‘The Mandalorian’: Why Do Fans Call Him ‘Baby Yoda’ If That’s Not His Real Name?

When The Mandalorian debuted in late 2019, Star Wars fans were expecting a gritty space Western, and that’s by and large what they got.

At the same time though, The Mandalorian also introduced fans to Baby Yoda, and while it was a surprise to be sure, it was a welcome one. Baby Yoda quickly became the star of the show, and nobody could get enough of him.

That said, while everyone knows him as Baby Yoda, that isn’t actually what he’s referred to as in the Star Wars universe. In fact, his real name is simply The Child, so here’s a look at why everyone just calls him Baby Yoda instead.

Not much is known about Yoda’s species

Like Star Wars fans talked about on Reddit, Yoda’s species is shrouded in mystery. There aren’t a lot of facts or info that is known about his species, and in fact, they’re such an unknown species that they’re simply referred to as Yoda’s species in the Star Wars universe.

And of course, since nobody even knows what his species is called, nobody knows other basic info about them such as where they’re from or what their society or culture is like. 

They’re not a complete mystery, however. There are three people from Yoda’s species that are in the Star Wars universe, and they’re Yoda himself, a woman named Yaddle, and of course, there’s The Child. All three of them have a lot in common, too.

They’re short, they have green skin, they seem to have very long lifespans, and they seem to be very powerful force users. 

Why everyone just calls him Baby Yoda

Due to this lack of info about Yoda’s species, when The Child first appeared in the show, fans were kind of confused. Most Star Wars fans have heard of Yoda, but since his species doesn’t have a name, nobody really knew what to call The Child.

And since he looked like a baby version of Yoda, fans just started calling him Baby Yoda as an easy and fun way to refer to him that everyone would instantly understand.

The name stuck, and that’s what he’s known as by everyone nowadays. That said, Baby Yoda can be a confusing name, since, as far as anyone knows, he’s not actually Yoda.

That said, since The Mandalorian takes place after the original trilogy ended, there is a slim possibility that Baby Yoda is a reincarnated version of Yoda. But this is a fringe theory and most Star Wars fans think that Baby Yoda is just a young member of Yoda’s species. 

Will Baby Yoda get a new name?

Currently, in the show, Baby Yoda is referred to as The Child, and there hasn’t been a real conversation about his name. Like Star Wars fans said, it’s also been established that Baby Yoda is actually about 50 years old, but since his species doesn’t age like humans do, he’s still a child in terms of his development. As a result, other than making baby noises, Baby Yoda hasn’t said a word on the show just yet. 

This opens up the possibility for Mando or another character on the show to give Baby Yoda a real name. On top of that, since Baby Yoda has been around for 50 or so years, it’s very likely that somebody took care of him and looked after him.

If that’s the case, then it’s also very possible that they gave him a name during those years. 

Just like how Mando’s real name was revealed at the end of season one, it’s possible that Baby Yoda gets a real name during season two. Until then though, most Star Wars fans are happy calling him Baby Yoda instead of The Child.