Since the ending of the very first episode of The Mandalorian, there has been one major question on the mind of everybody who has been watching; What is that Child’s name?
It’s taken a season and a half, but after 13 episodes of the smash hit Disney+ live-action Star Wars television series, we finally have an answer to our question! The being that fans have dubbed ‘Baby Yoda’ (even though Disney has been insistent that we call him ‘The Child’) is officially named Grogu!
The Child’s name was officially revealed in the series to both our titular character Din Djarin (AKA The Mandalorian, played by Pedro Pascal) and audiences alike in Season 2, Episode 13, ‘The Jedi‘. Perhaps even more exciting, it was revealed by none other than fan favorite Jedi Ahsoka Tano. Ahsoka, played by Rosario Dawson, made her first ever live-action appearance in this episode and definitely made a lasting first impression!
So where did “Grogu” come from exactly? How do you give a name to a character that the masses have already latched on to so strongly? One of the two big minds behind The Mandalorian, series executive producer, writer, and director Dave Filoni, recently spoke to Vanity Fair about the origins of Baby Yoda’s real name.
Apparently the name Grogu has been decided on for quite some time, and was thought up by series creator and showrunner Jon Favreau before Filoni was even involved with the show. While Favreau is credited for creating the name, Filoni was the mastermind behind the big reveal, saying-
The name has been around for a while. Jon (Favreau) told me early on in Season 1 what it would be, which made me start to think about how people could learn the name. This gave me the idea that Ahsoka, who is very compassionate, would be able to connect with the child, and that without words they could probably communicate through memories and experiences. Through that connection, she learns the name and then tells Mando and the audience.
What we find most interesting is that while Ahsoka gave us the name and a very brief background on Grogu in ‘The Jedi‘, much of his story remains a mystery to both Mando and the audience. We still haven’t learned anything regarding the nature or name of his species, or about any potential ties to either of the only two other characters of his species we have seen in the Star Wars universe; Jedi Masters Yoda and Yaddle.
Filoni then went into further detail on why Ahsoka was decided on as the key ingredient needed to progress Grogu and the Mandalorian’s story along in just the right way. He goes on to explain exactly why it absolutely had to be Ahsoka, saying-
I thought one of the most compelling things about introducing Ahsoka is that she is one of the few, few people that we could encounter in a story and she would say, ‘All right. I met someone like him. I’ve only ever seen one other being like this.’ I had to stop myself from doing something ridiculous like have her say, ‘Is that a Yoda baby?’ It almost demands to be said.
I felt that if anyone would know or understand The Child’s history it would be Ahsoka. She has such a long history as well. By having her relate the story it also helps the viewer to understand some of her own backstory. This is similar to when Obi-Wan tells Luke about his father’s history. Through the story about Anakin, you are getting a look at Obi-Wan and his backstory as well. A lot of the campfire scene, as I call it, is shaped around that scene between Obi-Wan and Luke in A New Hope.
Like it or not, it looks like the name Grogu is here to stay. What we want to know though, is whether or not Ahsoka will be coming back to the show? Especially now that she has had her very own spinoff series announced in development, only time will tell for sure!
Seasons 1 and 2 of The Mandalorian are currently available for streaming on Disney+. Season 2 is premiering new episodes every Friday through December 18, 2020.
What are your thoughts on Baby Yoda’s real name? Do you want to see more live-action Ahsoka Tano on the show? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to Geek Anything for more Star Wars updates!
