mandalorian's wounds in "Chapter 2: The Child",[22] and when he heals Greef Karga's near-fatal wounds in "Chapter 7: The Reckoning".[39][42] However, after using the Force in this manner, Grogu is often exhausted and slips into unconsciousness,[67][68][69] indicating that he is still developing his power and does not yet have the skills to fully control it. Despite his raw natural ability with the Force, Grogu is untrained and still depends heavily on the Mandalorian and other allies for protection.[67] Grogu has a sweet temperament,[5] and comes across as innocent and kindhearted to most of the people he encounters,[67] but is also occasionally capable of violence, such as during a scene in "Chapter 7: The Reckoning" when he uses the Force to choke Cara Dune while she is engaging the Mandalorian in a friendly arm wrestling match and in "Chapter 14: The Tragedy" when Grogu slams two stormtroopers together while imprisoned by Moff Gideon.[70][71][72]

Concept and creation

Conception

Grogu was created by The Mandalorian creator and showrunner Jon Favreau (left), and the character was developed in early conversations between Favreau and executive producer Dave Filoni (right).

Grogu was conceived by Jon Favreau, the creator and showrunner of The Mandalorian.[10] Upon learning that Lucasfilm had been sold to the Walt Disney Company in 2012, Favreau began imagining working on a Star Wars project, and was particularly interested in exploring the events after the original Star Wars trilogy.[5] He conceived Grogu based upon a desire to explore the mystery around Yoda and his species,[10] and an interest in presenting a character from Yoda's species at the beginning of his journey, in contrast to Yoda ending his own journey in Return of the Jedi (1983).[5] Favreau believed part of the appeal of Yoda was that George Lucas deliberately kept his origins and details about the species mysterious, and Favreau believed that sense of mystery would extend to Grogu: "I think that's why people are so curious about this little one of the same species."[10][73]

In mid-2017, shortly after Favreau pitched The Mandalorian to Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, she suggested he meet with Dave Filoni, who had co-created several Star Wars animated series. Filoni said of his meeting with Favreau:

When he brought up in the very beginning of doing this child and having it be of Yoda's species, I was like, ‘Oh, that's very tricky, because there's never been this before outside of Yoda, and then Yaddle in the prequels on the Jedi Council. It's kind of a sacred thing ... We just have to be responsible when we're telling a story with what we're deciding to do. The fans want to know things are a calculated, careful decision. Then if you tell a good story, most of the time they go with it.[74]

The character of Grogu was further developed in early conversations between Favreau and Filoni, the latter of whom drew a rough sketch of the character on cocktail napkins during the talks.[5] Multiple artists worked to refine the image of Grogu created by Filoni, but the definitive imagery came from a concept drawing by artist Christian Alzmann, which depicted the character's makeshift garment.[5] Favreau said of this rendering: "It looked cute, but it also looked a little weird. That's part of Yoda. It can't just be cute. It can't just be a straight-up Disney baby, it has to be a little bit tweaked."[5] The team sought to establish mannerisms and expressions for Grogu that would remind viewers of a pet with whom they might share a connection. These characteristics include Grogu's ears, posture, and the way he cocks his head.[5]

Disney CEO Bob Iger said of Grogu: "The moment I laid eyes on the character, I had a strong feeling that it was going to connect with audiences. So cute, so interesting, so compelling. So familiar and yet so new."[5] Favreau has clarified that Grogu is not a younger version of Yoda himself,[10][11][73] but has declined to comment upon whether he is related to Yoda or otherwise connected to him.[11]

Development

Grogu is mostly a work of animatronics and puppetry, although accentuated with computer-generated imagery (CGI).[10] Legacy Effects, the special effects studio started by protégés of special make-up effects creator Stan Winston, designed the Grogu puppet and supplied the puppeteers to animate it during filming.[75][76] The puppet cost about $5 million to make,[1] and is relatively heavy due to the amount of wires and animatronic technology inside it.[77] It is controlled by two technicians, one who operates the eyes and mouth and another who controls other facial expressions.[16][78] There are several stand-in versions for Grogu used in filming in addition to the primary puppet.[79] The crew of The Mandalorian wanted to use animatronics for Grogu as often as possible.[80] However, they also shot versions of the character's scenes both with and without the puppet, so they had the option of replacing it with a CGI effect in post-production if the puppet did not look satisfactory.[80][81] When CGI is used, Favreau said they try to make the character obey the same physical laws that he would if he were a puppet, adding: "I think a lot of times CG makes itself too obvious where you don't create parameters creatively that allow the character to keep the same identity and charm."[10]

The voice and sounds of Grogu were created by sound editors Matthew Wood (left) and David Acord (right).

The voice and sounds of Grogu were created by David Acord and Matthew Wood, sound editors with Skywalker Sound, who had previously worked on various Star Wars projects. Acord recorded animals' noises at a wildlife rescue near San Diego,[82] and used recordings of a bat-eared fox and kinkajou to make the initial version of Grogu's voice.[2][82][83] However, Favreau suggested the voice needed to sound more human-like and relatable to audiences, so instead the animal sounds were scaled back and used only for small grunts and cooing noises. Actual infant vocals were used to create the new version of Grogu's voice, and Acord used a highly-pitched version of his own voice for some of the more articulated vocalizations.[82] Acord also previously voiced Rotta the Hutt, the young Huttlet son of Jabba the Hutt, in the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008).[83]

Filming

The character was referred to as "The Child" in screenplays for The Mandalorian, though Bryce Dallas Howard, who directed "Chapter 4: Sanctuary", said she always referred to him on set simply as "Baby",[75] and other cast members called it "The Being".[15] During filming, the director of each episode would communicate with Grogu's puppeteers to discuss what was happening in the scene, what emotions Grogu should express, and what actions the character should take.[16][65] Director Deborah Chow said in this way, it was similar to providing direction to a living actor.[65][84] Favreau encouraged the directors to test and push the boundaries of the Grogu puppet during filming, urging them to experiment and attempt to get the most realistic movements and mannerisms possible from the character.[75] Brendan Wayne, a body double for the Mandalorian character, said the puppet looked so realistic that performing against it felt like working with an actual child actor.[76] Rick Famuyiwa, the director of "Chapter 2: The Child", said he was shocked when he learned that the premiere episode of The Mandalorian ended with the introduction of Grogu, because it meant he would be directing the next episode that further expanded upon the character.[80]

The Grogu puppet was popular on set with the show's cast and crew.[65][85] Chow said: "With the baby, every time it came on set, the whole crew would respond to it. Even the grip department, every production assistant is coming to the monitors, trying to see it."[85] Howard screamed in excitement when she first saw it,[75] and Gina Carano said of Grogu: "That was our precious. Our precious is this being that we all end up taking care of in some way."[65] Emily Swallow said she "fell in love with it like everybody else",[86][87] adding: "I was thrilled when they brought him in that little bag for the scene that I got to have with it. I just wanted to snuggle it."[88][89] Amy Sedaris said the animatronic Grogu puppet made everyone on the set happy: "The minute you looked into Baby Yoda's eyes you just got lost."[90] Likewise, Giancarlo Esposito said he enjoyed interacting with the Grogu puppet during filming: "It melts my heart, because the reality is, this little baby does things that you could never imagine and when you look at those eyes and that little body, how can you not help but fall in love?"[91] Carl Weathers has said of him: "He is very interesting and very knowledgeable and very cute. I never use that word, but he is a cute little guy."[92][93]

Werner Herzog, who portrays The Client in The Mandalorian, strongly urged the show's producers to remain committed to the animatronics and puppetry for Grogu, calling them "cowards" for considering using computer-generated imagery.

Werner Herzog particularly enjoyed filming scenes with the animatronic Grogu puppet, which he called "heartbreakingly beautiful".[78][94][95] Chow said directing the scene between Herzog and Grogu in "Chapter 3: The Sin" was "one of the weirdest" moments of her career,[65][85][96] because he had so much affection for the puppet and was interacting with it like it was a living being.[85][96][97] She said: "I literally think that he had forgotten that it's not a real-live creature and he had fallen in love with it."[96] Herzog strongly urged the Mandalorian filmmakers to use the puppet for the character and not CGI. While filming one scene, Dave Filoni began to remove the puppet to shoot an alternate take, in case they decided to use a CGI version of Grogu in its place. Herzog passionately urged him not to do so and to remain committed to the animatronics and puppetry, saying: "You are cowards. Leave it. Leave it."[80][81] Esposito has also said having an actual Grogu puppet to perform against has been beneficial for the cast, because "that space allows all of us to be so wowed by its presence".[79]

Misty Rosas, who delivered the motion capture performance for Kuiil, often held the Grogu puppet during her scenes in "Chapter 7: The Reckoning". This occasionally proved challenging for Rosas, who also had to manage the weight of the animatronics in her own costume and face mask, as well as the weight of Grogu prop.[77] One full day of filming the episode focused upon Kuiil riding the blurrg creature, a process Rosas described as "intense" due to the amount of time she spent on the fake creature and the speeds at which it was made to run. The process was made further challenging because she was carrying the heavy animatronic Grogu puppet throughout the scenes, and she occasionally needed breaks between takes. Rosas said: "My legs are not exactly long, so I was squeezing for dear life and holding the baby."[98] Nevertheless, Rosas said she enjoyed working with Grogu character, saying: "He just melts my heart, he's so cute."[77]

During the opening scene of "Chapter 8: Redemption", an Imperial Scout Trooper portrayed by comedian Adam Pally punched Grogu. During the first take of filming the scene, Pally punched the animatronic Grogu puppet hard, prompting Favreau to inform the actor that the puppet cost about $5 million to make. This made Pally so nervous that he missed Grogu altogether when he tried to punch him in the three subsequent takes.[99][100] Pally joked about working with Grogu: "I gotta tell you, the truth is that Baby Yoda is a bit of a diva. He's constantly vaping."[101][102][103] At some point during filming of The Mandalorian, George Lucas visited the set and held the Grogu puppet. Favreau posted a picture of Lucas holding Grogu on Instagram on January 16, 2020, which drew considerable Internet attention.[104][105][106]

Prerelease

Jon Favreau has credited actor Donald Glover (pictured) with inspiring the decision to keep Grogu's revelation a secret.

Grogu was kept secret and was deliberately withheld from The Mandalorian's prerelease marketing and merchandise plans due to the risk that details about the character could leak before the show aired.[10][5][107][108] Favreau said of this plan: "I think that part of what people really value is to be surprised and delighted, and I think that's becoming all too rare."[10] Favreau has credited Donald Glover as the source of that strategy. While developing The Mandalorian, Favreau was simultaneously directing Glover in the photorealistic remake of The Lion King (2019). While discussing music and pop culture, Glover told Favreau that people enjoy being surprised, because true surprises had become much less common in the Internet era. As an example, Glover cited the excitement generated by the sudden releases of surprise albums by singer and songwriter Beyoncé.[5][109] Favreau felt keeping Grogu a secret until he was revealed would allow fans to connect with the character and "discover the story as it was unfolding". The leadership and marketing team at the Walt Disney Company was supportive of this strategy.[10] Screeners of the pilot episode were not distributed to reviewers to avoid leaks about Grogu,[110] and the official Lucasfilm and Star Wars social media accounts did not start posting messages about Grogu until about a week after the series debuted, to avoid spoiling the character's debut as much as possible.[110][111][112]

Themes

Parenting and fatherhood

One of the primary themes of The Mandalorian is parenting and fatherhood, particularly through the father-son relationship dynamic between the Mandalorian and Grogu.[113][114][115] Ryan Britt of Fatherly wrote: "For years the Star Wars franchise avoided depicting a parent-child dynamic. With Mando and Baby Yoda, that’s finally changing."[113] Vulture writer Kathryn VanArendonk argued that parenting has been the subject of past Star Wars stories, but almost always during later stages of parenthood, rather than an infant in early developmental stages such as Grogu. As examples, she cited Obi-Wan Kenobi serving as a mentor to the adolescent Anakin Skywalker, Princess Leia lamenting over her grown son Kylo Ren, or the absence of Rey's parents.[116] Several reviewers have compared the dynamic between Grogu and the Mandalorian to Lone Wolf and Cub, a manga about a samurai warrior and his young son.[117][118][119][120] Grogu makes the Mandalorian a softer and more relatable character;[12][121] he changes in a positive way because of raising Grogu, becoming less selfish and self-absorbed.[122] Several examples of the Mandalorian parenting Grogu appear throughout the series, such as when he stops Grogu from pressing random buttons in the cockpit of the Mandalorian's spaceship, ultimately by holding him in his lap.[113] In another example, the Mandalorian sets up a car seat for Grogu in the cockpit of his ship, so he can be seated safely and comfortably during their travels.[123]

The relationship between the Mandalorian and Grogu is an example of unexpected fatherhood.[116][122] The Mandalorian feels a connection and parental bond with Grogu because of his own childhood, when he was orphaned upon the death of his parents and was adopted by the Mandalorian culture as a "foundling".[116] Nevertheless, fatherhood was not a role the Mandalorian was initially seeking, and he makes repeated initial attempts to avoid this responsibility. He first does so in "Chapter 3: The Sin", when he leaves Grogu with the Client,[122] and then again in "Chapter 4: Sanctuary", when he plans to leave Grogu with Omera, a protective mother on the planet Sorgan who is willing to take Grogu into her own family. The Mandalorian does not fully commit to the role of fatherhood until the first-season finale, "Chapter 8: Redemption", when Grogu himself is also adopted into the Mandalorian culture as a "foundling" and the Mandalorian is formally declared to be his father figure.[116]

Anthony Breznican of Vanity Fair has noted that none of the day-to-day difficulties of parenthood are portrayed in the series: "There is no shrill squawking from Baby Yoda, no tantrum, no spit-up, no uncontrollable shrieking that burrows into a parent’s psyche like a dentist’s drill shredding a soft, pink nerve."[65] Likewise, Vulture writer Kathryn VanArendonk said the show ignores or does not address many parenting details that make fatherhood difficult, such as what Grogu eats, when he goes to sleep, and whether he wears diapers. She wrote: "The Mandalorian is uninterested in diapers, and so Mando gets to be a very particular image of fatherhood: the guy who doesn't have to sweat the small stuff."[116] VanAnderonk described this as a wish fulfillment fantasy for parents or prospective parents: "a vision of parenting stripped so thoroughly of all detail and specificity that all that’s left are archetypes: the parent, the child".[116]

Grogu encounters a handful of other protector figures throughout the first season, including Omera, IG-11, and Peli Motto.[116] Some observers have criticized the series for the fact that the Mandalorian repeatedly leaves Grogu alone or in the hands of relative strangers,[114] as well as for making decisions that place Grogu in danger. One example is in "Chapter 6: The Prisoner", when he allows a team of dangerous mercenaries to use his ship while Grogu is on board, nearly resulting in Grogu's death.[114][124] An interaction the Mandalorian has with Peli Motto in "Chapter 5: The Gunslinger" is one of the most overt discussions about the challenges of caring for Grogu. When the Mandalorian accidentally wakes Grogu, who had been sleeping in Peli's arms, she chides him: "Do you have any idea how long it took me to get it to sleep?"[116] She also condemns the Mandalorian for leaving Grogu alone on the ship, saying: "you have an awful lot to learn about raising a young one".[35] ScreenCrush writer Matt Singer argued the Mandalorian's parenting errors make the show that much more appealing and relatable because making mistakes is a large part of being a parent.[114]

Good and evil; nature versus nurture

One scene in "Chapter 7: The Reckoning" led many fans to reevaluate Grogu and question whether he may demonstrate evil tendencies. During a scene on the Mandalorian's spaceship, Grogu observes as the Mandalorian and Cara Dune engage in a friendly arm wrestling match. During the contest, Grogu uses the Force to choke Cara, nearly strangling her to death before the Mandalorian intervenes.[70][71][72] Throughout the Star Wars franchise, that ability has been most commonly associated with the dark side of the Force, and particularly with the antagonist character Darth Vader.[125][126] Sarah Bea Milner of Screen Rant wrote: "The moment is genuinely shocking — and more than a little disturbing."[125] Some reviewers noted, however, that Grogu likely mistakenly believed the Mandalorian was in danger and intervened to help.[126][127] Additionally, in the same episode, Grogu uses the Force to heal and save Greef Karga, a power typically associated with the Light Side.[125][70][127] Peter Foy of Comic Book Resources wrote: "It doesn't exactly seem realistic that Disney would blow its merchandising potential with the little cutie by going all Damien (The Omen) in his storyline."[70]

Nevertheless, some writers have suggested viewers had been underestimating Grogu's capacity for evil because he is cute.[72][126][128] Fans speculated Grogu could be presenting a false personality or using the Force to manipulate people into caring about him to help ensure his survival.[71] Esquire writer Matt Miller noted that Yoda lied about his identity during his initial appearance in The Empire Strikes Back, posing as a simple-minded observer to Luke Skywalker before revealing himself to be a Jedi Master. Miller suggested Grogu could be putting on a similar performance.[126] One fan theory suggests Grogu could be related to a prophecy in a past Star Wars work that predicted an evil that could consume the galaxy. The prophecy, described in the novel Star Wars: Master and Apprentice (2019), says: "The danger of the past is not past, but sleeps in an egg. When the egg cracks, it will threaten the galaxy entire." Fans theorized this could refer to Grogu, who sleeps in an egg-like bassinet in The Mandalorian.[128] Others have theorized the reason the Imperial remnant wants Grogu is to turn him over to the dark side of the Force,[125] or for use as a weapon.[70] Moff Gideon in the season finale says, "You may think you have some idea what you’re in possession of, but you do not." Peter Foy of Comic Book Resources suggested this could allude to Grogu's potential to cause mass destruction.[70]

Caitlin Gallagher of Bustle suggested rather than building toward Grogu becoming evil, the show could be suggesting the Mandalorian needs to find a way to raise Grogu in a less violent environment.[71] All season long, Grogu has witnessed those around him committing violent acts.[125][71] For example, Vulture writer Keith Phipps noticed that when IG-11 kills multiple stormtroopers in front of him, Grogu has a "look of wonder" in his eyes, which Phipps said "is hilarious, but also a little chilling".[48] Some writers applied a nature versus nurture argument to this, contending Grogu is becoming violent because of what he is learning based on the actions around him.[71] This suggests Grogu is not inherently good or evil,[125][70] but that instead, like all children, he is impressionable and does not fully understand the events occurring around him. He is learning about life and needs guidance as he develops his abilities.[124][125] This is why he uses Force powers generally associated with both the light and dark sides of the Force.[70] It will largely fall to the Mandalorian to provide this guidance,[124] as when the Mandalorian stops him from strangling Cara.[125]

Cultural impact

Critical reception

A plush of Grogu on the interior of Crew Dragon Resilience during the SpaceX Crew-1 mission.

Grogu has received a positive reception from fans and reviewers,[4][65] and is widely considered the show's breakout character.[2][3][129][130] Fans immediately adopted the nickname "Baby Yoda" to describe the character,[11][131][132] a moniker Favreau has embraced as "the easiest, shortest, most hashtagable way to identify that character".[11] However, the nickname is not used internally by the crew of The Mandalorian, and Disney CEO Bob Iger said he "got [his] wrist slapped" by Favreau for calling the character Baby Yoda in e-mail messages.[133][134] Iger later said the scale of the positive reaction to Grogu was "beyond my expectations by a wide margin".[135][136]

Several writers described Grogu as a pop culture phenomenon, particularly noting the adoration it had received from fans on social media.[4][16][65] The Guardian called Baby Yoda "2019's biggest new character",[4] and Bryan Alexander of USA Today wrote: "There's nothing hotter in the universe than Baby Yoda."[11] Some critics noted that fandom for Grogu transcended age and experience, and that few fictional characters unite entire fan bases in the way Grogu had;[65][137] Anthony Breznican of Vanity Fair wrote: "In an era of bitter division on nearly all matters, there is seemingly unanimous adoration for this tiny alien creature."[65][137]

Vox writer Allegra Frank said Grogu made The Mandalorian "instantly more memorable and evocative", and alleviated the solitude and tension that might otherwise have surrounded the show's protagonist.[12] Carolyn Giardina of The Hollywood Reporter said Grogu helped The Mandalorian not only achieve critical and commercial success, but also impact the cultural zeitgeist.[10] Beyond the show, other writers have described the character as a key component in the success of Disney's rollout of the Disney+ streaming service.[4][138][139] Julia Alexander of The Verge wrote: "There's no question that Baby Yoda is driving interest in Disney+".[138] Some critics called Grogu one of the best and most lauded new Star Wars characters in recent memory,[112][135] while others said the character had made the Star Wars franchise relevant to an even wider range of audiences.[4][73]

Vulture writer Madison Malone Kircher described Grogu as an example of a character so popular that his fame nearly eclipsed that of his own franchise, comparing him to Baby Groot from the Guardians of the Galaxy films.[62] The Guardian writer Zach Vasquez noted past Star Wars works had featured young characters that have not resonated as strongly as Grogu, so he credited his success with the character's designers and special effects.[4] Likewise, Robyn Bahr of The Hollywood Reporter said the positive response to Grogu, along with that of the show The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, demonstrate that audiences still desire puppetry, animatronics, and practical effects rather than only CGI. Bahr wrote: "If Baby Yoda were entirely 3D animation, he wouldn't have become an icon the minute we laid our eyes on him."[63]

Grogu was featured on the cover of the December 2019 issue of The Hollywood Reporter, along with the headline: "Baby Yoda represents the future of Hollywood".[5] In an article in the magazine, writer Rebecca Keegan argued Grogu is the culmination of several shifts and trends in the entertainment industry over the decade prior to the release of The Mandalorian. These include the decline of the traditional movie star, the growth of streaming media services, the rise of Internet culture, and technological advances in CGI.[5] Variety writer Caroline Framke said she fell in love with the character even despite acknowledging that he is an "inherently manipulative product of the most powerful media conglomerate".[140]

Not all reviews of Grogu were positive. An online report conducting an analysis of which U.S. states responded most positively to Grogu, finding that interest in him was highest in Utah, and lowest in Mississippi.[141] Rolling Stone writer Alan Sepinwall said the reveal of Grogu was a rehash of the appearance of Rotta the Hutt in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.[142] Emily VanDerWerff of Vox described the character as "yet another merchandising opportunity" and did not feel the character was worth Disney attempting to keep secret before his reveal.[143] BBC writer Caryn James said he did not believe anyone without an emotional attachment to Star Wars would care about Grogu.[144] Jeremy Gordon of The Outline called Grogu the "product of a merciless capitalist machine" intended primarily to generate merchandising revenue for Disney. Gordon wrote: "It's not really Baby Yoda I hate, of course. He's really cute. It's the feeling that I'm being pandered to, that all of this is a foregone conclusion."[145] Emma Gray Ellis wrote that there was some backlash to Grogu on social media in response to the character's massive Internet popularity. She wrote: "There's something grindingly, performatively grouchy in leaping forward to damn something that 'everyone' likes, in no small part because everyone likes it."[129]

Grogu ranked first on several Screen Rant lists about the series, including the most interesting characters from the first season of The Mandalorian,[30] the best characters from the show,[146] and the best costumes from the first season.[147]

Internet memes

Grogu quickly became a popular Internet meme.[131][148][149] In the week following the debut of The Mandalorian, Grogu was driving almost twice as many social media interactions on news stories about it as any of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates.[10][150][151] The Baby Yoda search term saw continuous growth on Google Trends in the weeks following the release of The Mandalorian.[62] There were 2.28 million social media interactions about the characters on news stories in the first two weeks after the release of The Mandalorian,[151] and 2 million tweets featuring the words "Baby Yoda" were sent on Twitter between November 12 and December 5, 2019.[62] When Favreau tweeted a concept art image of the character by artist Christian Alzmann on November 19, it received more than 34,000 retweets and 217,000 likes within one week.[65] Various celebrities have tweeted about the character, including Ariana Grande,[62] Elon Musk,[152] Dwayne Johnson, Russell Wilson, Alex Rodriguez,[148] and Donald Trump Jr.[153] Zach Vasquez of The Guardian wrote: "It's now practically impossible to scroll through any social media platform without being inundated with pics, videos, memes and gifs of the bug-eyed, big-eared tot."[4] The Los Angeles Times included Grogu in its list of "2019's Internet Obsessions", with writer Christie D'Zurilla writing: "Baby Yoda won the Internet in 2019."[152]

One of the more popular memes involved a screenshot from "Chapter 4: Sanctuary" in which Grogu casually sips from a mug of soup,[62][154] which has been compared to a similar meme of Kermit the Frog passive-aggressively sipping a glass of tea.[155][156][157] Another popular meme used a scene from that episode in which Grogu randomly presses buttons in the cockpit of the Mandalorian's spaceship,[62][158] with most of the memes changing the audio so that it appeared Grogu was trying to put various songs on the radio.[158][159] In late November 2019, the online GIF database Giphy temporarily removed its GIFs of Grogu due to "confusion" over the legal status of the images, sparking outrage among fans. However, they were quickly restored,[160][161][162] and Giphy issued an apology to Disney for having removed them.[160][161] Various sports teams have created their own memes with Grogu, including Los Angeles Clippers, New York Islanders, Phoenix Suns, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco Giants, Sacramento Kings, Seattle Mariners, and Tennessee Volunteers football.[148]

Cultural references

In December 2019, artwork of Disney CEO Bob Iger with Grogu appeared in the Time magazine article naming Iger their Businessperson of the Year.[163] The New Yorker published a cartoon of a woman pushing a baby stroller and saying to the baby inside it: "No offense, but Baby Yoda, like, blows you out of the water."[65] Ice2Ice, a musician associated with the website The Ringer, released "Dear Baby Yoda: A Love Song" on December 3, 2019, with the music based upon the song "Dear Theodosia" from the musical Hamilton.[164][165][166] The character was also mentioned in the December 2019 South Park episode "Basic Cable". In the episode, a character named Scott Malkinson attempts to get Disney+ because the woman he is interested in loves Grogu, so he believes she will love him too if he gets the streaming service.[167] Grogu was also parodied in the December 14, 2019 episode of Saturday Night Live. He was portrayed by comedian Kyle Mooney in a Weekend Update segment, in which he gossiped about the Mandalorian cast, talked about his future business ventures, and threatened Baby Groot.[168][169] At the 77th Golden Globe Awards, host Ricky Gervais jokingly mistook Joe Pesci for "Baby Yoda".[170] On February 20, the United States Army revealed that a M1 Abrams tank belonging to the 3rd Infantry Division of Fort Stewart in Georgia had been named after Grogu, with the words "BABY YODA" printed on the barrel of its gun.[171][172] Some critics have noted that other media companies introduced young versions of their own characters following the debut of Grogu, and suggested they could be attempts to capitalize on Grogu's success. As an example, Ashley Carman of The Verge cited "Baby Sonic", a young version of the video game character Sonic the Hedgehog who appears in his 2020 film, which she described as "like something ripped out of Disney's playbook".[173]

Merchandise

I think that part of what people really value is to be surprised and delighted, and I think that's becoming all too rare. It's very difficult to keep secrets about projects you're working on. By holding back on that one product, we knew that we may have had the disadvantage of not having toys available day and date, but what we got in exchange was an excitement surrounding the character, because everybody felt like they discovered him together.

Jon Favreau[10]

Due to the secrecy surrounding Grogu, designs of the character were withheld from product manufacturers in the months prior to the release of The Mandalorian. As a result, toys and merchandise of the character were not available in time for the 2019 Christmas season, despite a high demand for them.[11][174] The Walt Disney Company accepted this plan despite knowing it would cost the company merchandising revenue in the short term; Favreau said "they understood the value of it".[10] Iger said if Grogu's design had been distributed for toys before the show's release, "it would have gone out to hundreds and hundreds of people, probably all over the world, and we didn't want to do that". Iger reiterated that Disney is a story-first company which has "never set out to tell a story simply because it can become a toy or a game or a consumer product of some sort",[174] and he described the wait to unveil Grogu as "worth it".[135][136] The Amazon product research tool Jungle Scout projected that Disney may have lost $2.7 million in revenue because of the delay in release merchandise of Grogu;[175] demand for toys of Grogu were so high that Amazon customers searched for Baby Yoda products more than 90,000 times in one month.[176] David Lazarus, consumer columnist for the Los Angeles Times, said he understood Disney's strategy, but felt the company missed out on significant commercial opportunity: "The fact that they didn't anticipate that this was going to be a commercial goldmine is insane, and that they let this opportunity slip away strikes me as sheer madness."[107]

Due to the scarcity of licensed merchandise of Grogu, many unlicensed products featuring the character were created and sold through the Internet, including via websites like Etsy.[65][107][177] These included felt and crocheted dolls, shirts, jewellery, Christmas ornaments, art prints, bumper stickers, coffee mugs, and more.[65][177] Do it yourself videos were also produced showing how fans could make their own toys based upon Grogu.[107] The top 47 unofficial Grogu products by Amazon merchants sold an average of 1,842 pieces of merchandise in the month following the show's release, at an average of $23 per product.[176] In mid-January 2020, Disney issued takedown notices against several Etsy sellers using the words "Star Wars", "Mandalorian", and "Yoda", citing copyright violations.[104][178][179] Official soft goods such as T-shirts were the first to be made available because they were the easiest to produce.[11][65] The first two official dolls of Grogu released were a 10-inch Funko figurine and an 11-inch plush toy from Mattel,[180] which began shipping in February.[107] Pre-orders for the Funko doll made it the top toy on Amazon upon its release.[134] More official merchandise was expected to be released in early 2020.[62][176][181] In December 2019, the Electronic Arts video game The Sims 4 added "The Child Statue" as a purchasable decoration.[182]

Several toys of Grogu were announced American International Toy Fair in New York City in February 2020,[183][184] most notably a nearly life-sized animatronic Grogu toy by Hasbro, which moves, blinks, and makes sounds like the actual character.[130][183] The toy sold out within days of its announcement, with new deliveries not expected until December 2020.[185] Other toys announced at the Fair include a Grogu waffle iron,[186] Chia Pets of Grogu,[187] and a vehicle set as part of Hasbro's Mission Fleet toyline, which include the Mandalorian on a speeder bike and Grogu in his floating bassinet.[184] Build-A-Bear Workshop has also announced it will release a version of a Grogu doll in early 2020.[188] In August 2020, Lego released BrickHeadz figures of both Grogu and the Mandalorian, as well as a September 2020 release of a Lego set for the Mandalorian's Razor Crest spaceship, which included small figurine of Grogu, which has also appeared in the 2021 set Trouble on Tatooine (set 75299).[189][190] A large, buildable figure of Grogu has also been released, as well as a plush toy based on the minifigure.[191][192]

In video games

In March 2020, an unofficial user-created mod for the video game Star Wars Battlefront II allowed the character BB-8 to be replaced with a playable version of Grogu.[193][194][195] Grogu appears in Fortnite Battle Royale as a pet that floats in the hover-pram behind the player in-game.[196] A non-playable Grogu is included as part of The Mandalorian: Season 1 character DLC for the 2022 video game Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, accompanying Din Djarin in a floating pod that closes to protect Grogu when attacked.[197]

Medical education, radiology images

In 2021, Grogu's likeness was published in scientific literature, in a medical journal article titled, "Baby Yoda: Pareidolia and Patternicity in Sacral MRI and CT Scans".[198] The lead author was Patrick Foye, M.D., a professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Rutgers University. In this article, he introduced a novel way of visualizing the sacrum when viewing MRI and CT scans. He noted that in certain image slices the human sacral anatomy resembles the face of "Baby Yoda". Sacral openings for exiting nerves (sacral foramina) resemble Baby Yoda's eyes, while the sacral canal resembles Baby Yoda's mouth. These and other comparisons can help physicians to use the "Baby Yoda sign" to evaluate both normal and abnormal anatomic findings on the imaging studies.[199]

Relationships

Mentorship tree

Jedi Order master-apprentice relationship
Yoda
Count
Dooku
Mace
Windu
Qui-Gon
Jinn
Depa
Billaba
Younglings
Obi-Wan
Kenobi
Kanan
Jarrus
Anakin
Skywalker
Ezra
Bridger
Luke
Skywalker
Ahsoka
Tano
GroguLeia
Organa
Ben Solo
[n 1]
Rey
[n 1]
Notes:
  1. Ben Solo and Rey are a Force dyad

References

Citations

  1. Snierson, Dan (January 11, 2020). "Adam Pally on his punchy Mandalorian scene: 'Baby Yoda is a bit of a diva'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 12, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  2. Fashingbauer, Gael (December 23, 2019). "Baby Yoda: Everything we know about The Mandalorian star". CNET. Archived from the original on December 23, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  3. "Baby Yoda Is an Acceptable Name for The Mandalorian's Breakout Star, Says Dave Filoni". IGN. November 21, 2019. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  4. Vasquez, Zach (December 3, 2019). "Big deal, he is: how Baby Yoda became 2019's biggest new character". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  5. Keegan, Rebecca (December 19, 2019). "In Baby Yoda, Hollywood Sees Its Past, Present and Meme-able Future". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  6. Nunan, Tom. "5 Reasons Why Disney+ Is Breaking Records While Making History". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  7. Alexander, Julia (2019-12-06). "Baby Yoda is key to the Disney+ takeover". The Verge. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  8. "How Disney+ Uses Star Wars to Dominate Digital Entertainment". Michael Jung, Freelance Writer. 2021-01-04. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  9. Winck, Ben. "The massive popularity of Baby Yoda memes highlights just how successful Disney Plus has been, one analyst says". Markets Insider. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  10. Giardina, Carolyn (December 5, 2019). "Why Jon Favreau Chose Baby Yoda: 'We Don't Know a Lot of Details About His Species'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  11. Alexander, Bryan (January 5, 2020). "Golden Globes 2020: Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau explains why Baby Yoda is NOT Yoda". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 6, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  12. Frank, Allegra (December 3, 2019). "Baby Yoda: the Mandalorian's adorable alien co-star, explained". Vox. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  13. Butler, Bethonie (November 19, 2019). "Everything you need to know about Baby Yoda, who is probably not actually Yoda but still very cute". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  14. Joest, Mick (November 20, 2019). "Let's Talk About Baby Yoda's Age In The Mandalorian". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  15. Breznican, Anthony (November 12, 2019). "The Mandalorian Episode One: Easter Eggs and That Final Reveal, Explained". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  16. Spencer, Samuel (December 2, 2019). "The Mandalorian crew on how they made 'Baby Yoda'". Newsweek. Archived from the original on December 8, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  17. Smail, Gretchen (November 12, 2019). "Werner Herzog's 'The Mandalorian' Character Is The Next Great 'Star Wars' Villain". Bustle. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  18. Anderton, Ethan (April 14, 2019). "'The Mandalorian' Footage Description: Sorry, Boba Fett, There's a New Bounty Hunter in Town". /Film. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  19. Kirby, Meaghan (November 12, 2019). "The Mandalorian series premiere recap: The Mandalorian embarks on a dangerous assignment". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  20. Hussain, Humza (January 14, 2020). "The Mandalorian: Taika Waititi Wants Fans To Petition To Bring Back IG-11". Screen Rant. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  21. Hough, Q.V. (January 2, 2020). "The Mandalorian: Who Plays IG-11". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  22. Keane, Sean (November 15, 2019). "The Mandalorian episode 2 reveals the true nature of this Star Wars bounty". CNET. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  23. Keveney, Bill (November 15, 2019). "'The Mandalorian' recap: Protecting a baby Yoda isn't exactly child's play". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  24. Kirby, Meaghan (November 15, 2019). "The Mandalorian recap: The Mandalorian's mission hits a snag". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  25. Mitovich, Matt Webb (January 28, 2020). "The Mandalorian Reveals Client's Plan for the Child, and We Are Not Having It". TVLine. Archived from the original on November 26, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  26. Colbert, Stephen M. (November 22, 2019). "The Mandalorian: What The Empire Wanted With Baby Yoda". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  27. Bundel, Ani (November 27, 2019). "This 'Mandalorian' Theory About Baby Yoda Is So Important". Elite Daily. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  28. Ciacoya, Ben (November 13, 2019). "The Mandalorian Hints at the Return of Kamino Cloning". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  29. Raymond, Nicholas (January 7, 2020). "The Mandalorian: Greef Karga's Backstory Explained". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  30. Pham, Danny (December 31, 2019). "The Mandalorian: 10 Most Interesting Characters In Season 1". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  31. Kirby, Meaghan (November 22, 2019). "The Mandalorian recap: Mando makes a terrible mistake". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  32. Kain, Erik (November 29, 2019). "'The Mandalorian' Episode 4 Recap And Review: The 'Star Wars' We Were Looking For". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  33. Young, Bryan (November 29, 2019). "'The Mandalorian' Goes Full 'Seven Samurai' With "Sanctuary"". /Film. Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  34. Atkin, Jesse (December 30, 2019). "5 Reasons The Witcher Geralt Will Be a Better Dad Than the Mandalorian (& 5 Reasons He Won't)". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 20, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  35. Keane, Sean (December 7, 2019). "The Mandalorian episode 5 recap: Baby Yoda travels to an iconic planet". CNET. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  36. Willshire, Edward (December 21, 2019). "The Mandalorian Vs. Solo: Which Had the Best Criminal Crew?". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  37. Elvy, Craig (January 4, 2020). "The Mandalorian: Who Plays Zero The Droid". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  38. Scribner, Herb (December 18, 2019). "'Star Wars: The Mandalorian' review: Narratives come together ahead of season finale". Deseret News. Archived from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  39. Hall, Charlie (December 18, 2019). "Mandalorian is making sense of the time between Return of Jedi and Force Awakens". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  40. Young, Bryan (December 18, 2019). "'The Mandalorian' Moves the Pieces Into Place for a Killer Climax With "The Reckoning"". /Film. Archived from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  41. Snowden, Scott (December 18, 2019). "'The Mandalorian' Episode 7 Is an Action-Packed First Half of a 2-Part Finale". Space.com. Archived from the original on January 10, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  42. Keane, Sean (December 19, 2019). "Baby Yoda offers a cool link between The Rise of Skywalker and The Mandalorian". CNET. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  43. Britt, Ryan (December 18, 2019). "Baby Yoda Totally Sets Up 'The Rise of Skywalker'". Fatherly. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  44. Holman, Leo (January 2, 2020). "The Mandalorian: Kuiil Was the Series' Best Character – Here's Why". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  45. Kain, Erik (December 18, 2019). "Star Wars 'The Mandalorian' Episode 7 Recap And Review: 'The Reckoning' Is The Best Episode Yet". Forbes. Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  46. Libbey, Dirk (December 27, 2019). "The Mandalorian: 6 Biggest Questions After Episode 8". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on December 27, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  47. Dumaraog, Ana (December 27, 2019). "The Mandalorian Season 1's Ending Explained (In Detail)". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  48. Phipps, Keith (December 27, 2019). "The Mandalorian Season Finale Recap: Tragedy of the Manufacturer's Protocol". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  49. Hood, Cooper (December 27, 2019). "The Mandalorian Season 1 Finale Cast Guide: Returning Characters & Cameos". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  50. Dumaraog, Ana (January 4, 2020). "The Mandalorian Theory: Moff Gideon Wants To Become The New Darth Vader". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 24, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  51. Snowden, Scott (December 27, 2019). "'The Mandalorian' Finale is an Electrifying End to Season 1". Space.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  52. Hough, Q.V. (December 30, 2019). "The Mandalorian: Who Plays The Armorer". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  53. Kain, Erik (December 27, 2019). "Star Wars 'The Mandalorian' Episode 8 Recap And Review: A Terrific Season Finale". Forbes. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  54. Whalen, Andrew (December 31, 2019). "'The Mandalorian' Season 2: Release Date, Gamorreans and Everything Else We Know". Newsweek. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  55. Joest, Mick (January 8, 2020). "The Mandalorian Season 1: Episode 8 Ending Explained". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  56. Ciacoya, Bea (December 29, 2019). "The Mandalorian Changes Everything We Know About ... Mandalorians". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  57. Marshall, Rick (December 27, 2019). "The Mandalorian: Easter eggs and episode 8's secrets explained". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  58. Rougeau, Michael (November 27, 2020). "The Mandalorian Just Did A Major Baby Yoda Reveal". GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  59. Russell, Bradley (2022-02-02). "How The Book of Boba Fett episode 6 ending sets up the Mandalorian season 3". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  60. Dougherty, Matt (February 8, 2022). "Grogu's Choice in The Book of Boba Fett Could Shape the Future of Star Wars". IGN. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  61. Crouse, Megan (December 27, 2019). "Star Wars: The Mandalorian – Baby Yoda Explained". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  62. Kircher, Madison Malone (December 5, 2019). "How Baby Yoda Took Over the Internet". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  63. Bahr, Robyn (December 31, 2019). "Critic's Notebook: Baby Yoda, 'The Dark Crystal' and the Need for Puppetry in the Age of CGI". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 7, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  64. Spitnagel, Eric (December 2, 2019). "An Alarmingly Deep Dive Into the Science of Baby Yoda". Popular Mechanics. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  65. Breznican, Anthony (November 26, 2019). "Baby Yoda Has Conquered the World". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on November 27, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  66. Melrose, Kevin (November 15, 2019). "The Mandalorian Confirms What We Suspected About 'the Asset'". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  67. Gallagher, Caitlin (December 13, 2019). "Baby Yoda's Force Power On 'The Mandalorian' Is Still Growing". Bustle. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  68. Gallagher, Caitlin (December 5, 2019). "Every Baby Yoda Moment From 'The Mandalorian' So You Know Where To Fast Forward To". Bustle. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  69. Keane, Sean (December 27, 2019). "The Mandalorian season finale recap: Baby Yoda gets into wild action in episode 8". CNET. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  70. Foy, Peter (December 21, 2019). "The Mandalorian: Could Baby Yoda Actually Be... [Spoiler]?". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  71. Gallagher, Caitlin (December 26, 2019). "Is Baby Yoda Evil On 'The Mandalorian'? The Force Choke Means He Could Join The Dark Side". Bustle. Archived from the original on March 1, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  72. Hibberd, James (December 18, 2019). "What if Baby Yoda is secretly evil?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  73. Britt, Ryan (December 5, 2019). "Mandalorian Showrunner Confirms Baby Yoda is Not Actually Yoda". Fatherly. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  74. Hibberd, James (September 8, 2020). "The Mandalorian exclusive: An inside look at season 2". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  75. Miller, Liz Shannon (December 3, 2019). "Bryce Dallas Howard Screamed When She First Saw The Mandalorian's Baby Yoda". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 17, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  76. Miller, Liz Shannon (December 9, 2019). "Meet the Man Beneath the Mandalorian's Armor". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  77. Rosas & Ballance 2020, 54:40–55:01 Ballance: "So, the Baby Yoda, you've held him. He's heavy?" Rosas: "Yes and no. I mean, he's heavy when I'm in my costume and holding him too, so it's more weight and lots of wires everywhere between the two of us. Yeah, he's got weight to him. He just melts my heart, he's so cute."
  78. Paiella, Gabriella (November 18, 2019). "Werner Herzog Was Brought to Tears by Baby Yoda". GQ. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  79. Bonomolo, Cameron (February 21, 2020). "Star Wars: The Mandalorian's Giancarlo Esposito Teases Scenes With Baby Yoda in Season 2". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  80. Couch, Aaron (November 15, 2019). "The 'Mandalorian' Moment That Caused Werner Herzog to Call His Bosses "Cowards"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 23, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  81. Husband, Andrew (November 26, 2019). "When 'The Mandalorian' Considered Replacing Baby Yoda's Puppet With CGI, Werner Herzog Rebuked Them". Uproxx. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  82. Giardina, Carolyn (January 29, 2020). "'Star Wars' Sound Editors on Using Elephant Screams for Battles and Creating Baby Yoda's Voice". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 21, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  83. Burton, Bonnie (December 9, 2019). "Baby Yoda's cute voice created by kinkajous and big-eared foxes". CNET. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  84. Breznican, Anthony (November 22, 2019). "The Mandalorian: Deborah Chow Reveals the Inspiration For the Baby Yoda Rescue". Vanity Fair. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  85. Itzkoff, Dave (November 22, 2019). "'The Mandalorian' Director: Baby Yoda 'Steals the Show'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  86. Silliman, Brian (November 27, 2019). "The Mandalorian's Emily Swallow on the Armorer's secrets and the Baby Yoda puppet". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  87. Swallow, Silliman & Busch 2019, 21:01–21:12 Busch: "Did you ever get to see or meet the Yoda baby puppet, even just behind the scenes?" Sparrow: "Oh I did, yeah, and I fell in love with it like everybody else. And it does look so real. It's so deceptive."
  88. Cavanaugh, Patrick (January 14, 2020). "Star Wars: The Mandalorian's Emily Swallow Wanted to Snuggle Baby Yoda". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  89. Swallow 2020, 8:25–8:33 Swallow: "I was thrilled when they brought him in that little bag for the scene that I got to have with it. I just wanted to snuggle it."
  90. Gaindo, Brian (December 13, 2019). "We Asked Amy Sedaris About Baby Yoda Because How Could We Not". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  91. Lash, Jolie (January 17, 2020). "The Mandalorian Season 2: Giancarlo Esposito Offers Clue on Why Moff Gideon Wants Baby Yoda". IGN. Archived from the original on January 21, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  92. Agar, Chris (November 18, 2019). "Star Wars: The Mandalorian's Baby Yoda Has A Proper Name (But It's A Secret)". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  93. "'Mandalorian' creator Favreau teases more 'Star Wars' surprises". Reuters. November 14, 2019. Archived from the original on February 9, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  94. Kiefer, Halle (November 17, 2019). "Werner Herzog Says He Cried When He Saw Baby Yoda on the Mandalorian Set". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  95. Lavin, Will (November 27, 2019). "Werner Herzog called out 'Mandalorian' crew for almost replacing Baby Yoda puppet with CGI: "You are cowards"". NME. Archived from the original on November 29, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  96. Lawler, Kelly (November 25, 2019). "'The Mandalorian': Star Werner Herzog is more obsessed with Baby Yoda than you are". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  97. Oller, Jacob (November 25, 2019). "The Mandalorian's Werner Herzog fell 'in love' with Baby Yoda, forgot it wasn't real during shoot". Syfy. Archived from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  98. Rosas & Ballance 2020, 53:41–54:29 Rosas: "It was Deb's episode, which was very intense. So there was a day and it was just me, on this set with this unit on the blurrg all day long, and it was a lot of running hard like that. And, I mean, my legs are not exactly long, so I was squeezing for dear life and holding the baby. And the animatronic baby is heavy, so this arm, and then holding the reins, I was like, 'Oh my god,' like at the end of every scene I would hold on to it and lean back and say, 'Give me a second, I need to catch my breath.'"
  99. Corrigan, Hope (January 15, 2020). "The Mandalorian's Baby Yoda Puppet Cost $5 Million". IGN. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  100. Hart, Matthew (January 13, 2020). "Baby Yoda Puppet from The Mandalorian Cost $5 Million". Nerdist. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  101. Keane, Sean (January 14, 2020). "Baby Yoda puppet apparently cost around $5 million". CNET. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  102. Muncy, Julie (January 12, 2020). "Adam Pally Tells All About the Day He Punched Baby Yoda". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  103. Fuster, Jeremy (January 12, 2020). "'The Mandalorian': Meet the Actor Who Punched the $5 Million Baby Yoda". TheWrap. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  104. Carras, Christi (January 17, 2020). "Jon Favreau shares photo of George Lucas cradling Baby Yoda. No caption needed". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  105. Ankers, Adele (January 17, 2020). "George Lucas Meets Baby Yoda in Adorable Mandalorian Set Photo". IGN. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  106. Langmann, Brady (January 17, 2020). "George Lucas Cradling Baby Yoda is This Year's Greatest Parenting Moment". Esquire. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  107. del Barco, Mandalit (December 5, 2019). "You'll Have to Wait for Official Baby Yoda Toys". NPR. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  108. Agar, Chris (November 20, 2019). "The Mandalorian Hiding Baby Yoda For So Long Was A Marketing Mistake". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 10, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  109. Bonomolo, Cameron (December 21, 2019). "Star Wars: The Mandalorian Fans Can Blame Donald Glover for Lack of Baby Yoda Merch". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  110. Tassi, Paul (November 19, 2019). "Even Disney Is Talking About That Secret 'Mandalorian' Character Now So I Give Up". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 21, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  111. Schaefer, Sandy (November 18, 2019). "Star Wars Officially Spoils The Mandalorian's Baby Yoda Twist". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  112. Kuchera, Ben (November 18, 2019). "Disney made it official: We can talk about that Mandalorian character now". Polygon. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  113. Britt, Ryan (November 29, 2019). "Baby Yoda, Daddy Mando, and How Star Wars Gave Parents a New Fantasy". Fatherly. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  114. Singer, Matt (December 13, 2019). "'The Mandalorian' Is A Good Show About How Hard It Is to Be a Single Parent". ScreenCrush. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  115. Chase, Eileen (December 16, 2019). "Why The Mandalorian is, in fact, a show about a single dad". Today. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  116. VanArendonk, Kathryn (January 3, 2020). "The Mandalorian Doesn't Care About Diapers". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 7, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  117. Collins, Hannah (January 4, 2020). "Somali and the Forest Spirit Will Fill The Mandalorian Hole in Your Life". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  118. Pierce-Bohen (December 23, 2019). "5 Westerns & 5 Samurai Movies To Watch If You Love The Mandalorian". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  119. Schedeen, Jesse (November 12, 2019). "How The Mandalorian's Plot Twist Evokes a Classic Manga Series". IGN. Archived from the original on November 24, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  120. Housman, Andrew (November 20, 2019). "The Mandalorian: How the Series Takes Star Wars Back to Its Samurai Roots". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  121. Lawler, Kelly (November 22, 2019). "Baby Yoda is the adorable, big-eared savior of Disney+'s 'The Mandalorian'". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 23, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  122. Pereira, Sergio (November 29, 2019). "The Mandalorian Is Basically Big Daddy in Space". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  123. Atkin, Jessie (December 30, 2019). "5 Reasons The Witcher Geralt Will Be a Better Dad Than the Mandalorian (& 5 Reasons He Won't)". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 20, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  124. White, Brett (December 18, 2019). "Is Baby Yoda Bad to the Bone? This Week's 'The Mandalorian' Has Us Wondering". Decider. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  125. Milner, Sarah Bea (December 22, 2019). "The Mandalorian: Baby Yoda Learns About Good & Bad In A Powerful Way". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 23, 2019. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  126. Miller, Matt (December 18, 2019). "We Regret to Inform You Baby Yoda Might Be Evil". Esquire. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  127. Hedash, Kara (December 19, 2019). "Wait... Is Baby Yoda Tempted By The Dark Side?". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  128. Abdulbaki, Mae (January 6, 2020). "'Mandalorian' Season 2 theory links Baby Yoda to a Dark side icon". Inverse. Archived from the original on March 1, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  129. Ellis, Emma Grey (November 22, 2019). "Love Baby Yoda, You Must". Wired. Archived from the original on November 27, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  130. Alexander, Julia (February 21, 2020). "Hasbro's first look at animatronic Baby Yoda will steal your heart". The Verge. Archived from the original on February 23, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  131. Feldman, Brian (December 4, 2019). "'Am I Allowed to Say Baby Yoda?': Rules for the Yoda Discourse". New York. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  132. McCarter, Reid (November 18, 2019). "Stop fighting it, pedants: The Mandalorian's baby Yoda is, and must forever be, "Baby Yoda"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  133. Cooper, Gael Fashingbauer (December 23, 2019). "Baby Yoda in The Mandalorian has a real name, Disney CEO says". CNET. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  134. Hussain, Humza (December 27, 2019). "Disney CEO Was Told Off By Mandalorian Creator For Calling Child "Baby Yoda"". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 1, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  135. Jones, Mike (December 20, 2019). "Baby Yoda's Popularity Widely Exceeded Disney's Expectations". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  136. Couch, Aaron; Parker, Ryan (December 16, 2019). "Bob Iger, J.J. Abrams Reflect on "Bittersweet" Close to Skywalker Saga at 'Star Wars' Premiere". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 6, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  137. Renfro, Kim (November 18, 2019). "15 tweets and memes about 'Baby Yoda' on 'The Mandalorian' that prove the character is the best thing in 'Star Wars'". Insider. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  138. Alexander, Julia (December 6, 2019). "Baby Yoda is key to the Disney+ takeover". The Verge. Archived from the original on December 8, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  139. Winck, Ben (January 2, 2020). "The massive popularity of Baby Yoda memes highlights just how successful Disney Plus has been, one analyst says". Business Insider. Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  140. Framke, Caroline (December 4, 2019). "Why Baby Yoda Unequivocally, Unfortunately Rules (Column)". Variety. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  141. Burton, Bonnie (December 12, 2019). "Baby Yoda love: See which states are most smitten by the Disney Plus star". CNET. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  142. Sepinwall, Alan (November 12, 2019). "'The Mandalorian' (and Mistakes) Kick Off Disney+ Entry to Streaming". Roling Stone. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  143. VanDerWerff, Emily Todd (November 12, 2019). "Disney+'s Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, is a triumph of atmosphere — and little else". Vox. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  144. James, Caryn (November 13, 2019). "Star Wars show The Mandalorian is difficult to care about". BBC. Archived from the original on December 2, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  145. Gordon, Jeremy (November 19, 2019). "Love Baby Yoda, I cannot". The Outline. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  146. Pantoja, Kevin (January 2, 2020). "The Mandalorian: 10 Best New Star Wars Characters Introduced In The Show, Ranked". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  147. Atkin, Jessie (January 8, 2020). "The Mandalorian: 10 of the Best Outfits From Season 1". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  148. Barron, Tory (December 5, 2019). "Athletes join in on the 'Baby Yoda' meme frenzy". ESPN. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  149. Ling, Joy (December 6, 2019). "Baby Yoda Memes of Star Wars' The Mandalorian on Disney Plus breaks the Internet". Esquire. Archived from the original on December 8, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  150. Savitsky, Shane (February 26, 2020). "Why Baby Yoda should scare Michael Bloomberg and Deval Patrick". Axios. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  151. Cooper, Gael Fashingbauer (November 29, 2019). "Baby Yoda trending higher on social media than Democratic candidates". CNET. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  152. D'Zurilla, Christie (December 19, 2019). "From Baby Yoda to OK, boomer: A look back at 2019's internet obsessions". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  153. Miller, Matt (January 16, 2020). "The MAGA Idiots Are Trying to Take Baby Yoda. Sure, Go For It". Esquire. Archived from the original on January 22, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  154. Bell, Amanda (December 1, 2019). "The Best Baby Yoda Cup Memes on the Internet". TV Guide. Archived from the original on December 2, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  155. Cooper, Gael Fashingbauer (November 30, 2019). "Baby Yoda sipping-soup meme threatens to replace Kermit sipping tea". CNET. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  156. Daley, Katerina (December 6, 2019). "Star Wars: The 10 Best Baby Yoda Sipping 'Tea' Memes". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  157. Leishman, Rachel (December 2, 2019). "Baby Yoda With His Little Cup Is All of Us". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on December 23, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  158. "Baby Yoda's just fiddling with the radio (meme alert)". Boing Boing. December 16, 2019. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  159. Yeo, Amanda (December 1, 2019). "Baby Yoda just wants to listen to his tunes in the latest 'Mandalorian' meme". Mashable. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  160. Novak, Matt (November 25, 2019). "Baby Yoda GIFs Are Back Online and Giphy Has Apologized to Disney For Some Reason". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  161. "Baby Yoda Gifs reinstated after Star Wars takedown confusion". BBC. November 25, 2019. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  162. Cooper, Gael Fashingbauer (November 25, 2019). "The Baby Yoda GIF war is over, and fans won". CNET. Archived from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  163. Buscombe, Belinda (December 11, 2019). "Bob Iger Is Time's 2019 Businessperson of the Year". Time. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  164. ""Dear Baby Yoda": A Love Song". The Ringer. December 3, 2019. Archived from the original on December 25, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  165. Diaz, Eric (December 3, 2019). ""Dear Baby Yoda" Mashes Up Mandalorian and Hamilton". Nerdist. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  166. "'Dear Baby Yoda' Is the Star Wars/Hamilton Mashup You've Been Waiting For". Relevant. December 5, 2019. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  167. Parker, Ryan (December 4, 2019). "'South Park' Takes Shots at Disney+ and Streaming Services". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  168. Bonnie, Burton (December 15, 2019). "Baby Yoda threatens Baby Groot on SNL". CNET. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  169. Perez, Lexy (December 15, 2019). "'SNL': Kyle Mooney's Baby Yoda Calls Baby Groot His Enemy, Shares Friendship With Timothée Chalamet". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  170. Amatulli, Jenna (January 5, 2020). "Ricky Gervais Says Epstein Didn't Kill Himself, Drags Felicity Huffman at Golden Globes". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on January 6, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  171. Mizokami, Kyle (February 21, 2020). "The U.S. Army Has a Tank Named 'Baby Yoda'". Popular Mechanics. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  172. Vermane, Olivia (February 24, 2020). "Baby Yoda tank is the weapon we never knew we needed". Army Times. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  173. Carman, Ashley (December 27, 2019). "The decade in babies". The Verge. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  174. Bonomolo, Cameron (December 30, 2019). "Star Wars: Disney CEO Explains Lack of Baby Yoda Merchandise for Holiday Season". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  175. Bonomolo, Cameron (December 6, 2019). "Star Wars: Delayed Baby Yoda Merchandise Cost Disney Millions". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  176. Burch, Sean (December 5, 2019). "Sorry They Are! Lack of Baby Yoda Merchandise Has Cost Disney Millions This Year". TheWrap. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  177. Chaney, Jen (November 21, 2019). "A Black Market Baby Yoda Gift Guide". Vulture. Archived from the original on November 22, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  178. Priestman, Chris (January 17, 2020). "Disney Is Removing Baby Yoda Toys Due to Copyright Violations". IGN. Archived from the original on January 24, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  179. Gartenberg, Chaim (January 17, 2020). "Disney is hunting down the most popular Baby Yoda toys on Etsy". The Verge. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  180. Hibberd, James (December 3, 2019). "Baby Yoda dolls from The Mandalorian have arrived". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  181. Hersko, Tyler (December 7, 2019). "Why There Won't be Any Baby Yoda Toys Until Spring 2020". IndieWire. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  182. Tenbarge, Kat (December 15, 2019). "You can buy a Baby Yoda statue in The Sims 4 now, and fans are posting memes of their hilarious in-game creations". Insider. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  183. Song, Victoria (February 20, 2020). "Hasbro's Baby Yoda Animatronic Is Too Cute and Somehow Only $60". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on February 21, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  184. Whitbrook, James (February 20, 2020). "Exclusive: Baby Yoda Steals the Show in Hasbro's Adorable New Star Wars Vehicle Line". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on February 21, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  185. Fickenscher, Lisa (February 25, 2020). "New 'animatronic' Baby Yoda already sold out until December". New York Post. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  186. Petite, Steven (March 3, 2020). "Eat Baby Yoda For Breakfast With This Adorable Waffle Maker". GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  187. O'Neill, Mae Harrington (March 2, 2020). "Baby Yoda Chia Pets Are Coming Soon". Mental Floss. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  188. Huhn, Mary (February 20, 2020). "Animatronic Baby Yoda toy now available, with Build-A-Bear version soon to follow". New York Post. Archived from the original on February 21, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  189. Gohd, Chelsea (February 21, 2020). "Lego unveils 'Baby Yoda' BrickHeadz and epic Razor Crest from 'The Mandalorian'". Space.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  190. "Mando and the Child Find "Trouble on Tatooine" in Fun New LEGO Star Wars Set". StarWars.com. 2020-12-07. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  191. Graham. "LEGO Star Wars 75318 The Child to recreate Baby Yoda". Brick Fanatics. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  192. Graham. "LEGO Star Wars Baby Yoda plush released". Brick Fanatics. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  193. Hall, Charlie (March 3, 2020). "Watch Baby Yoda slaughter a town of stormtroopers in this Battlefront 2 mod". Polygon. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  194. McCarter, Reid (March 3, 2020). "Baby Yoda's a stone-cold killer now". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  195. Knox, Kelly (March 3, 2020). "Unofficial Star Wars Battlefront II Mod Adds Baby Yoda to the Fray". Nerdist. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  196. Webster, Andrew (2 December 2020). "Fortnite's latest season adds new locations and weapons, along with Baby Yoda and the Mandalorian". The Verge. Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  197. "LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga DLC details confirmed". Brick Fanatics. 7 March 2022.
  198. Foye, PM; Koger, TJ; Massey, HR (February 2021). "Baby Yoda: Pareidolia and Patternicity in Sacral MRI and CT Scans". PM & R: The Journal of Injury, Function, and Rehabilitation. 13 (2): 217–218. doi:10.1002/pmrj.12496. PMID 32969166. S2CID 221887340.
  199. Foye, Patrick (February 20, 2021). "Baby Yoda: Pareidolia and Patternicity in Sacral MRI and CT Scans | Tailbone Doctor". tailbonedoctor.com. Retrieved February 21, 2021.

Works cited

Further reading

  • Belluomini, L. (2022). "The Mandalorian as Philosophy: "This Is the Way"". In Johnson D. K. (ed.). The Palgrave Handbook of Popular Culture as Philosophy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-97134-6_104-1. ISBN 978-3-319-97134-6.
  • Grogu in the StarWars.com Databank
  • Grogu on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.