There's a disturbance in the Force. According to new data, Darth Vader is no longer the most popular character in the Star Wars universe.
An analysis by SEMRush has shown that Vader has slipped to third place and been replaced by The Mandalorian's Baby Yoda, aka Grogu. Second place belongs to another newcomer: Pedro Pascal's titular Mandalorian, aka Din Djarin. The data is based on searches from the past year, with Baby Yoda seeing 4.7 million average monthly searches. This pushes the Mandalorian's adorable traveling partner above his own average of 2.5 million monthly searches.
With Baby Yoda and Mando taking up first and second place, Darth Vader takes third with 893,250 monthly searches. The Jedi Master Yoda isn't far behind Vader with 882,500 searches -- possibly thanks to Baby Yoda. New trilogy villain Kylo Ren comes in fifth place, followed by fan-favorite Chewbacca in sixth, Anakin Skywalker in seventh, Boba Fett in eighth, Luke Skywalker in ninth place and, finally, Jabba the Hutt in 10th.
The list contains notable surprises, including Luke Skywalker and Boba Fett's positions. Unexpectedly, both Emperor Palpatine and Princess Leia are absent from the top positions, despite Carrie Fisher's iconic performance as the second Skywalker twin.
Since his debut on Disney+'s The Mandalorian, Baby Yoda has become one of the franchise's most marketable characters, with tie-in merchandise ranging from Baby Yoda waffle irons to Baby Yoda Chia Pets. Elsewhere, Baby Yoda has become synonymous with Jon Favreau's sci-fi series and has evidently put the showrunner's fears about the character to rest.
Darth Vader has remained a focal point of the franchise since his introduction in 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope. Following his villainous role in the original trilogy, George Lucas' prequels focused on Anakin Skywalker's transformation into the Sith lord. His specter even loomed over Disney's sequel trilogy. Most-recently, Vader's distinct voice was heard in J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Although Vader didn't physically appear in Episode IX, the cameo appeared to help elevate his monthly searches.
Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers and Giancarlo Esposito. Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Disney+.
Source: via Express
NOTE: This story was updated Dec. 29 with updated information.