The Star Wars series The Mandalorian premiered on Disney+ less than a month ago, and there's no question that Baby Yoda has become the most popular characters in the whole show. The small green alien--who is from the same alien race as the franchise's legendary Jedi master--was introduced at the end of Episode 1 and has quickly become a pop culture icon. Now Mandalorian writer and showrunner Jon Favreau has spoken about its immense popularity.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Favreau explained that it was mystery of the original Yoda that has led fans to take the new show's smaller, younger version to their hearts. "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, and that was what made him so archetypal and so mythic,” he said. "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.”
Favreau also spoke about the decision to primarily use a puppet for Baby Yoda instead of a digital alien. "He's mostly a puppet," he explained. "When it's CG, we try to make him obey the same physical laws that he would if he were a puppet. I think a lot of times CG makes itself too obvious where you don't create parameters creatively that allow the character to keep the same identity and charm. We'll learn more about him over the course of the season."
Of course, if there's one other thing that Star Wars is known for, it's merchandise. But unfortunately, fans wanting to get their hands on some cool Baby Yoda merch this Christmas will be disappointed. The initial batch of shirts that have been released looked like cheap bootlegs, and while this far superior Baby Yoda vinyl plush toy was announced last week, it won't be available until April 2020. There's also a Baby Yoda Funko on the way too, but that won't be in stores until May next year.
Star Wars News
The Mandalorian has been a big hit with fans, as the series mixes westerns and samurai movies with Star Wars lore. There are also a lot of references to the larger Star Wars universe within the show. Check out all the Easter eggs and hidden references you may have missed from the TV show from Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, and Episode 4.
