What is Baby Yoda From? (Baby Yoda 101)
Baby Yoda, as he became known, quickly became one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars Universe, mainly because of how cute he was and for the aspect of humor that he added to the Mandalorian series. But who is Baby Yoda actually? What is Baby Yoda From? Why is he important? These are all things that we will talk about as we dive deeper into the existence of this cute little green creature.
What is Baby Yoda From? Who is Baby Yoda?
This little creature, known to many as “The Child”, is first introduced to us in the Mandalorian series. He is a part of the same species as Master Yoda, as well as Master Yaddle, and he is a young Force-sensitive who had experienced several years of Jedi training. He is found and taken in by the Mandalorian, a Bounty Hunter who cares for him and protects him throughout the series, despite his mission provided by The Client, played by Werner Herzog, to bring him in. He was born in 441 BBY. Early in his life, he lived in the Jedi Temple located on Coruscant. During his time with the Mandalorian, he has to hide for protection and they travel all around the galaxy. Baby Yoda shows great potential with The Force and is a prominent character in The Mandalorian on Disney Plus. He also appears in the Book of Boba Fett.
What is Baby Yoda’s real name?
Baby Yoda, as he has become affectionately known, is actually named Grogu, though many refer to him as “The Child”. The Empire refers to him as The Asset. Din Djarin also sometimes refers to him as The Kid. The name Grogu was revealed several episodes into the Mandalorian series. Names have always been important in Star Wars, and his name is no different. There are many theories about the significance of his name. Some say this name seems to reflect his physical features, such as his large, round eyes and his round head. Others say that it shows that there could be more of the species in existence than we know of, because, unlike Yoda and Yaddle, his name does not start with the letter “Y”. Executive Producer of The Mandalorian, Jon Favreau, stated that he had known Baby Yoda’s name for quite some time before it was revealed on the show.
What species is Baby Yoda?
Baby Yoda is the same species as Yoda and Yaddle from Star Wars. Yaddle was a female that was of this same species. In the prequels, she is on the Jedi Council. She was known as being kind and patient, while also having extremely strong Force powers. Their exact species is unknown. George Lucas prefers it that way, saying that Yoda should be a mysterious creature who comes and goes.
Physical Appearance & Lifespan
Baby Yoda has green skin, long ears, large eyes, and has 3 fingers on each hand and 3 toes on each foot. He has thin white hair. The movement of his large ears matches his emotions. For example, when he is sad, his ears drop down. He is a carnivore, preferring amphibians, and shares the same home world as Yoda. The actual name of his species is a long-standing mystery. Members of this species are extremely rare, with Grogu being only the third to be shown. The few known members of this alien species were all sensitive to the Force. It is known that this species has both males and females, as Yaddle was a female of this species. They also have extremely long lifespans, with The Child still being considered an infant at the age of 50. For example, Yoda lived almost 1,000 years, and then he died of old age. By the age of 100, members of this species reach maturity.
This Mysterious Species’ Use of the Force
Even as infants, members of this species are able to use aspects of the Force, like healing and telekinesis. They can also use the Force at this age to communicate with others. Grogu shows this by communicating with other Jedi, which is how we found out a little more about his past and what his true name is. Besides physical characteristics, not much is known about this species other than the fact that they are ancient and mysterious. According to George Lucas, Yoda was supposed to be mysterious, magical, and have no background.
What does Baby Yoda eat?
Like most children, when Baby Yoda is hungry, he will eat whatever he sees. Baby Yoda is a carnivore, like Yoda. He seems to prefer eating amphibians, especially when they are still alive. We see him eating a frog that is still alive. He even has the legs sticking out of his mouth. In the Mandalorian on Disney Plus, he is also shown eating blue cookies that resemble macaroons. He also munches on alien eggs that look very similar to fish eggs.
This stirs up quite a bit of drama, as the alien frog lady was saving her unfertilized eggs, which Baby Yoda eats. Even though Mando tells him multiple times not to eat these eggs, he continues to do so throughout the whole episode. Early on in season two, Baby Yoda is almost attacked by an alien starfish while he is on the ship with the Mandalorian. Mando kills this creature, and Baby Yoda eats it. Some viewers take the fact that he will eat a living, innocent creature as a sign of his struggle between right and wrong.
What color is Baby Yoda?
Baby Yoda is a light shade of green. He is a male and is a little over one foot tall. He has white hair and brown eyes. These features seem to be a trademark of his species, as Master Yoda looked extremely similar, with green skin and large, pointy ears.
Is there more than one Baby Yoda?
In the Star Wars series, there is only one Baby Yoda that we know of. This species is extremely rare, only having a few of them are shown throughout all of Star Wars. If we are technically speaking about production, there are multiple “Baby Yoda’s”. Animatronics were created to portray this character, and they had several that they could choose from for filming, depending on the scene and what was going to take place. Executive Producer Jon Favreau says that Baby Yoda actually started out as a puppet, but they ended up using the animatronics.
What are Baby Yoda’s powers?
Grogu is a Jedi apprentice, so he has the powers that come with a sensitivity to the Force. Because we know that he spent his early year’s training in the Jedi Temple, the probability is high that he has many powers that we have not yet seen. Several of his powers are shown on screen throughout the Star Wars series The Mandalorian. Throughout the series, and also in the Book of Boba Fett, we see him use the Force for telekinesis, healing, levitating, and even a Force choke. Whether he will use these powers for light or dark as he grows older is a topic of much debate. We are hopeful that more will be revealed in the upcoming season 3 of The Mandalorian.
Telekinesis
In Star Wars, telekinesis is the ability to read others’ minds, as well as to speak to them without actually speaking. The other party must have a sensitivity to the Force for this to work. Baby Yoda uses telekinesis to read minds and to put thoughts into someone’s head. Because he is an infant, this is a way for him to communicate. He can communicate with other Jedi, such as Ahsoka Tano, by “talking” to her through the Force. This is how she learns that his true name is Grogu. Ahsoka Tano plays an important part in revealing part of Grogu’s history and returning him to the Jedi.
Force Healing
Force Healing is something that is not shown in the Star Wars movies until Rey uses it in Episode IX: Rise of Skywalker. It is something that we did not know was possible to do with The Force, though many had assumed that it was. Baby Yoda has shown the use of healing powers in The Mandalorian. In episode 7 of The Mandalorian, he heals Greef Karga’s arm by touching him with his small hand and using the Force.
Force Choke
A Force Choke is exactly what it sounds like – choking someone with the use of the Force. Baby Yoda uses a Force hold to choke others in the Mandalorian. This is similar to the actions of Darth Vader, who was the only other character in Star Wars to be shown using a Force Choke. This action is shown when Baby Yoda thinks that someone is a threat to his friend the Mandalorian. When Mando is arm wrestling Cara Dune, Grogu uses this power on her, viewing her as a threat.
Force Levitation
Force levitation is the use of the Force to move objects, or even to levitate oneself. In episode 2 of the Mandalorian on Disney Plus, Grogu uses the Force to levitate a Mudhorn, saving the Mandalorian. This was the first glimpse of his use of the powers of the Force that we saw. Because he is so young, this strong use of the Force makes the creature unconscious for the remainder of the episode.
Who are Baby Yoda’s parents?
There are many theories regarding Baby Yoda’s birth parents, some even believing that Yoda could be his father, despite the Jedi laws, but we have received no definitive answer as to the ancestry of Grogu. What we do know is that he was raised in the Jedi Temple, then was under the care of Din Djarin (Mando), briefly trained with Luke Skywalker, then returned to the care of Din Djarin. Mando is a father figure to Grogu and is very protective of him, keeping him out of harm’s way. He even shoots a droid to keep him from harming The Child.
Is Baby Yoda related to Yoda?
While we know that Yoda and Grogu are the same species, we do not know if they are related. It is often speculated that Grogu is an ancestor of Yoda, especially due to the small population of this species, but because Yoda was a Jedi and had to follow the rules of the Jedi Order, it is unlikely that Grogu was his child. It is possible, though, that during Baby Yoda’s time and training at the Jedi Temple prior to the Clone Wars that he may have come into contact with Master Yoda.
Grogu’s Early Years
Grogu has lived on many planets during his short lifespan. Grogu was born on the planet of Coruscant where he spent his early years at the Jedi Temple. After he survived the siege of the Temple, which took place in the Clone Wars (also known as the Jedi Purge), he was hidden on Arvala-7. This took place during the era of the New Republic. He concealed his Jedi powers while he was in hiding so that he could remain safe. In Boba Fett, it is revealed that Baby Yoda has traumatic repressed memories of when the Jedi Temple was attacked. It shows a brief flashback of him witnessing the death of another Jedi, presumably his master. The show does not reveal how Grogu escaped the Temple and made it to the safe haven at Arvala-7.
How does The Child meet the Mandalorian?
The Imperial was searching for him and sent a Mandalorian (a Bounty Hunter), Din Djarin, along with an assassin droid to take him. This task was set forth by someone known only as “The Client” played by Werner Herzog. One of the only remnants left from the Galactic Empire, Werner Herzog’s character is anxious to have control of one of the last remaining Jedi, even if he is an infant. When Djarin found him, he killed the assassin droid, took down the encampment, and kept The Child. He then takes him to The Client (Werner Herzog). After delivering him to collect his bounty, though, the Mandalorian goes back and rescues him. This meant that he betrayed Werner Herzog’s character The Client. The Mandalorian hid with Baby Yoda on the edges of the galaxy. His mission became to take The Child back to the Jedi, which resulted in the two of them traveling across the galaxy on a search for Jedi. After many obstacles, Djarin (also known as Mando), with the help of Jedi Ahsoka Tano, was able to deliver him to the Jedi Luke Skywalker, who trained him in the ways of the Force. Werner Herzog’s character, The Client, did not succeed in his mission, thanks to the Mandalorian, and was later killed.
Baby Yoda’s Jedi Training
Baby Yoda’s Jedi training took place on a remote planet where Luke Skywalker was working at the time to form a new Jedi Academy. Because of his emotional attachment to the Mandalorian, Ahsoka Tano refuses to train him. She fears what happened to Anakin may happen again. Although Grogu showed signs of great power, Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano can tell that training to become a Jedi was not what The Child wanted to be doing. After the Mando delivers a gift for The Child, Luke eventually gives Grogu the option of either staying and training with him using a lightsaber that belonged to Master Yoda, or returning back to his friend, the Mandalorian Djarin. He chooses the latter and returns to his friend and caretaker. Because of his training in the Force, though, he was able to use the Force to calm a Rancor and dismantle the threatening droids.
How old is Baby Yoda?
During the Mandalorian series, Baby Yoda (or Grogu) is around 50 years old. Because his species has extremely long lifespans, this age is considered to be an infant of that species. He was born in 31 BBY, the era of the Galactic Republic. Based on this timeline, he would have trained at the Jedi Temple at the same time as Anakin Skywalker. He may have also come into contact with other prominent Star Wars characters.
What happens to Baby Yoda in the Book of Boba Fett?
Viewers were all surprised when Baby Yoda made an appearance in Boba Fett. We were able to see more of what his future held after season two of the Mandalorian. In a very exciting moment, we get to see Baby Yoda in the popular Star Wars planet of Tatooine. In Boba Fett on Disney Plus, Grogu is sent to train to be a Jedi with Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano. They want him to become a Jedi, but Luke can sense his emotional ties to the Mandalorian. To test him, he made him choose between a gift from Mando and a lightsaber. He is basically forced to either choose intelligence or emotion. He chooses to return to the Mandalorian, where he joins him for the major battle on Tatooine. His use of the Force helps the Mando in battle. We will hopefully find out in season three which direction Grogu will take with his powers. The last person who we saw choose emotion was Anakin Skywalker when he switched over to the Dark Side. I’m sure we can all agree that we hope that Grogu takes a much different path!
Filming Baby Yoda Behind the Scenes
Baby Yoda is portrayed by several animatronics. This is very different for the Star Wars franchise, where they usually prefer to use CGI. There was also a puppet version of Baby Yoda. The animatronic version alone took five puppeteers to move the arms, head, and ears. For shots when Baby Yoda was out of focus, they used the plush puppet. They did create a CGI version of Baby Yoda to have as a backup plan, but did not end up using this one. Interviews with the creators say that they were all shocked at the success of this character.
Who plays Baby Yoda?
There is actually not an actor who plays Baby Yoda in the Mandalorian or in the Book of Boba Fett, both created by Executive Producer Jon Favreau. He was originally going to be a puppet, but the visual team created an animatronic instead. They actually created multiple animatronics, rotation which one they use with the type of scene that they are shooting. They base this on lighting, action, setting, etc.. By not using an actor, there is more opportunity for this character. They do not have to worry about age jumps or even technical things like contract negotiations.
How will Baby Yoda impact the future of the Star Wars galaxy?
It has become popular opinion that Baby Yoda will have an important presence in the Star Wars galaxy moving forward. This is already shown in his appearance in the Boba Fett series on Disney Plus. One key factor to this is Disney can capitalize on this character without having to hire actors, as Baby Yoda is an animatronic, which they have already created multiples of. The ages of the actors has become an issue when they want to refer back to older movies, and this can be prevented with an animatronic. The widespread popularity of Baby Yoda also assure that he will be sticking around for a while. Hopes are that Executive Producer Jon Favreau on season 3 of The Mandalorian on Disney Plus will reveal more about Baby Yoda’s origins and his abilities.
Baby Yoda, also known as Grogu or The Child, is a small green creature with large ears who is of the same species as Yoda. Baby Yoda has a sensitivity to the Force and shows great power for being so young. He is under the protection of the Mandalorian Din Djarin and plays a large part in the Mandalorian series on Disney Plus, as well as an appearance on The Book of Boba Fett.