What is Baby Yoda's real name? The Mandalorian creators want to keep you guessing
By Dannielle Maguire
Photo: Very little is known about the character, referred to as "the child" on the series. (Disney)
Related Story: Why are we seeing Baby Yoda everywhere? It's more than nostalgia
Related Story: Wholesome Baby Yoda memes are taking over the internet (and we're fine with it)
Related Story: Fans spot error in The Mandalorian hidden by moody lighting
Director Taika Waititi has prompted speculation about the name of The Mandalorian's tiny green alien, which is currently referred to by the internet as Baby Yoda.
What we know about Baby Yoda
There is one character you'll have a lot of questions about. Let's try and answer them.
The cute creature quickly became a favourite on the Disney+ series. He looks a lot like Yoda from the Star Wars series, but very little is known about the character — such as his name and background.
We learned he was a male after Doctor Pershing referred to Baby Yoda as "him" in the third episode. And we know he is 50 years old, but because his species ages slowly, he is still considered an infant.
He is referred to as "the child" or "the asset" on the show but, for the sake of eliminating confusion, we're going to call him Baby Yoda.
New York Times entertainment writer Kyle Buchanan asked Waititi about Baby Yoda at the Golden Globes.
Waititi directed the last episode of the series, working closely with series creator Jon Favreau.
"He's not named Baby Yoda," he told Buchanan.
External Link: Tweet from Kyle Buchanan: "I also asked Taika about Baby Yoda, since he directed the MANDALORIAN finale. "He's not named Baby Yoda!" Taika insisted. There is a name yet to be revealed, and Taika knows it but won't hint. "I'll wait for Favreau to give that away.""
The director declined to offer any hints about the name.
"I'll wait for Favreau to give that away," Waititi said.
It seems we're going to have to wait until the second season — expected to drop towards the end of the year — to find out for sure.
External Link: Tweet from Jon Favreau" Season 2 of #TheMandalorian coming Fall 2020"
Until then, all we have is wild speculation.
The Mandalorian actor Gina Carano didn't help, confirming on Twitter she knows Baby Yoda's real name, but giving very little up.
External Link: Tweet from Gina Carano: "It's ok. I know your real name. Going to have to change your account you are."
Waititi offered up Nigel as a possible option.
External Link: Tweet from Taika Waititi: "I think it's Nigel"
We're not willing to completely rule out the director disguising the truth as a joke, but it's probably safe to assume this mysterious being is not called Nigel.
We can eliminate one name. Disney chief executive Bob Iger said, "the baby's name is not George" in an interview on YouTube series The Star Wars Show last month,
There is a Reddit page dedicated to calling Baby Yoda "Yiddle", a nod to both Yoda and Yaddle, a female of the same species who appeared in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
The Yiddle theory is that Baby Yoda is the product of Yoda and Yaddle.
Photo: Some fans believe Yaddle could by linked to Baby Yoda. (Lucasfilm/Disney)
But there are many other theories flying around Twitter.
Name suggestions include Bobby Yoda, Child Yoda and… Kyle.
External Link: Tweet from Elan Gale: "Baby Yoda's real name is Bobby Yoda. Robert Yoda on his birth certificate"
External Link: Tweet from Stark Syndrome: "child yoda"
External Link: Tweet from Jonathan Toast: "Kyle"
It's definitely not Baby Yoda
Mr Iger said Favreau chastised him for using "Baby Yoda" in place of the name.
"In my early emails to Jon Favreau, I referenced [the character] in my emails [as] Baby Yoda, it just seemed easy," he told The Star Wars Show.
"I got my wrist slapped by Jon a few times."
We're not sure whether this drove Favreau to enlighten Mr Iger or if the executive used his position of power to get the information, but he said he now knew the name.
"I know its real name and it's one of the reasons that I have extra security now because I don't want to be given some kind of truth serum by someone," he said.
And it's not Yoda as a baby
Favreau put that theory to bed in a Golden Globes red carpet interview with USA Today.
"[The Mandalorian] takes place after Return of the Jedi and the fans of the original trilogy will remember that Yoda not only passes away, but actually disappears," he said.
"So Yoda exists as a Force Ghost."
Photo: Favreau says the character known as Baby Yoda is not Yoda as an infant. (Disney)
But he understands why the name Baby Yoda took off on the internet, considering there's no name for Yoda's species, agreeing it was the most "hashtagable" way to refer to the character.
As for whether Baby Yoda is related to Yoda?
"Now you're getting into spoilers so I can't say — there's are a lot of theories about that," Favreau said.
Whatever his name is, it will be a big deal
The Rise of Skywalker actor Dominic Monaghan said the fact we did not have a name for Baby Yoda meant it was something important.
"Everything is so specific in Star Wars, and we're missing a trick if we consistently keep calling that character Baby Yoda," he told Hollywood Reporter.
"Maybe, that's what Favreau and his team wants us to do is get distracted or complacent calling the character Baby Yoda so that they can shock us with another revelation.
"I'm always trying to work out why they want us to call this character Baby Yoda.
"How does that benefit the makers of The Mandalorian?"
External Link: The Mandalorian is streaming on Disney+.
Topics: arts-and-entertainment, film-movies, science-fiction-films, television, social-media, internet-culture
Contact Dannielle Maguire
More Arts & Culture News
Bad Boys detectives Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return older and more wise-cracking
Bombshell: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie star in sex scandal drama
'I would never consider diversity in matters of art': Stephen King wades into Oscars debate