Thanks toDisney+’s newest original seriesThe Mandalorian, the world has baby Yoda fever and it’s not hard to see why. The reveal of an impossibly adorable baby Yoda (officially referred to as “The Child"in theStar Warscanonbut let’s be real here: it’s a behbeh Yoda) at the end of the series premiere and repeat displays of adorableness in Episode 2 have made this little green guy a household name. Baby Yoda’s powers of cuteness are so overwhelming, in fact, that its mere existence made another cast member onThe Mandalorian, the one and onlyWerner Herzog, get a little misty-eyed.
The documentarian, actor, and grandpa who sneaks you Werther’s candies before dinner revealed in a recent interview that the mere sight of the baby Yoda puppet on theMandalorianset made him well up. Speaking withVarietyin a red carpet interview at the premiere event forThe Mandalorian, Herzog shared: “I’ve seen it on the set, and it’s heartbreaking. It’s heartbreakingly beautiful. I saw two technicians operating it remote. One was for the eyes and the mouth, and the other one was for other facial expressions. It’s a phenomenal technical achievement and beyond the technological achievement, it’s heartbreaking.”
After pressed to explain why he characterized baby Yoda as “heartbreaking,” Herzog demurred, “I don’t know,” but then attempted to explain with, “On the set, it looked absolutely convincing. It made you cry when you saw it.”
Listen, Mr. Herzog, I get it. I, like so many others who are watchingThe Mandalorian, have fallen hard for baby Yoda merely based on its cuteness. Those big eyes, the oversized robe, the white peach fuzz for hair, the earnest attempts to use the Force when it sees the Mandalorian in trouble… my friends, I die of joy each and every time. Baby Yoda isn’t just the breakout star ofThe Mandalorian; it’s a thing of beauty, perhaps the best character ever created in theStar Warsuniverse (yeah, I said it). And if you don’t believe me, then take one final, long look at baby Yoda and tell me it isn’t the most precious creature in the Galaxy.
New episodes ofThe Mandaloriandrop (for the most part!) every Friday on Disney+. Still have questions aboutThe Mandalorian? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with an in-depthbreakdown on Episode 2, “The Child.”
