Since first appearing in the first episode of The Mandalorian, The Child a.k.a. Baby Yoda has been established as an exciting mystery character about which Star Wars fans have obsessed. We know he is 50 years old, is the same species as Yoda (hence the nickname), and is Force sensitive, but everything else about him is unknown – and because he hasn’t matured yet and doesn’t talk, he can’t exactly explain himself.
There is one particular question that lingers above all others, however, and that concerns his fate. Thanks to the Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars fans have witnessed events that take place approximately 25 years after the events in the first season of The Mandalorian, but the character is never mentioned in any of the films, so his canon existence during that time period is unclear. Presumably it’s subject matter that the Disney+ series will eventually get to as it continues to unfold its story, but as of right now all we can do is speculate with all of the evidence provided.
So speculate we shall! Keeping in mind everything we know about the post-Return Of The Jedi portion of the Star Wars timeline, we’ve put our mind to the possible futures that could be in store for Baby Yoda during the events of The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise Of Skywalker, and laid them out for your perusal/entertainment below:
Baby Yoda Is Still Working Alongside Din Djarin, And Is Establishing Himself As A Mandalorian
As things stand in The Mandalorian, Din Djarin has taken on the responsibility of a parental figure to Baby Yoda, who is viewed as a Foundling a.k.a. an adopted child in the eyes of the Mandalorian creed. There is some presumption that Djarin will continue to look for a safe place to leave him, possibly searching for The Child’s original home planet, but what if that doesn’t work out and they just stay together? Even if the character did show up in any of the Sequel Trilogy movies, it’s possible that the audience wouldn’t even recognize him because he would be wearing a helmet that he never takes off.
He’s Been Returned To His Mysterious Homeworld, And Is Back With Others Of His Species
Pivoting from that last idea to the one proposed within it, it could wind up being that The Mandalorian as a show is used as a vehicle to finally provide Star Wars fans with a bit more backstory about Yoda. While the diminutive, green Jedi master has existed in pop culture for nearly half a century, it’s never been revealed what he is or where he comes from, and prior to the arrival of The Child we only saw one other similar being in the canon (a female named Yaddle). The Disney+ series could change that by having Din Djarin find his ward’s secretive homeworld, and also use that turn of events to explain where the character is 25 years later during the battle between the First Order and the Resistance.
Like Yoda, He’s Forced To Live A Life Of Isolation In Exile
As we’ve seen time and time again in the Star Wars universe, being Force sensitive puts a target on your back. If folks aren’t trying to straight up kill you, they’re trying to convince you to use your abilities for evil. Because of this, the future may not be so bright for Baby Yoda – that is, unless drastic action is taken to prevent it. Following the events that play out in Revenge of the Sith, Yoda was forced to live a life in exile on Dagobah, and it may turn out that the only way for The Child to stay safe would be to pull a similar move. It may not be too great for him in the long run, as it may make him a touch nutty (a la Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back), but at least he’ll be safe.
He’s Part Of An Effort To Create A New Generation Of Jedi In Secret
The more positive angle on the exile idea is that while The Child may not be able to live a normal life in the Star Wars galaxy, he may still be able to quietly do good things. By the time the events of the Sequel Trilogy paly out, Baby Yoda may be living in the furthest reaches of the universe, and potentially be at the center of a Jedi training program so secretive that even General Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker don’t know about it. At 75 he probably still won’t be all that mature, but he will have a fair amount of Force experience under his belt, and could potentially reach out to others in the universe with the gift. Maybe that’s where Temiri Blagg a.k.a. Broom Boy from the end of The Last Jedi is while all of the nonsense in The Rise Of Skywalker is going on.
He Is Dead
Ready for a trip to bummer town? The train is leaving now. Let’s face facts: not only is the life of a Mandalorian a dangerous one, but the entire series began because Baby Yoda has a bounty on his head. As hard as Din Djarin may work to protect his ward, there exists the distinct possibility that he may one day fail at his duty and that The Child will be a casualty. It’s admittedly hard to imagine Star Wars going this route given the outrage caused simply by Stormtroopers giving him a few bops on the head, but characters aren’t immune to death in the franchise, so it’s not ever totally off the table that he dies sometime between the end of The Mandalorian Season 1 and the beginning of The Force Awakens.
The Rise Of Skywalker Cast Has Their Own Ideas
Above are a few of the ideas that we came up with while thinking about what’s going on with Baby Yoda – but we’re not the only people who have pondered the question. At the press day for Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker late last year, I posed the question to Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and more members of the cast, and you can watch their responses clicking play on the video above!
What do you think the future has in store for Baby Yoda? Is there anything we speculated about above that you find to be particularly plausible? Do you have your own theories? Hit the comments section with all of your thoughts, feelings, and opinions on the matter, and be on the lookout here on CinemaBlend for more updates about the future of The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda.
