The Mandalorian is arguably the number one series in the world right now and that is largely due to a character known as Baby Yoda.
The question is; who is this Baby Yoda and why is he so revered? For one so small he sure wields a lot of influence that has led to him eclipsing the series main actor.
When it first aired on Disney +, few anticipated that the most celebrated star of The Mandalorian would not be its lead actor Pedro Pascal, but an infant barely two feet tall.
That infant (who fans have dubbed ‘Baby Yoda’) has melted millions of hearts to become a worldwide sensation, leading to Disney capitalizing on his popularity to produce toys of the character. And they have been getting lots of sales!
Those who haven’t seen The Mandalorian are advised to stop here as the rest of this content features some major spoilers from the series.
In the second episode of The Mandalorian, the titular character was given a mission to get an unnamed target and deliver it to a certain bad guy. The skilled fighter succeeded but little did he know that the baby he acquired would grow on him.
The Mandalorian went against ‘The Guild’ and fought off the opposition to lay claim to the tiny baby that looked so innocent and cute.
What drew fans’ attention to the infant wasn’t the fact that he was so young. It was his link to an extinct race in the Star Wars saga. We had seen his kind before and he was the most powerful Jedi master the world has ever known.
Master Yoda is a name that will not be forgotten in the Star Wars franchise. He trained the legendary Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and also taught Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) a few things. His powers with the force were as impressive as they were effective and he was instrumental in the fight against the evil tyranny of the Republic.
The sight of the baby in the Disney + series sent fans into a frenzy of speculation and his status changed in the twinkling of an eye.
To add to his credibility and mythos, Baby Yoda has shown on different occasions that he possesses the telekinetic powers of his ancestor and his attachment to the Mandalorian has resulted in a duo that cannot be messed with.
Baby Yoda shows promise of true greatness and has easily been able to identify those with bad intentions. This is something that the producers can use to the benefit of the show.
It is highly unusual for fans to show such love to a character that can’t speak and is obscured in so much mystery. I believe the producers couldn’t have guessed that he would turn out to be the series most beloved individual.
Another thing that makes Baby Yoda so important is that he brings out the humanity in the Mandalorian.
Pedro Pascal’s character never takes off his helmet and audiences can’t see emotions from him. But with Baby Yoda thrown in the mix, we don’t have to.
The Mandalorian’s fondness of his new friend grows and the tiny alien has reciprocated the emotion, leading to a mutual understanding between two very different species. It’s the perfect buddy combination.
It was revealed that during post-production, the makers of the series had considered using CGI on him but this was put aside for puppetry. Well, fans don’t care how he is rendered on the screen. All they know is the impact he has on them all.
Baby Yoda is now the main appeal of The Mandalorian series and each new episode just gives fans more reasons to swoon over the pint-sized alien.
I’m sure many can’t wait to see him reach his full potential and grow to become perhaps more powerful than the acclaimed Jedi master to whom he owes his name. Right now there is just so much to do with the character and the possibilities are endlessly exciting.
As we approach the final episodes of The Mandalorian more insight on the origin and possible destiny of Baby Yoda should be revealed. But so far, the ride has been so worth it!
