Warning: SPOILERS for The Mandalorian season 3.The small alien Grogu, affectionately dubbed "Baby Yoda" by viewers, is the emotional heart of The Mandalorian. It wasn't until The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5 that Grogu's real name was revealed, which is why many still liken him to Yoda. Like Yoda, Grogu's backstory and species are mostly shrouded in mystery. But The Mandalorian continues to slowly fill in the events leading up to Grogu becoming Din's partner. And with The Mandalorian movie and The Mandalorian season 4 on the way, there's no better time to look back on Grogu's history, as it very well may foretell what Disney has in store for his future.
Ever since his introduction at the end of The Mandalorian season 1 premiere, Grogu has won the hearts of viewers. And while the show has revealed certain aspects of his character, it's still left some of the biggest questions about him unanswered. Among those is whether Grogu has any actual connection with Yoda. Grogu resembled Yoda in The Mandalorian season 3 finale by jumping and flipping to avoid Moff Gideon's Praetorian Guards. But even though Grogu may not actually be "Baby Yoda," he may still go on to fill Yoda's role in the future of Star Wars' galaxy.
Baby Yoda's Real Name is Din Grogu
Upon meeting Grogu in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5, Ahsoka instantly formed a strong connection with him. Although Grogu was still incapable of speaking English (or Basic), he communicated his thoughts and feelings with Ahsoka through their shared link to the Force. From "talking" to her, Ahsoka revealed to Din Djarin that "the kid" (as Din liked to call him) was really named Grogu. At first, many were startled at the name since it doesn't fit with the other canon members of Grogu's species. Both Yoda and Yaddle, who were Jedi Masters at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, begin with the letter "Y."
Despite being renamed from Baby Yoda to Grogu, he's also gone through another big name change in The Mandalorian season 3 finale. Now that Grogu has graduated from being a Mandalorian Foundling, the Armorer declares he is to take on his adoptive father's name. But rather than taking Din Djarin's last name, Grogu breaks another naming convention by now being known as "Din Grogu." This might cause some confusion in the future, as both of The Mandalorian's main characters are now named Din. Nevertheless, it represents an important milestone in Grogu's life.
Grogu's Clone Wars & Jedi Training Backstory
While Grogu's name changes have been big reveals for his character, his backstory as a Jedi remains a constant point of interest for viewers. The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5 that revealed Grogu was raised at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, where he was trained by several different Masters over the years. At the time, Ahsoka told Din Djarin that Grogu's memories of his life after the Jedi Temple had become clouded, leading many to speculate who saved Grogu from Order 66.
However, in The Mandalorian season 3, Grogu finally faced his past and remembered what really happened during his escape from the Jedi Temple. In Grogu's flashback, he sees Jedi Master Kelleran Beq—notably played by Jar Jar Bink's actor, Ahmed Best—helped save him from Anakin Skywalker's Jedi Purge. Kelleran Beq previously appeared in the children's gameshow Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge, where facilitated training for Padawan learners. This makes him the perfect one to rescue Grogu, since Grogu would have been under his charge in the first place.
Given Grogu was at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant before the Purge, and given he was trained by several Masters, it's possible he was even trained by Yoda himself. Yet seeing Grogu's time at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant in The Mandalorian season 3 helped viewers realize how traumatic of an experience it was in Grogu's life. Even though Grogu was around 22 years old during Order 66, he was still an infant according to how his species developed. For decades, Grogu had been suppressing the horrific event he witnessed. But after seeing Din Djarin's courage in overcoming every obstacle thrown at him, Grogu gained the strength to confront his own dark past.
What Grogu's New Name & Jedi Backstory Mean
In a way, The Mandalorian changing Grogu's name to Din Grogu changes everything and nothing. Most likely, everyone in the series will continue to refer to him as a Grogu. But the act of taking on his new adoptive father's name shows just how much Grogu has come to trust and rely on him. Much like how Death Watch stepped in to save Din Djarin from being slaughtered during the Clone Wars, Din Djarin stepped into Grogu's life and saved him from Moff Gideon's horrific experiments back in The Mandalorian season 1.
Nevertheless, at the end of The Mandalorian season 2 Grogu chose to leave Din Djarin and return to his Jedi roots—which is understandable. Grogu's Force powers had largely lain dormant since being hidden away in secret for so long. Now that he is rediscovering his abilities, he wants Luke Skywalker's help in honing them. And his Jedi training with Luke proved to be invaluable, seeing as Grogu has several Force powers at his disposal. The Mandalorian has hardly scratched the surface of what Grogu is capable of, and it's possible he will go on to surpass Yoda himself.
Grogu Returned To Din Djarin For The Mandalorian Season 3
Despite training with Luke in The Book of Boba Fett, Grogu ultimately chose to return to Din Djarin's side rather than continue down the path to becoming a Jedi. Luke wanted Grogu to become his first Jedi student but was worried Grogu's attachment to the Mandalorian would get in the way. After giving Grogu the option between Yoda's old lightsaber or a beskar gift from Din, Grogu chooses the beskar, and Luke sent him back to be with Din Djarin. However, in The Mandalorian season 3, Grogu proved that his escapade with Luke wasn't for nothing, as Grogu is crucial in helping Din and Bo-Katan take down Moff Gideon.
Now that Din Djarin has officially adopted Din Grogu as his son, he has graduated from being a Mandalorian foundling to becoming Din's Mandalorian apprentice. He is still too young to speak the Creed, so he isn't a true Mandalorian yet. Nevertheless, his decision represents his desire—not only to remain by Din's side—but to follow in the same footsteps as his father. There may still come a time in The Mandalorian movie or The Mandalorian season 4 when Grogu wished he had fully developed his Force powers with Luke, but for now, he seems content to tread the honorable path of a Mandalorian.
Grogu Could Become The Second Mandalorian Jedi
Luke Skywalker may have been wrong when he tried to make Grogu choose between being a Jedi and a Mandalorian, as there has already been a Mandalorian Jedi in the past. Before the ancient Mandalorian-Jedi war, there was a Mandalorian Jedi named Tarre Viszla, who joined the Jedi Order as a Mandalorian child after he was found to be force-sensitive. Creator of the Darksaber, Viszla also became the Mand'alor: the most respected leader in the eyes of the Mandalorian. Tarre Vizsla proved there have always been force-sensitive Mandalorians. Nevertheless, no known Mandalorians have joined the Jedi Order since the war due to strained relations between the two religions. However, Grogu could easily change all of that.
At the end of The Mandalorian season 3, it's clear Grogu has chosen to walk the Way of the Mandalore. While many viewers expected him to take up the Darksaber, its destruction at the hands of Moff Gideon means Bo-Katan was the last wielder of Tarre Vizsla's blade. So while Grogu cannot be the next Mandalorian Jeid to wield the Darksaber, he may still craft his own. Grogu's species affords him centuries of time to experience the wide Star Wars galaxy. And as sad as it sounds, he will eventually outlive his father, Din Djarin. At that point, Grogu may decide to once again return to his Jedi roots. Of course, he will never forget his time as Mandalorian, and will likely carry on Din Djarin's traditions (as well as his name) into whatever role he takes on next.
Is Grogu Yoda's Son?
While Grogu may not actually be "Baby Yoda," his story bears a striking resemblance to that of the former Grand Jedi Master's. Until disproved, Grogu could still be related to Yoda. One theory states that Grogu is Yoda's son who he abandoned as part of his process of foregoing emotional attachments to become a Jedi. This would help to explain how Grogu was saved from Order 66, as Yoda may have told Kelleran Beq to ensure his son's safety. Though unlikely, Grogu may also be a descendant of Yaddle, the female member of Yoda's species who served on the Jedi Council.
In any case, The Mandalorian season 3 teased Grogu's parents when Gorgu officially became Din Djarin's Mandalorian apprentice. The Armorer mentions that Grogu's parents are likely far away from Mandalore, if they are even still alive. While this still leaves the door open for Star Wars to reveal a relationship between Yoda, Yaddle, and Grogu, it makes it extremely unlikely that the deceased Jedi Master was Yoda's father. Nevertheless, Grogu's parents may remain shrouded in mystery forever, seeing as George Lucas banned revealing too much about Yoda's species. No one knows anything about Grogu's homeworld, and it will likely stay that way.
Where Was Grogu In The Sequel Trilogy?
It's unfathomable to think Disney would kill off such a loved character like Grogu, which means he is most likely alive during the sequel trilogy. At first, some viewers speculated that Grogu may have been killed by Kylo Ren, who slaughtered all of Luke Skywalker's other students under the manipulation of Snoke. However, since Grogu left Luke's tutelage in The Book of Boba Fett, he was almost certainly not in this group. Instead, The Mandalorian movie or The Mandalorian season 4 will likely explain more about what happened to Grogu and Din Djarin before Star Wars: The Force Awakens and beyond.
While Moff Gideon may have been defeated in The Mandalorian season 3 finale, there may still be those out there who will seek Grogu out for his rare connection to the Force. Star Wars continues to devote new shows to the area in between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens—such as Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and the Ahsoka series—which means more questions regarding Grogu's future will be answered as we get closer to catching up with the sequel trilogy. In any case, whether he's called Baby Yoda, Grogu, or Din Grogu, it's clear his fate will be a major question in future seasons of The Mandalorian and other Star Wars projects.