The Mandalorian was undoubtedly a game changer, and the breakout star of the series has become a pop culture icon. At the end of Chapter 1, fans witnessed the introduction of one of the cutest characters of the franchise. The tiny, infant version of an already pint-sized Yoda species, Grogu, was shown wrapped in a blanket, and he stared back at Din Djarin with just as much curiosity as the audience.
With every episode, Grogu became more and more popular and attracted new and old fans alike. His babbling and cooing in the midst of serious moments on the series has become a treat. Very quickly, fans realized that the little bundle of joy wasn’t just equipped with the power of cute, but he was Force-sensitive. Trained by many masters in his young life, Grogu had the ability to lift an entire Mudhorn and has saved his dad’s life multiple times.
But as Star Wars moves ahead in the timeline, the question about Grogu’s future inevitably rises too. Fans of the franchise got to see Yoda in multiple films and even animation. We know exactly how powerful he was even when he was over hundreds of years old, but a character as small and innocent as Grogu is rare. It’s not that Star Wars hasn’t focused on younger characters before. There’s little Anakin, young Ahsoka, and more recently, Jacen Syndulla as well, but what makes Grogu unique is that despite his growing abilities, he’s still just a sweet little baby. As there are major reasons to keep him that way for as long as possible, let’s take a look at a few:
He’s extremely marketable
The little guy is a marketing dream! Toys and virtually anything with Grogu’s face on it sell like hotcakes. Along with Mando figurines, Grogu is bringing in the money for Disney better than many other characters introduced during Disney’s takeover of LucasFilm. It’s not just kids that want to hug a Grogu plushie, grownups do too! He’s simply too cute for words, and it’s better for business if he’s kept that way for as long as possible.
His innocence makes him special
There aren’t many adorable infants to speak of in Star Wars. The puppeteers on the show deserve a lot of credit because Grogu is incredibly expressive and able to show a number of emotions from sadness to anger, but those big, innocent brown eyes of his melt people every single time. The combination of a big, tough-looking Mandalorian who intimidates people when he walks into a room carrying around an innocent, adorable green baby is one for the ages. That’s something that can’t be replicated and needs to be preserved and enjoyed for many more years. Besides, seeing the Star Wars galaxy through a baby’s eyes provides many fans with infinite joy.
His wordless interactions are a treat
A few spoken “patus” and “bowapps” and Grogu manages to get his message across just fine. Apart from Din, no one understands what the little guy babbles, and they couldn’t be any cuter together. A Grogu that speaks fluently and in complete sentences can wait. Most fans just want to hear him say Dada and are in no rush to hear him speaking like an adult.
The Mandalorian is streaming on Disney+.