WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Mandalorian, "Chapter 14: The Tragedy," streaming now on Disney+.
In the two seasons of The Mandalorian thus far, Baby Yoda aka Grogu has shown a lot of kiddie tendencies, some cute and some annoying, per his egg-eating debacle. One particular habit that falls in between these two is his fascination with the spherical gear knob on Din Djarin's Razor Crest ship. He's often found trying to unscrew it, as he thinks it's a toy that he so desperately needs to play with. Grogu and Din have even played catch with it thanks to the Force.
This obsession with the little silver ball seems to be just something to move the storyline along; however, a Reddit theory has surfaced suggesting the knob holds much significance tied to the Child's time on Coruscant's Jedi Temple.
As Ahsoka Tano revealed, Grogu was trained in the Temple along with the other child Jedi. In Attack of the Clones, there's an interesting scene in which Obi-Wan Kenobi brings a holographic ball to Master Yoda while he's teaching a group of younglings. Obi-Wan wants to find Kamino using this map reader, but as the two Jedi Masters and the Padawans examine it, they find the planet's nowhere to be found. However, one kid points out a gravity pull on the map, declaring it means the planet's there, but simply erased from the archives.
These theorists think Grogu, whilst not seen on screen, was in that session and his fascination began with that holo-ball. It's a brilliant theory, but as usual, it could be an extreme reach. Admittedly, there's similarity between the two spheres, and since Grogu is young, he may have started adoring the idea of a ball to play with, especially one that emits light and fantastic images. The fans on Reddit think that's why he wants the knob, as it doesn't just remind him of the Temple — Grogu may believe the knob can also shoot out maps of solar systems with fun, bright lights, just as Obi-Wan's holographic ball did.
There's no denying that toddlers love shiny objects, but Grogu is 50 now, so maybe he's trying to find his home (if it exists) or his allies. If Grogu has an idea where he ought to be, that would really prove how intelligent and clever he is.
Seeing as the show is patching up errors of old, per Boba Fett's return, it'd be a nice nod to the prequel trilogy. More so, if the knob evokes memories of the temple, it shows Grogu does remember bits and pieces of his past. It could be why the show ensures Din finds the knob after losing his ship — not only is it sentimental, but it will be part of a key revelation to come when they are eventually reunited.
Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, with guest stars Gina Carano, Carl Weathers and Giancarlo Esposito. Directors for the new season include Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rick Famuyiwa, Carl Weathers, Peyton Reed and Robert Rodriguez. New episodes arrive every Friday on Disney+.