Father's Day 2020 has come and gone, but not without The Mandalorian director Taika Waititi bringing Baby Yoda into the equation. Baby Yoda all but took over pop culture after The Mandalorian debuted back in November 2019, and he was so gosh darn cute that even a hardened bounty hunter like Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin (a.k.a. Mando) got attached and was basically parenting the little guy by the end of Season 1. So, it's only fitting that Waititi posted a pic of Baby Yoda to celebrate dads everywhere.
Taika Waititi, who has two real-life kids of his own, seems to have added Baby Yoda as a third. Just take a look:
If I didn't know that The Mandalorian's Baby Yoda was a super expensive puppet, I might have believed that Taika Waititi was cradling a real-life baby in his Instagram post. Sure, it would be a baby of a species that's not supposed to exist in real life, but if anybody could have the creative juices and deep pockets to create a new living species for the sake of entertainment, it would have to be the folks at Disney, right?
In all seriousness, what better way for Taika Waititi to celebrate Father's Day with Mandalorian fans than with a pic featuring Baby Yoda? After the adorable picture of George Lucas cuddling Baby Yoda, it's only fitting that more big names in Star Wars can reveal that they got to hold the puppet.
Admittedly, Taika Waititi helming the Season 1 finale of The Mandalorian and voicing one of the side characters definitely doesn't put him on the same Star Wars tier as creator George Lucas. In fact, Waititi isn't directing an episode of Season 2, and his droid character self-destructed in the finale. That said, Waititi will return to Star Wars in a big way, as he'll write and direct his own Star Wars movie down the line. His Star Wars journey may be just beginning, and beginning with Baby Yoda can only be a good thing.
Considering Taika Waititi's episode of The Mandalorian is the one that featured poor little Baby Yoda getting punched, it's nice to see him looking so tenderly at the puppet. After all, Mando, who spent the most time with Baby Yoda on-screen, wasn't exactly showing tenderness! Or any other expression, really, thanks to the helmet.
While Star Wars has definitely dealt with father issues over the years, only time will tell how Mando's dynamic with Baby Yoda will change when The Mandalorian Season 2 premieres later this year. The Armorer told Mando that he could either raise the Child himself or return him to his people, who Mando described as a "race of enemy sorcerers."
Still, Mando taking Baby Yoda to his people seems to be his goal, so he may not be playing dad to Baby Yoda for the entire run of The Mandalorian. Sadly, that's probably for the best.
If seeing Taika Waititi's Baby Yoda post for Father's Day puts you in a Mandalorian mood, you can find all eight episodes of the first season streaming on Disney+ now. For some viewing options set elsewhere than the galaxy far, far away, check out our 2020 summer TV premiere guide!
