By now, everyone with an internet connection has fallen deep in love with Baby Yoda. And for those still who can't get enough of the little green guy, director Jon Favreau has good news. Baby Yoda's backstory will be explored on The Mandalorian.
Favreau, who created the Disney+ series, was chatting with The Hollywood Reporter recently when the conversation quickly turned to the topic of Baby Yoda. The director and writer confirmed that the sweet Baby Yoda is "mostly a puppet," according the director, and just a little CGI. But, as fans know, Baby Yoda is also 100% meme — everything he does is just too cute not to be. From sipping broth, to using the force, to apparently showing up at basketball games attended by Laura Dern, this very good boy from a galaxy far, far away is a sight to behold.
But, Baby Yoda is also mystifying — like his ancestor, he is — which is why Favreau wanted to include him in the Disney+ series about a bounty hunter. "I think what's great about what George [Lucas] created is that Yoda proper, the character that we grew up watching, was always shrouded in mystery," he told THR. "And that was what made him so archetypal and so mythic."
While we know who Yoda is "based on his behavior and what he stands for" in earlier episodes of the Star Wars saga, Favreau pointed out that fans don't know anything about his past, where he came from, his family, or his species. The same can be said of this 50-year-old baby who has a target on his tiny back.
While Favreau confirmed that Baby Yoda is the same species as OG Yoda, the fact that he's been alive for five decades and no one knew about him until now is very intriguing. That mystery is what makes this curious little creature such a good co-star for the equally as enigmatic Mando (a perpetually helmeted Pedro Pascal) — something Favreau quickly realized when he was working on the first live-action Star Wars TV series. That said, Baby Yoda's origins won't remain a complete mystery forever. "We'll learn more about him over the course of the season," he confirmed. So yes, prepare yourself for the Baby Yoda origin story.
Also prepare to fill your house with tons of Baby Yoda merchandise because it's coming. In fact, it's already up for pre-order. As to why it's taken so long to get Baby Yoda merch out to the fans, Favreau told THR that Disney decided to keep him a secret until The Mandalorian premiere, which required keeping him out of any pre-release marketing and merchandise. No apologies from him, though. He believes the secrecy is what made BB Yoda such a hit.
"I think that part of what people really value is to be surprised and delighted, and I think that's becoming all too rare," Favreau said, adding that "everybody felt like they discovered him together." So, get ready for even more Baby Yoda discourse when The Mandalorian reveals more of his past — now, complete with official merch.
