A fan-made Baby Jabba from Star Wars is almost as cute as Baby Yoda. The latest character to dominate the collective interest of Star Wars fans to date has unquestionably been Baby Yoda from Disney’s hit TV series, The Mandalorian.
The character was revealed at the end of the first episode of the Jon Favreau-created series, but that didn’t stop it from immediately hooking viewers. Yoda has long been a Star Wars fan-favorite, ever since his first official appearance in 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back, but his subsequent death three years later in Return of the Jedi put an end to any further appearances of the pint-sized green Jedi Master. Of course, fans were delighted when George Lucas’ prequel films, which ran from 1999- 2005, brought Yoda back in a very agile and battle-ready form. Since then, however, Yoda has been relegated to the past, and as Star Wars moves forward under the likes of J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson, Yoda remains a gone but not forgotten reminder of the past. Perhaps this is exactly why fans reacted so strongly when Favreau’s The Mandalorian made the creative decision to bring in Baby Yoda, who is a child version of Yoda's species.
Through an extensive variety of memes and internet reimaginings, Baby Yoda’s presence is now solidified among a new generation of Star Wars fans, despite no one being quite certain just what the character really is. Turning a popular character into a baby is apparently a sure-fire step toward success, which is exactly why a fan’s recent transformation of notorious Star Wars gangster Jabba the Hutt into a baby is also getting a lot of attention. Instagram user Leonardo Viti posted a short video of his Baby Jabba creation to his account recently, and the reception has (unsurprisingly) been a highly favorable one. You can check out the video below:
When it comes to popular Star Wars characters, it’s often the case that the ones who have been around the longest are the most beloved. Jabba the Hutt is notorious for his troublesome relationship with Han Solo, of course, and much like Yoda, he drew his last breath in Return of the Jedi. Still, despite the nefarious things he’s responsible for, it seems that fans can’t resist his transformation into a baby. In fact, judging by the response on Viti’s Instagram account to his creation, it’s a wonder that a Star Wars spin off involving baby versions of iconic characters hasn’t yet been considered. The Muppets, for example attempted something similar in the mid-1980s, achieving a considerable amount of success. Given the Star Wars/Muppets connection of the initial trilogy, it seems like an idea that could also potentially find success.
It’s probably unlikely that Disney will one day decide to explore what could be done with baby versions of its key Star Wars characters, but for now at least, fans seem very receptive to the idea. The mystique surrounding Baby Yoda could very well come to an end when The Mandalorian season 2 arrives in Fall 2020. However, judging by the fervor that currently surrounds the character as well as the reaction to this fan-made Baby Jabba, these early Star Wars characters still have plenty of life left in them – that is, should Disney should choose to pursue them in a different way.
Source: Leonardo Viti