As the creator of theStar Warsfranchise,George Lucasis always going to have an opinion about the directions the sequels and spin-offs in the series go. When it comes toThe Mandalorian, it seems that the Godfather ofStar Warshad one issue with the incredibly popular character of Grogu, better known as The Child or Baby Yoda. The series ofThe Mandalorianhas certainly rejuvenated theStar Warsfranchise, and its central story of bounty hunter Din Djarin and his relationship with Grogu has captured the imagination of many, as well as creating a whole new wave of merchandise opportunities in the process.
With the second season ofThe Mandalorianall completed, and a third season on its way, a new book entitledThe Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Season Two), includes comments by producer Dave Filoni that Lucas was specific about one aspect of the cute yet deadly young Force-sensitive creature. Filoni said, “I had a talk with George, at one point, about the Child, and his main concern was that the kid has to have a proper amount of training.”
The book doesn’t elaborate on exactly what training Lucas was referring to, or whether what he has seen so far in the series has satisfied his request, but it seems certain that he would have made it known to Jon Favreau and the rest of his production team if he didn’t believe that The Child was receiving enough of whatever training he believed it was important for him to have. In the end, Grogu began to discover his Force powers in the first season ofThe Mandalorian, and after being handed over to Luke Skywalker in the final moments of the second season, he went on to learn the ways of the Jedi from Luke inThe Book of Boba Fett. While it seems that his brief time with Luke cannot have taught him much, we will see how Grogu’s story progresses whenThe Mandalorianreturns.
The Child Is the Most Popular Character Seen in The Star Wars Universe Outside the Original Trilogy
As was proved with the arrival of Jar Jar Binks inStar Wars: The Phantom Menace,adding a new character to a franchise can be a tricky thing to navigate, and as a cute, child-friendly character, there was always a chance that Grogu would become just anotherStar Warsdud. However, from the moment he appeared at the end ofThe Mandalorian’s first episode, there was nothing else that anyone wanted to talk about.
While Grogu is a brand-new character to theStar Warsuniverse, his Yoda-like appearance obviously makes him instantly familiar too. He is like a new song that samples an old one. Perhaps this is why the character has become one of the most loved things aboutThe Mandalorian, and one of the most popular characters inStar Warshistory. Rather than being just a throwaway character, Grogu is whatThe Mandalorianrevolves around. The relationship between him and Din Djarin developed to the point the Mandalorian removed his helmet to say goodbye toGroguas he was taken by Luke Skywalker in the season two finale, the first time he did so by choice. Following a return to the characters inThe Book of Boba Fett,fans are now eagerly awaiting the third season ofThe Mandalorian, which is expected to arrive at the end of the year.
