Warning: This infobox has missing parameters: parents, pronouns, children, siblings, partners, families, feathers and unrecognized parameters: clan
- "A foundling is in your care. By Creed, until it is of age or reunited with its own kind, you are as its father."
- ―The Armorer, to Din Djarin
"The Child" was a male Force-sensitive Mandalorian foundling that belonged to the same species as Jedi Grand Master Yoda and Jedi Master Yaddle. The Child was born around 41 BBY, and was held at an encampment run by Nikto mercenaries on Arvala-7 during the New Republic Era. While still an infant at the age of fifty years old, he was sought by an Imperial who hired a Mandalorian bounty hunter named Din Djarin to retrieve him.
However, Djarin chose not to leave the Child with the Imperials and saved him from the Imperial remnant facility. After attempting to hide with the Child along the fringes of the galaxy, Djarin returned to Nevarro to deal with the Imperials chasing the Child in hopes of keeping him safe. In the process, the Child became a Mandalorian foundling and the single other member of Djarin's newly created clan.
Biography
Liberation
- "The commission was quite specific. The asset was to be terminated."
- ―IG-11
Circa 9 ABY,[1] the bounty hunter known as "the Mandalorian" was dispatched by "the Client" and Imperial Dr. Pershing to capture the Child alive, though the Client would allow Djarin to return the Child dead for a lower price. The assassin droid IG-11 was also dispatched to terminate him. After working together to storm the encampment the infant was being held in, the Mandalorian and IG-11 found the Child. IG-11 then attempted to terminate the Child. Djarin shot the droid before he was able to assassinate the Child.[2]
Shortly after, Djarin took the Child back to his ship. On the way they were attacked by a trio of Trandoshan bounty hunters, who attempted to kill the Child. After Djarin defeated them, he and the Child camped out in the desert for the night. While the Djarin sat by the fire, the Child ate one of the creatures moving around nearby. He then approached the bounty hunter, raising his hand up to the Mandalorian's wounds. Djarin stopped him and placed him back into his pod. The next day, the pair made it to the Razor Crest only to find it being scavenged by Jawas. Djarin attacked their sandcrawler for the scavenged parts and attempted to climb it while the Child followed in his pod. However, Djarin was knocked to the ground.[5]
The Child possessed a strong connection to the Force.
Eventually, Djarin got the assistance of Kuiil to try to convince the Jawas to give back the parts peacefully. The Jawas wanted the Child and Djarin's armor, but eventually Djarin agreed to retrieve a mudhorn's egg in return for the parts. Djarin fought the mudhorn, but was quickly sprawled across the mud. The Child used the Force to lift the beast into the air long enough for Djarin to get up and kill it. After using the Force, the Child fell asleep. When the Child eventually woke back up, the Razor Crest had been repaired and they had left the planet.[5]
Into hiding
- "We want you to stay. The community's grateful. You can pack all this away in case there's ever trouble. You and your boy can have a good life. He could be a child for a while."
- ―Omera, to Din Djarin
The Child aboard the Razor Crest
Upon returning to Nevarro, Djarin took the Child to the Client's facility. The client and Dr. Pershing were excited at their arrival and immediately began examining the child. Pershing then took him away, and the bounty hunter left wondering what the client wanted with him. However, shortly before leaving Nevarro to carry out a new bounty, Djarin, having a change of heart, returned to rescue the Child. Shortly after Djarin stormed the facility, he found the Child sedated with Pershing. After taking the Child back, he was forced to defend him from the Bounty Hunters' Guild, who attempted to take him back. However, Djarin's tribe came to his assistance, resulting in Djarin escaping from the Bounty Hunters' Guild with the Child.[3]
Djarin took the Child to the backwater world of Sorgan, where he intended to lie low for several months and avoid the guild. Upon their arrival, the Mandalorian told the child to stay put and not touch anything. When the Child refused to leave his side, he accepted his company. The pair traveled to a settlement and walked through it. The Child was startled by a Loth-cat which growled at him. Djarin and the Child stopped at a common house, and the Child had some soup. One customer, though, caught Djarin's attention, and he exited the common house to find her when she seemingly disappeared. The customer, named Carasynthia Dune, ambushed Djarin, and they fought until the Child interrupted them by quietly watching them fight and sipping his soup.[7]
The Child was taken to Sorgan, where he befriended a group of children.
Djarin talked to Dune, who assured him Sorgan was "taken." Thus he took the Child back to the Razor Crest, where two krill farmers awaited. They brokered with Djarin for protection of their village against Klatooinian raiders in exchange for residence at the village. Bringing Dune and the Child with him, Djarin defeated the raiders with the help of Dune and the village. He continued to live there for a number of weeks, and the Child became very popular with the children, although they were not fond of his attempt to eat a Sorgan frog. Djarin considered leaving the Child behind in the village where he could have a childhood. However, a bounty hunter came searching for the Child and attempted to shoot him. After Dune killed the bounty hunter, Djarin changed his mind, and both he and the Child left Sorgan behind.[7]
Tatooine
- "You woke it up! Do you have any idea how long it took me to get it to sleep?"
"Give him to me."
"Not so fast! You can't just leave a child all alone like that. You know, you have an awful lot to learn about raisin' a young one." - ―Motto and the Mandalorian
The Child exits the Razor Crest.
Sometime after leaving Sorgan, Djarin encountered fellow bounty hunter Riot Mar, who engaged him in a dogfight. The Child, who sat at the cockpit with Djarin, watched him evade his opponent and was thrust forward as his guardian maneuvered the Razor Crest behind Mar and destroyed his ship. Djarin then took the Child to Mos Eisley on Tatooine. He left the Child to sleep on the Razor Crest as he looked for work as a means to gain credits for repairs. The Child later woke, at the initial alarm of the hangar manager Peli Motto, who then decided to watch the Child as a means to have Djarin pay her more upon his return.[8]
After learning of the Mandalorian's actions on Nevarro, inexperienced hunter Toro Calican kidnapped both Motto and the Child in an attempt to blackmail Djarin. When Djarin arrived, he confronted Calican, who held his captives at gunpoint. Using a flare to blind his foe, Djarin flanked and shot him. The Child hid in fright, but was immediately found again by Motto and Djarin. Djarin then left Tatooine with the Child.[8]
The mercenaries' mission
- "What is it? Like a pet or something?"
"Yeah, something like that." - ―Mayfeld and the Mandalorian after he discovered the Child
The Child's existence is revealed to the mercenaries.
In search of credits, Djarin took on another assignment for an old mercenary friend named Ranzar Malk to rescue a Twi'lek prisoner named Qin who had been arrested by the New Republic. Requiring the Razor Crest to complete the mission, Ranzar collected a crew of mercenaries made up of a former Imperial sharpshooter named Mayfeld, a Devaronian named Burg, a skilled pilot droid called Zero, and Qin's sister Xi'an. While en route to the New Republic prison ship, Djarin hid the Child within a compartment, which was discovered by the mercenaries. Dumbfounded at what it was, Mayfeld picked up the Child jokingly claiming that he could keep it as a pet before pretending to drop it. As this happened, the Razor Crest exited hyperspace, and its current pilot, Zero, performed a risky docking maneuver that tossed the crew members around the vessel, including the Child, who fell face first onto the deck of the Razor Crest before being protected by Djarin and placed back into his compartment before Djarin left with the other mercenaries to board the prison ship.[9]
The Child reaches towards Q9-0
As their mission continued, Zero uncovered a hologram from Greef Karga regarding the Child's initial capture. Possibly realizing the value of the Child, Zero became intrigued by the Child. Around this time, the mercenaries had rescued Qin, betraying Djarin in the process, although Djarin retaliated by attacking each of the mercenaries one by one and disabling Zero's ability to contact the crew. While attempting to make sense of the situation, the Child left his compartment and was encountered by Zero who, attempted to apprehend him. Eventually being chased back into his compartment, the Child attempted to use the Force in self-defense by raising his hand to Zero, who was aiming his blaster at the Child. Before anything could happen, Djarin arrived aboard the Razor Crest and shot Zero in the back, destroying the droid.[9]
With his mission accomplished, Djarin returned to Ranzar's station and delivered Qin, receiving his full payment. As Djarin and Child left the station aboard the Razor Crest, Ranzar prepared to deploy a gunship to destroy the ship, but as it prepared to launch, three X-wing starfighters exited hyperspace following a New Republic tracking beacon that had been activated during the mission, and which Djarin had planted on Qin. As the X-wings assaulted the station, the Razor Crest jumped to hyperspace, and in the midst of travel Djarin comforted the Child by giving him a knob from one of his control sticks.[9]
Return to Nevarro
With a claw-like gesture, the Child began to strangle Cara Dune through the Force.
Following the extensive manhunt for the Mandalorian, Greef Karga contacted the hunter with an offer: Return to Nevarro and help rid it of the Empire, and in return, keep the Child. After brief consideration, Djarin decided to take Karga up on the offer. Djarin returned to Sorgan, where he picked up Cara Dune to help with the assault. While the two were speaking, the Child was left alone in the cockpit, and briefly attempted to play with the Razor Crest's controls, causing the ship to go out of control.[10]
In order to have someone to keep an eye on the Child, Djarin and Dune returned to Arvala-7 to pick up Kuiil, who had also repaired IG-11. Djarin was hesitant regarding IG-11's presence, afraid he would harm the Child in spite of his reprogramming. While the entire crew was on the Razor Crest, the Child attempted to Force choke Dune, believing she was harming Djarin, when she was in fact arm wrestling him, much to both Djarin and Dune's horror.[10]
During the mission, Kuiil helped to care for the Child, even constructing a new mobile pram for him. The Child was to be used as bait to lure the Imperials into the trap, and on the way to the city on Nevarro, the Child healed Greef Karga of a poisonous injury following a run-in with a group of native reptavians. Karga, having originally intended to betray Djarin, had a change of heart after witnessing the Child's power, and murdered the bounty hunters who were with him.[10]
When creating a new plan, Djarin decided that he would pose as a prisoner, under the guise of having been captured by Karga and Dune. Under suggestion that the Child still be used as bait, Djarin refused, asking Kuiil to take the Child back to the Razor Crest, to safety. Later, as the plan fell apart, a pair of Imperial scout troopers discovered Kuiil and the Child, killing the Ugnaught and kidnapping the infant just as they reached the Razor Crest.[10]
Rescue
Realizing that the infant has been kidnapped and Kuiil was dead, IG-11 left the Razor Crest to fulfill his programming “to nurse and protect.” The Imperial scout troopers stopped at the outskirts of the city while they awaited orders from Moff Gideon, the Imperial leader that wanted the Child in the first place. In the meantime, they harassed the Child. IG-11 arrived and rescued the infant by taking out the pair of troopers. The droid, carrying the Child with him, rode one of the speeder bikes that belonged to the troopers, making its way to the city. As IG-11 drove through the city shooting the stormtroopers that had taken hold of Nevarro, the Child laughed in delight.[6]
IG-11 and the Child regrouped with Djarin, Dune and Karga. Though they held back the Imperial remnant at first, after Djarin was badly wounded by Moff Gideon they retreated into the cantina. While trapped inside the building, an Incinerator trooper was sent by Gideon to eliminate them. The Child used the Force to contain the flames before throwing them back at the stormtrooper, killing him. However, this weakened the Child, and he collapsed afterwards, preventing him from helping heal Djarin's wound.[6]
Djarin asked Dune to take the Child with her while she and Karga escaped through the sewers to the Mandalorian covert. Djarin, after being healed by IG-11, caught up with them later. At the desolated enclave, the group met the Armorer. As Djarin told his full experience with the infant, the Armorer declared the Child to be a foundling. As such, Djarin was from then on seen as the Child's father, until he could train him or otherwise return him to his kind. The Armorer declared Djarin and the Child to be a clan of two, before branding the Mandalorian's shoulder plate with his new signet: a mudhorn, recalling when the Child saved him on Arvala-7.[6]
The Child accompanies Djarin wearing the Mandalorian's mythosaur necklace.
The group headed further into the sewer system onto a lava river to escape. At the end of the river, Imperial stormtroopers awaited them, so IG-11 sacrificed himself to comply with his programming and save the Child. When they were attacked by Gideon piloting his TIE fighter, Karga asked the Child to do the "magic hand thing," referring to the Force, to save them from Gideon. Not knowing what he meant, the Child just waved his hand. Eventually, Djarin defeated Gideon, causing him to crash his TIE fighter. Afterwards, Djarin buried Kuiil and parted ways with Karga and Dune, leaving Nevarro aboard the Razor Crest, with the Child as his foundling.[6]
Searching for other Mandalorians
Djarin and the Child went to an unknown planet to meet with Gor Koresh who, Djarin was hoping, could tell them about another Mandalorian. Koresh, however, only wanted Djarin's beskar armour and turned on Djarin. As the spectators hurried out of the stadium, Djarin activated his Whistling bird which caused The Child to close his cradle. After Djarin kills all his associates, Koresh tries to flee but is captured by Djarin. Koresh reveals he heard of a Mandalorian on Mos Pelgo. Satisfied with the information, Djarin leaves Koresh to die and leaves with the Child.[11]
Return to Tatooine
Upon on arriving to Tatooine, Peli Motto was happy to see the Child again. Pell quips that she wishes she could have more of the Child's kind. Djarin explains that he is here on business and needs her help. Pelli offers to look after the Child while he goes adventuring. Din responds that he is on a quest to bring the Child back to his kind. Pelli replies that she cannot help because she has never before encountered the Child's kind. After Pelli points them in the direction of Mos Pelgo, Djarin and the Child travelled there on a Zephyr-J speeder bike. Upon arriving there, Djarin left the Child in his side pocket and headed into a small cantina. The Child was quick to follow him inside and saw Djarin and Cobb Vanth about to fight. Before the two men can fight, they hear rumbling outside. The Child seemed scared of the rumbling and hid in a pot.[11]
The Child and Djarin then travelled with Vanth to a canyon where they encounter a pack of massifs.
The following day, Djarin, the Child, and Vanth accompany the Tusken Raiders on banthas to confront the krayt dragon, as they had forged an alliance the previous night. While Din, Vanth, the Child and the Tuskens watch from a cliff, a lone Tusken and his steed ride into a large cave, which one of the Tuskens explains is the home of the krayt dragon. The krayt dragon emerges and soon devours the Tusken Raider but leaving the bantha. As the Child scurries away in fear, the Tuskens react in horror.
During the battle with the krayt dragon, the Child was watching from his cradle. After the battle, the Child was eyeing a piece of meat from the dragon. Djarin and Vanth said their goodbyes before Djarin and the Child rode off on their speeder bike.[11]
Powers and abilities
The Child uses the Force to heal Greef Karga.
The Child was able to harness the mystical energies of the Force on account of being Force-sensitive, with one notable display of power in it being telekinetically lifting a giant mudhorn into the air for a brief time to save Djarin. However, the Child was greatly mentally straining while performing this feat, eventually falling unconscious for several hours afterward.[5] The Child could also use the Force when he became angry, such as when he telekinetically strangled Carasynthia Dune because he believed she was harming Djarin while they were arm-wrestling. He later revealed the ability to heal serious injuries and even cure poisoning by touching the injured and then using the Force, though the act, similarly to what happened in the scenario with the mudhorn, greatly strained him.[10] In another notable display of telekinesis, the Child created a strong barrier, protecting his companions by both blocking and redirecting a stream of fire coming from an Incinerator trooper.[6]
Behind the scenes
- "That was such a powerful thing that was added to the story. That was our precious. Our precious is this being that we all end up taking care of in some way."
- ―Gina Carano, in an interview with Vanity Fair
Concept art by Christian Alzmann
The Child first appeared in the first episode of the 2019 Disney+ television show The Mandalorian,[2] which aired on November 12, 2019.[12] The character was inspired by a sketch by executive producer Dave Filoni, and developed into a design by members of the art department.[13][14] Filoni and co-executive producer Jon Favreau intended to film the Child as a puppet and then as a blank to add CGI (in case the puppet was not convincing enough), but Werner Herzog, who played "the Client" in The Mandalorian, told the pair to leave it, calling them cowards.[14] During the show's production, the Child was puppeteered by a team of people. Jason Matthews puppeteered the eyes, Trevor Hensley controlled his gross body moves and head, Hiroshi Ikeuchi controlled the ears and mouth, Mike Manzel puppeteered a majority of the gross body moves, and Tamara Carlson Woodard worked as a standby operator who also created the costume.[15] It was referred to as "the Being" by the actors during filming.[16]
News reports and social media have widely and affectionately referred to the Child as "Baby Yoda."[17][18] According to an article from Vanity Fair, fans were desperate for "Baby Yoda" merchandise, although Favreau had wished to hold off on it in case the Child had been leaked before the release of the first episode.[14] Despite the nickname, Disney has been careful to refer to the character only as "The Child" in merchandising, and Jon Favreau told off Disney CEO Bob Iger for using the name Baby Yoda.[19]
On December 12, 2019, a statue of The Child was added to The Sims 4, following the ongoing release of The Mandalorian's first season. The item is merely a decoration and does not function as either a playable or non-playable character, and has no special properties in the game.[20]
Appearances
- Star Wars: Squadrons (as toy) (DLC)
The Mandalorian — "Chapter 1: The Mandalorian" (First appearance)- The Mandalorian — "Chapter 2: The Child"
- The Mandalorian — "Chapter 3: The Sin"
- The Mandalorian — "Chapter 4: Sanctuary"
- The Mandalorian — "Chapter 5: The Gunslinger"
- The Mandalorian — "Chapter 6: The Prisoner"
- The Mandalorian — "Chapter 7: The Reckoning"
- The Mandalorian — "Chapter 8: Redemption"
- The Mandalorian — "Chapter 9: The Marshal"
Non-canon appearances
- The Sims 4 (DLC, statue only)
Sources
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 According to
SWCC 2019: 9 Things We Learned from The Mandalorian Panel on StarWars.com (backup link), the events of The Mandalorian take place about five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, which Star Wars: Galactic Atlas dates to 4 ABY. Therefore, the events of The Mandalorian take place around 9 ABY. Since the Child is fifty years old at the time of The Mandalorian, he must have been born around 41 BBY.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4
The Mandalorian — "Chapter 1: The Mandalorian"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Mandalorian — "Chapter 3: The Sin"
- ↑ Life-Size Baby Yoda! Sideshow Collectibles' The Child Prototype on www.youtube.com (archived from the original on July 23, 2020)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 The Mandalorian — "Chapter 2: The Child"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 The Mandalorian — "Chapter 8: Redemption"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Mandalorian — "Chapter 4: Sanctuary"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Mandalorian — "Chapter 5: The Gunslinger"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 The Mandalorian — "Chapter 6: The Prisoner"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 The Mandalorian — "Chapter 7: The Reckoning"
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 The Mandalorian — "Chapter 9: The Marshal"
- ↑ The Mandalorian Media Kit, published by The Walt Disney Company on Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International (archived from the original on February 3, 2020)
- ↑ 'The Mandalorian's Jon Favreau On Remixing George Lucas' Classics In First Live-Action 'Star Wars' Series & Baby Yoda’s 'E.T.'-Inspired Introduction – Contenders TV, published by deadline.com on deadline.com (August 16, 2020) (archived from the original on August 20, 2020)
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Baby Yoda Has Conquered the World, published by Vanity Fair on www.vanityfair.com (November 26, 2019) (archived from the original on January 5, 2020)
- ↑ Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian — "Practical"
- ↑ The Mandalorian Episode One: Easter Eggs and That Final Reveal, Explained, published by Vanity Fair on www.vanityfair.com (November 12, 2019) (archived from the original on December 18, 2019)
- ↑ Disney made it official: We can talk about that Mandalorian character now, published by Polygon on www.polygon.com (November 18, 2019) (archived from the original on November 19, 2019)
- ↑ 15 tweets and memes about 'Baby Yoda' on 'The Mandalorian' that prove the character is the best thing in 'Star Wars', published by Insider on www.insider.com (November 18, 2019) (archived from the original on January 5, 2020)
- ↑ Disney CEO Was Told Off By Mandalorian Creator For Calling Child "Baby Yoda", published by Screen Rant on screenrant.com (December 27, 2019) (archived from the original on December 28, 2019)
- ↑ A strangely lifeless Baby Yoda is now in The Sims 4, published by Polygon on www.polygon.com (December 12, 2019) (archived from the original on April 19, 2024)
