The Mandalorian: Baby Yoda Isn't Yoda, Says Creator
The creator of The Mandalorian, Jon Favreau, debunks the long-running Star Wars fan theory that Baby Yoda and Master Yoda are the same.
Jon Favreau, the creator of The Mandalorian, once and for all debunked a long-running Star Wars fan theory that Baby Yoda is Master Yoda himself as a child. The immensely popular Disney+ show just ended its freshman season a few weeks ago. While only running eight episodes long, the show has already left a major impact with viewers. Perhaps even more popular than the titular lead character is Baby Yoda. So much so in fact that Baby Yoda was even mentioned in TIME's People of the Year issue.
From the adorable, 50-year-old infant's very first appearance, fans have been theorizing Baby Yoda's origins. Where does he come from? Why does the Empire want him? Who is the father? Are Yoda and Baby Yoda somehow one and the same? Some fans have claimed that maybe he is Yoda's son. Family relationships, especially that of father and son, are significant concepts in the Star Wars franchise. The Vader-Luke connection of course comes to mind, as does the most recent Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker revelation about Rey and Palpatine. It only makes sense that people would wonder whether Yoda had time for a romantic tryst between the fall of the Republic and his exile in Dagobah.
During the Golden Globes 2020 red carpet, USA Today interviewed Favreau and asked him questions about Baby Yoda's origins. The interviewer requests Favreau, "Explain to us why Baby Yoda is not actually Yoda?" Favreau responds by explaining that, within the in-universe timeline, The Mandalorian takes place after Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, during which Yoda passes away and becomes a Force ghost. Thus, Favreau put down any remaining questions about the two characters being the same in some odd, mysteriously Force-related way. They are two separate entities, and that's that.
It was the following question that proved to be more interesting. The interviewer follows the first question by asking whether Yoda is related in any way to Baby Yoda. "Well, now you're getting into spoilers. I can't say. But there are a lot of theories about that," answers Favreau without skipping a beat. Favreau then finishes the interview, answering one more question about why there aren't Baby Yoda toys available; this was in order to keep the existence of the new character a secret until the show was released.
Favreau may have cleared up one mystery, but there is still a lot that is unknown about Baby Yoda. In fact, fans still do not know what the real name of "The Child" is. And no, his name is not George Lucas, as one odd theory posited. Taika Waititi, both a director and cast member on the show, has stated he does know the real name but has not publicly revealed it. Favreau's silence on the relationship of "The Child" to Yoda still leaves the big question out there regarding the infant's genealogy. Is he Yoda's kid? As any Star Wars fan knows, characters can be born in the most unusual ways in the Star Wars universe. Whether immaculately conceived through Midichlorians, or birthed in a cloning pod on Kamino, there is more than one way this may have happened. Whatever the true genealogy may be, fans are sure to find out more about the species as the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda continue their quest to find the infant's home in future seasons of The Mandalorian.
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Source: USA Today
