Uploaded December 2019 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago

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There's a pair of words that are circling the internet right now and are causing a lot of people to react to it every time it's brought up. Those words...are Baby Yoda. Join me as we explore what Baby Yoda is, and how it fits into the larger Star Wars timeline.
8. Who or What Is Baby Yoda?
So, when you think of the words "Baby Yoda", you're likely thinking of the legendary Jedi Master who has been a part of all three Star Wars trilogies (originals, prequels, and sequel series). But in fact, it's not, or rather, this creature is not Yoda, and it's honestly really easy to prove based on where the creature shows up.
You see, Baby Yoda was one of the biggest surprises to come from the first-ever live-action Star Wars series known as The Mandalorian, which takes place between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. We won't go too deep into spoilers, but needless to say, it focuses on a Mandalorian bounty hunter who in the very first episode of the series is tasked with k a certain target. Which is standard fare for bounty hunters if we're being honest. The Mandalorian (who doesn't have a name himself at present) is given a location for the target, and is only told that the target is 50 years old.
Wanting to collect the bounty, he does indeed go to do the mission, and after going into a fortress and fighting off some thugs and droids, he finds the target. The plot twist is that it's Baby Yoda. But not a baby of Yoda (more than likely...) or one that's Yoda de-aged (as that isn't possible in the Star Wars universe). But rather, it's a child of Yoda's species. Yoda's race is able to live to about 900 years barring injury or disease. So to their race, 50 years old means they're still only a baby.
And because this baby is the same race as Yoda, everyone started calling it "Baby Yoda". Now, as a good twist would do, The Mandalorian did NOT Baby Yoda (thank goodness!) and thus the creature has become an instant part of pop culture. Which is hilarious, because we don't know much about the race of Yoda and Baby Yoda.
7. Species Unknown
If I was to ask you to give me a background on certain Star Wars characters, you'd be able to give me a somewhat detailed description depending on who they are. Such as if I gave you the Skywalker family, you'd note Tatooine, them meeting the Jedi and getting off the planet, etc. But, when it comes to Yoda...we know precious little, which was actually by design of the creator of Star wars: George Lucas.
“He's a mystery character,” Lucas said in an interview with Moviefone once. “He's a magical character. He has no background. He comes and he goes. He's the subversive secret mysterious stranger that enters the film and then exits at the end."
Mysterious indeed, when we first meet Yoda in Empire Strikes Back, he seems to be a crazed hermit living in the swamps of the Planet Dagobah. But once he drops his act to Luke and R2-D2, the Jedi Master returns.
This version of the master is shown in Prequel films to much greater effect, as well as the Clone Wars animated series (both of them). He's the head of the Jedi Council, able to go toe to toe with the Emperor himself (who was a very powerful Sith) and fight off legions of droids on his own.
But where did he come from? Why was he so adept at The Force and more? We honestly don't know, and Lucas won't elaborate. So much so that if you go to the various Wiki pages for Yoda, you'll find that he's listed as "Species Unknown".
In fact, the only character that we've met that's named in Star Wars canon from Yoda's species is Yaddle. The "Female Yoda" if you will. She was on the Jedi Council during The Phantom Menace, and was noted in expanded lore to be kind, compassion, and yet deadly when it came to The Force.
Which brought on the next question about Baby Yoda...
6. Force-Sensitive?
So let's break this down the only way we know how, ok? We've met Yoda and Yaddle, who were both Jedi, both on the Jedi Council, and were confirmed to have a very strong connection with The Force. So we're literally 2/2 in terms of this species being Force wielders. Does that mean that Baby Yoda is a Force-wielder?
Technically...no, we can't say that just because Baby Yoda was part of the species that it's Force-sensitive...but...in episode 2 of The Mandalorian, we get teased that it's Force-sensitive, and then on its own, it uses The Force to lift up a Mud Horn monster that was charging at him and The Mandalorian. Certainly giving our bounty hunter the shock of his life. Though it was shown right afterward that this task was too much for the baby. But the fact that it did it at all shows that not only can Baby Yoda use the Force, but at such a "young" age for the species, already has a grasp upon it.
Which brings us back to the question of whether the entire species is Force Sensitive. After all, we've now met THREE beings from this species, and ALL of them have used The Force is some way shape or form.