'The Mandalorian': The significance of Baby Yoda and how our hero's fate is tied to the little 50-year-old
Spoilers ahead for Season 1, Episode 1 of ‘The Mandalorian’
When the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) was given his bounty by his shady but rich client, he was given only two details: the location of the bounty and that they were 50 years old. When the Mandalorian finally finds his bounty, he discovers to his surprise a little, green, long-eared baby that the internet has now taken to calling ‘Baby Yoda.’
The baby obviously has a profound effect on the Mandalorian. It’s been revealed that the Mandalorian was an orphan—or a Foundling—himself, and he obviously cares for the young. There’s no indication of who the baby’s parents are—indeed, as far as can be told, the baby is completely alone.
The Mandalorian is obviously, and instantly, protective of the child, going to immediate and drastic lengths to keep the child safe as he shoots fellow guild member IG-11 (Taika Waititi) whose orders were to kill the child.
As the Mandalorian reaches for the child with a gentle finger, and the child reaches back. It’s obvious that a connection has been made.
The Mandalorian now has a very difficult choice to make. The people who have hired him to collect the child are certainly rich enough to be dangerous. They’re also very heavily implied to be members of the former Empire, on the run, as they’re surrounded by Stormtrooper bodyguards.
The significance of a baby of Yoda’s species cannot be understated. The species itself is shrouded in mystery. And despite the vast collection of extended ‘Star Wars’ material in existence, the species that Yoda belongs to has yet remained unnamed.
In fact, before the release of ‘The Mandalorian’, only two members of the species have been shown to exist—Yoda, and Yaddle—both of whom have been Jedi masters.
This is significant as there’s a high likelihood that the baby may grow up to be a powerful wielder of the Force. This would explain why the bounty was placed on the baby’s head. If the Empire seeks to make a resurgence, the baby would certainly be a threat to that plan.
It also explains why the client seems fine with the baby’s death, although Doctor Pershin (Omid Abtahi) seems more inclined to want to keep the baby alive. Whether this is to study the baby or indoctrinate it has yet to be revealed.
It seems clear that the baby will be of significant emotional importance to the Mandalorian going forward. And one thing’s for sure—the internet has already embraced baby Yoda with all their heart.
The next episode of ‘The Mandalorian’ will air November 15, on Disney+.