Disney might insist the adorable little creature at the center of The Mandalorian is called the Child, but even Star Wars concept artists can't resist calling him Baby Yoda. The Mandalorian arrived along with Disney+'s launch last November and became the young streamer's biggest hit so far. Starring Pedro Pascal as the titular bounty hunter, the series follows Pascal's Din Djarin as he travels the galaxy after the fall of the Empire. The first season came to an end in December, and the second is set to arrive in October of this year. Fans are eagerly awaiting the next episodes in the first ever live-action Star Wars series.
The biggest and best surprise of The Mandalorian season 1 was Baby Yoda. Disney worked hard to keep his existence a secret ahead of the show's premiere, but from the moment fans laid eyes on him in the final moments of the first episode, they fell in love. Baby Yoda has since become a cultural phenomenon. In a few short months, he's become the subject of lots of fan art, a tank for the US army, and a project for a former Mythbuster. Fans can't get enough of the powerful little tyke, and they're excited to see where season 2 will take him.
Doug Chiang, one of the concept artists for The Mandalorian, shared a sketch of Din and Baby Yoda on Instagram. In his caption, he referred to Baby Yoda as exactly that, completely ignoring Disney's canonical name. The official name for Baby Yoda is the Child, but at this point, it's hard to imagine him being called anything else. You can see the sweet sketch below:
The dynamic between Din and Baby Yoda is one of the best parts of the series, especially because of how it came about. Baby Yoda was initially Din's mission, the thing he was supposed to turn over to a client. In the end, however, Din decided to go back for Baby Yoda and devote himself to protecting the young child. Season 2 is expected to focus on Din's search for Baby Yoda's proper home, though it's inevitable that they will run into some obstacles along the way.
Disney can try all they want to change Baby Yoda's name, but it seems like the adorable moniker is here to stay. If anything, they must be thrilled that Baby Yoda has become as big of a sensation as he has, thus raising awareness of The Mandalorian and encouraging people to sign up for Disney+. October feels far away, but at least fans can be content knowing they will be getting more of the Mandalorian and his adopted son Baby Yoda in the future.
Source: Doug Chiang/Instagram