The Mandalorian showrunner Jon Favreau still calls Grogu "Baby Yoda". Baby Yoda's real name was revealed in "Chapter 13: The Jedi" when Din Djarin and his companion seek out Ahsoka Tano. The Jedi revealed Grogu's real name, which elicited a vast array of different responses. The name has become quite divisive, mainly because it does not live up to the cuteness of the creature whose name it is.
Baby Yoda was one of the reasons why The Mandalorian was so successful initially. Grogu stole the show when the series hit Disney+ in November 2019 and his relationship with Din Djarin has not only become the centerpiece of the show, but has been the driving force of the series' popularity on social media. With Grogu already so ingrained in the minds of fans, it has been hard for his real name to catch on, with Ahsoka Tano actress Rosario Dawson even struggling to use his real name. Fortunately, she's not alone.
In an interview with Good Morning America, Favreau revealed that he and many of the people behind the scenes still call Grogu "Baby Yoda." Favreau says he knew the name for quite some time, writing it in the scripts from the very beginning. Still, that did not stop the nickname from catching on with the cast and crew, even if Grogu himself prefers to be called by his real name.
I had written it in the script from very early on and we finally revealed it in the show, but of course everybody knows Grogu as "Baby Yoda." Which, by the way, is fine with all of us. We still call him Baby Yoda, too. But he prefers to be called Grogu in the show. If you notice, he perks up a lot when you say his name.
It's safe to say that Grogu's name wasn't a hit when it was revealed. Met with a resounding shrug, Baby Yoda's name reveal was a disappointment for many fans. How could such an adorable creature have such an awkward name? While it does fit in with the otherworldly names of the Star Wars universe, it just doesn't capture the same cuteness that fans have come to know and love from Mando's adorable companion, even if they aren't hanging out anymore.
The end of The Mandalorian season 2 saw Baby Yoda and Din Djarin part ways. While the future of Grogu may seem uncertain, it's all but guaranteed we haven't seen the last of him yet. With three spinoffs of The Mandalorian in the works and those series leading to a crossover event, Grogu is bound to appear again, not only because he's a fan favorite, but also because he's so integral to the future of the Star Wars series. Disney would be foolish to put Grogu on the sidelines after the response he's gotten in the short year that fans have come to know him.
Source: Good Morning America
