Star Wars: The Mandalorian was gaining popularity even before it even started. And now, with just four episodes in, the Disney+ original is undoubtedly one of the most talked-about shows of the year. Game of Thrones actor, Pedro Pascal, takes the lead on the show portraying the title character and while he’s got audiences wondering when he’ll ever take his helmet off, it’s another character on the show that’s winning the hearts of many, baby Yoda.
Baby Yoda isn’t really baby Yoda (this hasn’t been confirmed), but rather a baby from the same species. The Mandalorian takes place 5 years after the events of Return of the Jedi which means Yoda has already passed away. But that hasn’t stopped baby Yoda’s rise to fame and melting the internet with his cuteness. The character is so immensely popular that he already has merchandise lined up for release next year as well as a Starbucks frappuccino drink named after him.
In the show, baby Yoda is actually called the Child and he/she was rescued by the Mandalorian when he found him floating in a bassinet. It’s been the Mandalorian’s goal to keep the Child safe from the remains of the Empire. The child, Yoda, and their species have been a mystery for so long and show creator, Jon Favreau, opted to take this opportunity to explore that. Now it has been confirmed that audiences will learn a lot more about baby Yoda as the show continues into season one.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Favreau says,
“We’ll learn more about him over the course of the season. 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. 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.”
The Mandalorian’s second season has already been ordered with Favreau continuing as showrunner. In the same interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he mentions that there is a possibility of exploring other familiar characters’ stories.
“There’s definitely the opportunity to explore these characters beyond what we’ve presented on the show.”, he continues, “We have a good 25-year patch of road that nobody is exploring right now, and it’s the most interesting time for me as a storyteller to explore — the time after the fall of the empire and before the resurgence of the darker forces.”
Favreau hasn’t, in fact, directed any of the episodes of the first season of The Mandalorian due to prior commitments that prevented him from doing so. He does mention however that he will be directing an episode for the next season. “We’re working on Season Two, writing, prepping with the directors, and getting ready to direct myself, actually,”