Warning: SPOILERS for The Mandalorian
The true story of The Mandalorian was kept quiet until the show premiered, revealing the titular bounty hunter turns on his clients to steal back his adorable quarry – the now-infamous Baby Yoda. This has led many fans to wonder: how is the Mandalorian actually going to take care of the little green alien baby?
While Baby Yoda did show he’s capable of finding his own food and using the Force in his first appearances, there’s a big difference between protecting a child for a few days, and taking on the responsibility of actually raising one for the foreseeable future. So with that in mind, let’s take a closer look back at several appearances of Yoda’s species in Star Wars movies, comics, and other media to see what we can learn about Yoda’s diet, mental state, and physical development.
While some of this information has been classified non-canonical in the current Star Wars mythology, given Yoda’s mysterious background, it’s likely at least some of these findings will be relevant as the Mandalorian attempts to raise what could become the first Yoda Bounty Hunter.
What Does Baby Yoda Eat?
In Episode 2, the Mandalorian sees Baby Yoda catch and gleefully eat a frog. This initially makes some viewers believe Baby Yoda is self-sufficient as far as finding food goes, it’s unknown if this is actually the best thing for him to be subsisting on. But a look into Star Wars comics and media reveals some insights into Yoda’s diet. Yoda’s species is thought to be carnivorous, based on Yoda’s sharp teeth and claws. And given Baby Yoda’s instinctual appetite for frogs, this may be true. However, Jedi Master Yoda also is shown to sustain himself on roots and mushrooms, indicating his species is omnivorous.
While PETA suggested Yoda chose to go vegan during his time on Dagobah, canon comics have shown him hunting and preparing meat. Yoda does become an accomplished vegan chef by the time of The Empire Strikes Back. In the film, he cooks a stew for Luke Skywalker using ingredients harvested on Dagobah. According to Star Wars Wookieepedia, the dish is rootleaf stew, a staple in Yoda’s diet during his exile. It contains yarum seeds, mushroom spores, galla seeds, and sohili bark. As Yoda ate this stew constantly, it is likely a very healthy food for his species. Of course, dietary needs do change as people age. Since Yoda was almost 900 years old and in poor health, it’s possible this may not be the right food to always feed Baby Yoda.
The same rooftleaf stew is confirmed to be widely available to spacers across the Star Wars universe (yes, really). But that popularized version is synthetic and made of fiberplast… the same material used for buildings and heavy clothing. So if rooftleaf stew is the best food for Baby Yoda, the Mandalorian will likely want to find him fresher ingredients.
How Fast Will Baby Yoda Age?
In Episode 1, Baby Yoda is revealed to be over 50 years old, but still considered an infant by the rate his species ages. Since Jedi Master Yoda was 900 years old when he died in Return of the Jedi, we need to ask – how do human years compare to Yoda years? The answer is surprisingly complex. Yoda was almost 900 years old in The Empire Strikes Back and told Luke he had been training Jedi for 800 years. This means Yoda achieved the rank of Jedi Master by at least age 100. If Baby Yoda is a typical member of Yoda’s species, this could mean Baby Yodas age very little for the first 50 years and then grow at a rate comparable to humans from that point on. This might also mean we may be seeing Toddler Yoda within a year or two if The Mandalorian keeps getting renewed for new seasons.
However, it’s also been said that Jedi tend to have longer life spans (assuming they don’t get killed in combat) thanks to their Force connection. Since the only members of Yoda’s species we’ve seen so far have been Jedi, it’s unknown how fast, or at what rate, a typical Baby Yoda ages. It’s even possible that, much like the Force kept Jedi Master Yoda alive beyond his usual life span, the Force kept Baby Yoda an infant longer than is typical for his species to ensure his survival. Given how his cute face, elfin ears, and big eyes make even the toughest bounty hunters melt and want to protect him, Baby Yoda’s weaponized cuteness may be his most powerful Force ability yet!
How Powerful Will Baby Yoda Be in the Force?
Baby Yoda can instinctively use the Force to accomplish amazing feats as an infant. So if he’s already this powerful, what happens if he throws a temper tantrum and accidentally tears the Mandalorian’s ship apart? Fortunately, the comics establish that Yoda’s species is not only strong in the Force, but largely attuned to the light side. In fact, three members, Vandar Tokare, Yaddle, and Yoda himself, have all served as Jedi Masters on the Jedi Council. Yaddle proved particularly benevolent in her short story “Yaddle’s Tale: The One Below” from Star Wars Tales #5. Even after being captured, imprisoned, jeered, and tortured for decades on the planet Koba, Padawan Yaddle only used the time to meditate and achieve unity with the Force. When she escaped, she showed nothing but forgiveness for her jailors’ descendants, serving as a teacher and leader to help Koba rebuild. This indicates that Yoda’s species will often grow up serene and benevolent… but not always.
In Star Wars Tales #16, a short story “Heart of Darkness” showcases a decidedly hot-blooded member of Yoda’s species. Set 700 years before the Battle of Yavin, this story follows Minch, a young Jedi Knight hunting down Dark Jedi with his team. Although skilled in lightsaber combat, Minch is overly sensitive to comments about his height and develops an inferiority complex. This leads him to disobey orders and pursue the Dark Jedi to Dagobah. While he doesn’t succumb to the Dark Side, Minch does come closer than any other member of Yoda’s species. Warning to the Mandalorian: peaceful species or not, puberty will be a very trying time for Baby Yoda. And his adopted father.
Can Baby Yoda Be Taught to Speak… Forwards?
One of Jedi Master Yoda’s defining traits is his odd (by human standards) speaking pattern. While most English–sorry, ‘Basic’ speaking humans, droids, and aliens speak in familiar speech patterns, Yoda tends to mix up his words, “Size matters not!” or “Truly wonderful the mind of a child is.” In the comics, Minch and the Jedi Master Yaddle both speak in the same pattern. However, in the game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the Knights of the Old Republic comic book, fans meet Vandar Tokare, another member of Yoda’s species.
Tokare speaks with more standardized sentence structure and grammar. This is also true of Oteg, another Jedi Master featured in the Star Wars: The Old Republic role playing game. As both Oteg and Tokare were raised and spent years training with the Jedi Order, it’s possible their speech patterns were influenced by these experiences. So yes, if he’s raised as a foundling among the Mandalorians, it’s very likely that Baby Yoda will start learning how to speak like a proper bounty hunter.
Whether or not this means we’ll also be seeing Baby Yoda running around wearing the The Mandalorian’s helmet remains to be seen, but if future episodes do see him go down this path, he’s still got a few decades of using his cuteness to disarm his targets. Hey, if you’ve got it – use it!
