Even if you are currently one of the few individuals who have not seen The Mandalorian, you've probably heard a lot about one of the sensations caused by the mystery-filled Disney+ show: Baby Yoda. The introduction of what is only the third character from Yoda's species was kept a complete secret from Star Wars fans prior to the debut of The Mandalorian, and that has paid off in the form of many memes and calls for official Baby Yoda merchandise, ASAP.
Now, if you're not a major Star Wars fan, you might be wondering why, exactly, the internet is so bent out of shape over the appearance of a tiny, green, adorably wrinkly 50-year-old baby. Well, The Mandalorian's creator, Jon Favreau, thinks he knows why people are going so crazy for the kid now that we've feasted our eyes on him. And, he makes some pretty good points, while also promising that fans will get some answers:
We'll learn more about him over the course of the season. I think what's great about what George created is that Yoda proper, the character that we grew up watching, was always shrouded in mystery, and that was what made him so archetypal and so mythic. We know who he is based on his behavior and what he stands for, but we don't know a lot of details about where he comes from or his species. I think that's why people are so curious about this little one of the same species.
OK, sure Jon Favreau. Yoda and his whole species are, indeed, "shrouded in mystery," but also, who doesn't love an old-ass baby? We simply never get to see those!
What Favreau said is absolutely true. Not only has Jedi master Yoda's species (of which this little one is clearly a member) never been named, but Star Wars mastermind George Lucas admitted years ago that he never even had a name in mind for the species, what planet they come from or even what type of planet it might be.
Lucas was content to have Yoda come and go as a powerful mystery, and, as Jon Favreau noted when he spoke with The Hollywood Reporter, this seems to be one of the keys to why people have always loved Yoda and why Baby Yoda has captured our collective attention. Also, have you seen those big brown eyes and worried expression? Coochie, coochie, coo, Baby Yoda. Ouch!...He threw his soup on me. It's still kinda hot...
Well, even keeping in mind what Jon Favreau said about The Mandalorian's Baby Yoda, let's not forget what I mentioned above. It's not like there have been Yoda-like characters all over Star Wars movies and animated series for the past 40 years. There have literally only been three of this short, unnamed species presented to us: Yoda, who first appeared in The Empire Strikes Back; Yaddle, a female who showed up in The Phantom Menace; and, of course, Baby Yoda, who has yet to be confirmed as an actual relation to Yoda, but since we haven't gotten a name out of the little soup-sipper it works as well as anything.
So, it would certainly seem that Favreau is correct in believing that mystery is very important when it comes to creating at least some characters that people love so much they'd like to wear that character's face on a t-shirt.
Season 1 of The Mandalorian is still airing on Disney+, with new episodes every Friday, so you can stare at Baby Yoda as much as you want until we have more info on Season 2, which is already in the pipeline. When you need a Baby Yoda break, be sure to check out what else you can watch on the small screen when the new year rolls around!
