WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian, "Chapter 7: The Reckoning," now streaming on Disney+.
Disney+’s new live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, has certainly been pleasing its audience, and this adoration has only been bolstered by the show giving us the most meme-friendly new character of 2019. A nameless alien child that the Internet has been quick to christen “Baby Yoda” (as it appears to be an infant from the same race as the iconic Jedi Master), the character has won over the hearts of many Star Wars fans just for how adorable his existence is. But this sweet-looking child may not be as innocent as it appears.
The latest episode of The Mandalorian just pulled the curtain back ever so slightly on what Baby Yoda’s all about, and there is some suggestion that The Child might be… evil!
During an arm-wrestling match between "Mando" and Cara Dune, Baby Yoda seems to feel that its handler is threatened. It then performs a Force choke on Dune, which is an ability that is more linked to the Dark side of the Force than the Light. The episode also dismisses the theory that Baby Yoda is a clone of the original, and then when the Imperial officer Moff Gideon shows up, he states this: “You may think you have some idea what you’re in possession of, but you do not.” Could he possibly be referring to the creature’s potential to cause mass destruction?
Granted, there have also been suggestions that this isn’t quite the case. In the same episode we also see Baby Yoda heal Greef Karga’s fatal wounds, which is definitely a Light side trait, and also it doesn’t exactly seem realistic that Disney would blow its merchandising potential with the little cutie by going all Damien (The Omen) in his storyline. Still, one can’t dismiss the fact that what we know about this creature is only the tip of the iceberg, and Jon Favreau and his team definitely have a few cards up their sleeves as to what they can do with it.
Perhaps at this point, it would make sense to see Baby Yoda as being neutral in his alignment with the force. It’s just an infant with no conception of good and evil, which is why it is able to perform abilities from both the Light and Dark side of the force. We must also consider that it has the ability to use the Force at a very young stage, if perhaps a bit erratically.
Perhaps Baby Yoda’s race (one of the longest-standing enigmas in the Star Wars franchise is the history and name of Yoda’s species) is innately strong in the force since birth, and perhaps may even have performed mind tricks on some of The Mandalorian’s characters (both Mando and Greef Karga were quick to change their agenda after coming across the child).
That said, Baby Yoda may very well be capable of causing disaster, especially as he can’t entirely wield his powers in an understanding manner. If that’s the case, perhaps the fragmented Empire desires him solely for use as a weapon. If so, then next episode (the season finale) will likely reveal Moff’s true objective, as well as some further insights into Baby Yoda’s inherent power. We’ve already seen it protect Mando while under threat, and now, with a small army of Storm Troopers surrounding them, Baby Yoda might finally go all out.
It’s too early to tell if Baby Yoda is leaning towards the Dark side, but it is possible that it can, and there would certainly be strong story potential for The Mandalorian if that were the case. Whatever direction the series goes in with the character, however, it’s most likely to end up closer to being a paragon for the Light side than the Dark. Face it, the little dude’s too cute to stay evil forever! Episode 8 should wrap up a few mysteries from this season, and hopefully Baby Yoda’s force affiliation will be at the forefront.
Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Omid Abtahi, Werner Herzog and Nick Nolte. The Season 1 finale arrives Friday on Disney+.