‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’: Daisy Ridley Believes New Toddler Droid D-O Brings Fierce Competition to Baby Yoda
With Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiering this week, fans cannot stop talking about everything Star Wars. The Mandalorian‘s Baby Yoda is likely not in the movie, but Daisy Ridley (Rey) claims viewers will get an even better toddler.
Let’s take a look at why she says the new tiny droid, D-O is going to give Baby Yoda a run for his money for the most popular new Star Wars character.
Who is the new droid in ‘Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker’?
When Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premieres this week, there is a new rather adorable droid named D-O. He resembles a little duckling and is a new friend of BB-8. J.J. Abrams unveiled the little droid at the Star Wars Episode IX panel at the Star Wars Celebration in April 2019.
Neil Scanlan, the Creature and Droid Supervisor at Lucasfilm, created the little guy who is described as a “toddler,” in Disney Rewards Insider Magazine.
“He has a monowheel, so it’s difficult for him to balance, and he’s a bit wobbly like a young child,” Scanlan told the magazine. “He’s also not super confident about his abilities, and he often doesn’t quite understand what he’s supposed to do.”
He has a cone for a head, and then what resembles a cheese wheel as a body. The wheel moves to give him mobility, but it seems a bit like a cheerleading cone riding a unicycle.
What is D-O’s relationship with BB-8 like in ‘Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker’?
At first glance, it seems like the tiny droid is put in the movie to be BB-8’s new sidekick. Although they are both smaller, the pair reminds viewers of the C-3PO and R2-D2 combo from the original trilogy of Star Wars.
“But what I love best is the relationship between D-O and BB-8,” Scanlan revealed. “BB-8 finds D-O off in a corner. He’s covered in dust and cobwebs and has run out of charge. BB-8 recharges him, and when D-O wakes up, he imprints on BB-8 immediately.”
It sounds like this new duo of droids is more loving than the C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) companionship built on bickering like an old married couple.
“D-O is completely and utterly enthralled by BB-8,” Scanlan continues. “He follows him around like a baby duckling following its mom and tries to mimic him – even when he doesn’t quite know what BB-8 is doing. BB-8 loves it! You can see the moments of parental responsibility, pride, and nurturing.”
BB-8 takes care of his new friend, just like C-3PO and R2D2 always have each other’s backs, no matter how much they fight. It sounds like we will see fewer digs between the new droids and more all-around cute moments.
Daisy Ridley feels D-O is the new Baby Yoda of ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’
It is no secret that Ridley despises the Porgs from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. However, she does like Baby Yoda.
“I actually really like Baby Yoda!” Ridley told IGN Japan. “When we were doing press for The Last Jedi, people kept asking me about the Porgs. I don’t really like the Porgs.” When asked why she admitted, “I think they’re overrated. I worked a lot harder than any of the Porgs!”
If she likes Baby Yoda, then why is Ridley comparing the adorable green creature to the new droid, D-O?
“I think we might out-Baby Yoda, Baby Yoda with D-0,” she continued. “BB-8 is great, but D-0 is such a great new character, and really integral to the plot – really important. D-0 is great and really sweet, so I feel like we’re gonna have that sweetness represented by D-0.”
Viewers are intrigued at how this tiny droid is going to be a large part of the plot of the new movie and how he could possibly be cuter than Baby Yoda. We will just have to see Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker when it premieres Dec. 20, 2019, to find out.
