Baby Yoda: The greatest gift to Star Wars

We’re celebrating the holiday season with the greatest gifts Star Wars can ever give us: its characters! Here’s why The Child is one of the best.

I’ll be honest, Star Wars was not a franchise I grew up and it wasn’t until the launch of Disney+ in 2019 that I finally decided to give the films that started it all a try. While I enjoyed the original Star Wars trilogy, the films admittedly did not speak to me in the way they so clearly had spoken to so many of my friends and colleagues.

That’s not to say that the films were bad or that I didn’t enjoy them, I just didn’t feel that instant connection that I’ve heard so many tell me about over the years in reminiscing about their first time seeing a Star Wars film. As a result, I admittedly didn’t have a sense of urgency to watch The Mandalorian when it premiered in mid-November.

Sure, the trailers for the series made it clear Disney was going all out and was about to make quite the mark on streaming with its first major original series; however, as someone who hadn’t gone all-in on Star Wars, there simply wasn’t that urgency to watch the show immediately.

Then the premiere dropped and the internet was sent into a frenzy when in the final moments of the pilot episode we met an adorable green creature with a resemblance to one of the most beloved Star Wars characters of all-time.

Baby Yoda made The Mandalorian must-see TV

Suddenly, my interest in The Mandalorian went from, “I’ll get to it, when I get to it,” to, “Oh my god, I have to know the story behind this adorable little creature who everyone is talking about.”

What had been a show I had no interest in at all, suddenly was must-see TV all because of this little green child-like creature who won my heart over before I ever watched an episode — and boy am I grateful.

Although my love for Baby Yoda was the foundation for my appreciation of The Mandalorian, the show’s incredible storytelling and cinematic quality immediately hooked me. Each episode is like a mini-movie complete with phenomenal performances from the cast — including Pedro Pascal who never ceases to amaze me with the emotional performance he’s able to give without audiences seeing his face — and compelling storytelling that leaves you satisfied yet wanting more with each passing episode.

The truth is I probably would have slept on the show had it not been for Baby Yoda drawing me in and piquing my curiosity. And while I’ve come to appreciate the show more and more with each passing episode, I’d be lying if I didn’t say he has remained one of my favorite parts of the show.

Each week, I can’t wait to see what trouble he might get into or what memeable moments the episode might yield which is something that many can relate to. Since the show’s launch, Baby Yoda has become one of the most meme’d figures on all of the internet — even those who don’t follow the show can’t get enough of Baby Yoda in their lives.

Baby Yoda responsible for creating new Star Wars fans

In addition to being a source of endless joy, Baby Yoda and The Mandalorian has helped me to connect with the Star Wars fandom in a way I never quite could have predicted. While the show started as a standalone project of sorts, the further into the show we’ve got the more the show has tapped into Star Wars lore.

As a result, I’ve suddenly found myself hungry to learn more about these characters and plot points being weaved into the show’s overarching story. It’s as though I’ve gone from a casual viewer who only cared about Baby Yoda, to someone whose interest has been piqued into wanting to learn more about the franchise and its many rich characters who I otherwise might have never even known existed, let alone be interested in doing deep dives into.

Baby Yoda has been my personal gateway into the Star Wars fandom and I couldn’t ask for a better gift than the one he has given in not only providing me with endless joy but also serving as a catalyst for transforming me into a more serious and passionate Star Wars fan.