Jon Favreau created the first live-action Star Wars series, and The Mandalorian remains one of the most successful titles in the space opera franchise’s recent past. A big part of the show’s early appeal was the introduction of the adorable Baby Yoda, who has an incredible arc alongside Pedro Pascal’s titular hero.
In the show’s second season, fans finally learned the real name of the Child, a youngling from the same species as Master Yoda, affectionately dubbed “Baby Yoda” by the fans. In an interview, Favreau revealed why it was important for the creative team to give the character an official name and how it deepened the overall story. Here is why The Mandalorian had to ditch the “Baby Yoda” tag for a real name.
Jon Favreau revealed the real reason The Mandalorian gave Baby Yoda a real name
The Mandalorian premiered in 2019 with the Western-themed space opera series created by Jon Favreau following Din Djarin, a bounty hunter who encounters the Child, a force-sensitive baby of Yoda’s species. Given the character’s presence in the story, fans affectionately dubbed the Child “Baby Yoda.”
In season 2, it was revealed that the Child’s real name is Grogu. During an interview with StarWars.com, Favreau opened up about giving the character an actual name. The writer-director stated the following:
It was also hard because no matter what we named him, it wasn’t going to be — it couldn’t be — Baby Yoda.
Favreau explained that since the creative team planned to eventually have the character outgrow the childlike persona, it was important for them to give him a real name.
The Iron Man director described the character as a mix between a dog, human, and reptile, lending him a unique personality. However, Favreau did not want the nickname given to the character by fans to only respect his quirky personality traits. As a result, Favreau’s decision to name him Grogu was a masterstroke since it left natural room for the character to grow.
Jon Favreau discussed the importance of Din Djarin learning Baby Yoda’s real name in The Mandalorian
During the same interaction, Favreau admitted that it was important for the overall story that Din Djarin, who becomes Baby Yoda’s adoptive father, learns his real name and origins. The filmmaker explained that initially, Din reacts to the name similar to the audience as he is surprised by its strange nature.
When he says it, Grogu looks at him. And I always related that to when I have a dog and the dog starts to learn its name.
Favreau made the above comment, explaining that Din learning Grogu’s name and calling him by it strengthens their bond, furthering their father-son relationship.
Moreover, the official name has been embraced by the franchise supplementary media, including official merchandise. The character was also given title billing in the upcoming theatrical film The Mandalorian & Grogu.
Therefore, it is clear that the character needs to have an identity of his own, separate from the “Baby Yoda” persona, and revealing his real name was a good decision in that regard.
The Mandalorian is streaming on Disney+.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
