Disney
Prior to the release of The Mandalorian — the first-ever live-action Star Wars television series — Disney promised that the show would have franchise-wide and galaxy-spanning implications. And less than an hour into the series’ history, the Mouse House has delivered on that promise twice.
Warning: spoilers for The Mandalorian will follow.
Two episodes into The Mandalorian, not one, but two massive narrative bombs have been dropped. As I described in my Ep. 2 review, they’re unleashing twists at an unsustainable right now. Nevertheless, they’re happening and they’re awesome.
The first pilot-ending twist was that the “asset” that the Mandalorian was sent to retrieve is actually a 50-year-old “Baby Yoda”. Then, in the following episode, it was revealed that this Baby Yoda has the ability to wield the Force. Like we said, bombs droppin’ left and right.
Now, while everyone has been referring to The Child (which is also the title of the second episode) as “Baby Yoda”, it needs to be clear that this creature is not, in fact, Baby Yoda, as Yoda was killed in The Return of Jedi, which takes place prior to the events of The Mandalorian.
In fact, not only is The Child not Yoda, but it may not even technically be a “baby”, according to this latest mind-bending theory.
Attack of the Clones is a mixed bag entry in the series that came under fire for its extended speeches on politics and lacklustre reveal of where Stormtroopers originally came from. One eagle-eyed Twitter user, however, noticed that the patch on the arm of Omid Abtahi’s Doctor Pershing in The Mandalorian matches the uniform worn by the clones on Attack of the Clones’ watery planet of Kamino.
But a clone? The idea that the Asset is actually a pint-sized Yoda rather than the same species means the noun-before-verb-speaking fan-favorite could return further down the line as something other than a Force Ghost. Interestingly, Baby Yoda also has a pretty convenient birthdate.
With The Mandalorian being set nine years after the Battle of Yavin, it just so happens New Baby Yoda was born the same year as a certain Anakin Skywalker in 41 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin). If everything ties together, it could be that some villainous presence started putting their very own resurrection contingency into play some 50 years before The Mandalorian. [via Digital Spy]
Partial credit to @bhower1138 for noticing the symbol on his sleeve. pic.twitter.com/Im2wjSY94y
— Marv (@NumidianPrime) November 13, 2019
“Baby Yoda” being a clone would be far more consequential than him simply being a baby, as it would open the proverbial flood gates when it comes to classic Star Wars characters reappearing in future franchise entries.
Either way — clone, baby, or otherwise — Disney has certainly kept their word when it comes to making sure The Mandalorian is vital viewing.
You can catch The Mandalorian, and tons of other Star Wars bangers, on Disney+ now.
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Eric is a New York City-based writer who still isn’t quite sure how he’s allowed to have this much fun for a living and will tell anyone who listens that Gotham City is canonically in New Jersey. Contact him on Twitter @eric_ital or via email eric@brobible.com