With the release of The Mandalorian on Disney+, the world has been introduced to the single cutest character to ever come out of the Star Wars franchise: a baby member of Yoda’s species!
But believe it or not, Star Wars isn’t the only Disney franchise to feature an adorable space-faring baby. So I’ve pitted myself against AllEars’ resident Marvel fan, Sarah Sands, to settle the burning question no one is asking but everyone should: Who is cuter: Baby Yoda or Baby Groot?
Fair warning: Spoilers for Episodes 1 and 2 of The Mandalorian and both Guardians of the Galaxy films Ahead!
Wait, Yoda’s a baby now?
Well, no. Yoda famously became one with the Force in Return of the Jedi, and his Force Ghost appears in The Last Jedi. The Mandalorian takes place between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. So, barring some sort of weird time travel shenanigans (I’m looking at you Avengers: Endgame), this isn’t the Yoda but a baby member of Yoda’s species. George Lucas famously refused to reveal any details about Yoda’s species or background, so this is a significant development from a franchise perspective.
The question of Yoda’s species is also one of the few things that expanded universe writers were forbidden from addressing before Disney bought the franchise, on par with killing off Han Solo or Luke Skywalker. Of course, Disney has done both of those things since buying the franchise, so it remains to be seen if we’ll learn more about Yoda’s species in The Mandalorian.
But that’s not important right now. What’s important is HOW CUTE THIS LITTLE GUY IS.
Look at those big eyes! The tiny wrinkled face. Its EARS! They look like an old man even though they’re just a fifty-year-old baby! (Look, different species age differently.) They even wear TINY BROWN ROBES.
In episode two of The Mandalorian, the titular hardened bounty hunter is instantly smitten with the little green guy and spends much of the episode trying to protect them. What’s even cuter is that the baby seems to love his new dad, too. After the Mando is hurt trying to save them, they keep crawling out of their little bassinet to try to tend to his injuries. But that’s nothing compared to the grand finale of the episode, when the Mandalorian is locked in a fight with a ferocious space beast and is about to be gored on its horn.
That’s not the Mandalorian tapping into the force to lift that space rhino off the ground.
It’s THE BABY! They’re still in the cradle, and they can already use the Force to save their space dad! They get so tired afterward that they need to take a nap for the rest of the episode (typical baby probs).
Look, Baby Groot is cute and all, especially when he’s dancing to old pop hits on Star Lord’s Zune. We all love him, but Baby Yoda is the sweetest, most loving little guy in the galaxy. They’re willing to help protect the bounty hunter they just met, and I’m hoping that the Mandalorian loves and protects this little guy for the rest of the series!
Plus there’s that element of peril. We know some bad Imperial guys are after the poor baby and are willing to spend a lot of credits on their capture. Why? We don’t know! Could it be a plan by Supreme Leader Snoke? Is Emperor Palpatine trying to take over an adorable new body? All I know is that if anything happens to my new space child, I will march directly to Disney HQ and cry. A lot. A truly embarrassing amount.
Why Groot is the Cutest
Okay, first off, I agree with Austin: Baby Yoda is cute. I’ve already talked to my husband about the possibilities of a baby in the house that can telepathically move items and take care of our gecko issue on the porch. I wonder if he can clean telepathically as well? But I digress. I may think Baby Yoda is cute (and I am totally making this DIY Baby Yoda), but Baby Groot is my favorite Disney baby ever.
Baby Groot was born out of love for his friends. He is Baby Groot because he sacrificed his adult form to protect his friends. If you have a friend (or… tree) like that by your side when things go sideways, you are pretty lucky. Groot’s love for his friends and loyalty make him a person (or… tree) I want to know.
Baby Groot has moves! He can dance! He loves music! Plus he’s playful. When we first meet Baby Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy’s end credits, he is grooving along, then playing statue with Drax – I mean how can you not fall in love with him!? When we see Baby Groot at the beginning of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 he is dancing his way through a pretty dramatic (and slimy) battle. It was then that he danced into my heart forever.
Baby Groot is just that — a baby, one who brings a smile to our hearts or tears to our eyes. Baby Groot is sad when Gamora leaves with Peter, and she assures him as she leaves all will be well with Rocket and Nebula, just as a child is sad when their mom leaves them with a babysitter for the day. Baby Groot grieves with Peter at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 while also offering him comfort as a son. Baby Groot yawns and naps on Drax’s shoulder like a baby would. He reminds us of babies we had or have in our lives. Just, you know, barkier.
Baby Groot is bullied. When Baby Groot is made fun of and bullied by a group of ravagers we all want to scoop him up and protect him. As he walks away dejected, he finds his true friends in a pinch and helps them out even though he is feeling low.
Baby Groot loves M&Ms. No more to say here. Anyone who loves M&Ms is OK!
Baby Groot saves the day. Without too many spoilers all I’ll say is the Guardians live to see another day (and movie) because of Groot’s work. We might not have thought he could do it (it got pretty close there with the death button), but he ensures the Guardians make it out alive.
No matter which side you fall on in this debate, I am fairly certain you can’t make a wrong choice here. Unless of course, Baby Yoda turns out be on the Dark Side. If that happens, those of us in the Baby Groot camp will welcome Baby Yoda fans to our side with open arms.
Well, there you have it; two sides, one epic debate. Which side are you on? Does Baby Yoda reign supreme, or will the littlest member of the Guardians of the Galaxy be saying “I am Cute”? Let us know in the comments!
Are you totally clueless on this whole Baby Yoda sensation? We can help you! Learn more about The Mandalorian here!
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Yoda, without a doubt. Mostly because unlike pretty much everyone in existence, I find Baby Groot insufferable. My major problem with him really isn’t even his fault per say, it’s everything that went into the character, from the almost clinically engineered way he’s designed to elicit at many “awwws” from the viewer so possible, and because I think his incision through the entire film, at opposed to maybe the first part before a tone jump resulted in the movie not being as good as it should be.
Most of all it’s James Gunn shamelessly squeezing everything off with as he can get from the character, even if it means ret-coning aspects of the story around him in an impulsive way. The statement that “Groot from Vol 1 is dead and this is his offspring,” to the dubious claim, again long after the film had been out for couple years, that Groots last words in Infinity war was to call Rocket “Dad.”
This was obviously something that was never the case when they wrote the film and I really think was just something he threw out there when he was either high or had been drinking because it just didn’t track with what the movies. He did it to get Groot to trend online again. Maybe it’s not fair to have the sins of the father fall on his son (or at least his character), but like IRL, sometimes it does.
baby groot is my child… so cute
BABY GROOT!!! if anyone ever says ‘baby groot for firewood’ again they will have to face the wrath of me! baby groot is my child 🙂
baby yoda
None they stink
Baby groot! Hes so adorable!
baby yoda wins
You know that the adult groot is baby groots father right? You know they are seperste beings
I feel bad by choosing one of them, both are so cute! We gotta protect them 🥺
Baby Yoda is definitely cute but nothing on Terra is cuter than Baby Groot! I just hated that they didn’t leave him a baby for longer. I find Teenage Groot stereotypical and annoying and we had two movies full of that.
I just have a strange feeling that baby Yoda isn’t a baby at all. At 50 years old (c’mon, if you are reading this article, you already know the plot) and showing very strong control of the Force, I just think he/she is hiding his/her level of understanding, especially trying to heal The Mandolorian’s wounds and protecting him from the beast in the second episode.
The older Yoda is over 900 years old, so Nigel is a baby at 50. 😉