With the release of Disney Plus a few weeks ago, people were not only met with an endless selection of shows and movies owned by Disney, they were also introduced to The Mandalorian, a new series which takes place after the events of The Return of the Jedi (the sixth episode of the Star Wars series). Recently, a very specific character of the show has been thrust into internet fame. This character is, of course, the heart-wrenchingly cute, “Baby Yoda”.

The Child, known more by the fan given name Baby Yoda, is a fifty-year-old, small alien. Features that make him extremely adorable include big ears, big eyes, a small nose, and his height of fewer than two feet. The baby waddles around in an oversized brown cloak. Some people say that his cuteness rivals baby Groot, if not overtakes him. 

 He’s been given the name Baby Yoda because he is of the same race as Yoda—the 900-year-old Jedi master of the older Star Wars films. The name of the race remains unknown and the child continues without a name, therefore Yoda was the only connection fans could make with the creature. 

The Mandalorian meets Baby Yoda as the result of a job he takes up. When the job goes awry, the Mandalorian takes the kid into his care. They then go on the run together.

 The second the baby came onto screen audience members everywhere were entrapped (I know I was). Just as soon as he was revealed, the memes came flooding in. People sang praise to Disney for basically creating the cutest thing to exist.

The episodes that were released, along with the release of the streaming service, served as ample fodder for the creation of different varying meme formats, all including Baby Yoda. The memes tend to be about people making relatable posts about their childhoods—though let’s be honest Baby Yoda reaction images can be used for any situation. And with more episodes due to be released, who knows how much more content will be used. 

The baby fever has not ended and shows no sign of stopping. Videos, posts, and articles are being made about him. Actors who have appeared on the show and other Star Wars movies are constantly asked about their “feelings” regarding the tiny alien. Even big news sources like Fox and TIMES have discussed him and his effects on people. 

There’s even a Starbucks drink on the “secret menu” which is inspired by him. For anyone wondering, the drink is a matcha frappuccino with whipped cream, drizzled caramel, and crumbled caramel ribbon crunchies. People have also made very detailed cakes and knitted versions of the baby. The country is abuzz with love for Baby Yoda. 

As to why the baby is so popular, besides for being the epitome of adorableness, Star Wars fan, Parker Olvera, had a take on it, “ I think he became so popular because he is based on an iconic character [Yoda], and it’s a version of that character that we have never seen before.”

Despite this grand buzz for the little creature, Disney has yet to profit over the merchandise. The level of popularity that Baby Yoda has received was unexpected. Proper, official, merch is limited and honestly underwhelming. So far they have made shirts and cups, using variations of the same Baby Yoda screen cap. These can be found on the official Disney shop, online. The merchandise has yet to catch up with the craze. I suggest people wait until they make better merchandise before stocking up on Baby Yoda merch.  

Baby Yoda has been popular since his very first appearance, his popularity only continues with each new episode. As to when this craze will end, only time will tell. The Baby could very well be forgotten tomorrow if the internet finds something else to obsess over.