Since his reveal at the end of the first episode of season one of the Disney Plus Star Wars show The Mandalorian, the Star Wars character Grogu- otherwise known by his given nickname of Baby Yoda- quickly rose through the ranks of the Star Wars universe to become one of the most popular and beloved characters from the entire franchise!
Grogu did not appear in any of the Star Wars Movies. But he did exist in the same timeline .
That’s pretty impressive for a character who was only introduced in 2019 when the show came out.
Baby Yoda has become an icon of the Star Wars franchise in an incredibly short amount of time, but did he appear in any way before this introduction in The Mandalorian?
Though Grogu did not appear on screen beforehand, speculation can be made as to where he would have been in the Star Wars universe at different times in the franchise.
With this in mind, we are going to be having a look through the different Star Wars films to see where Grogu may have been and how he might have slotted into the world, even though we didn’t physically see him.
Let’s get started.
Grogu’s Date Of Birth, BBY And ABY
READ the complete Grogu’s Age and timeline here
Grogu was born in 41 BBY, but we should probably look at what BBY stands for before we go further!
BBY stands for “Before the Battle of Yavin” and refers to the significant event of the Battle of Yavin, which is the climactic battle that we see at the end of Star Wars: A New Hope, wherein Luke destroys the first Death Star.
Due to the significance of this event in the Star Wars universe, BBY and ABY- standing for “After the Battle of Yavin”- are standard measurements of time in the fictional franchise.
As we mentioned, Grogu was born in 41 BBY.
He is 50 years old at the time of The Mandalorian series when we first meet him, which is in 9 ABY.
The Prequel Films
Due to Grogu being born around 41 BBY and his position as a Force-sensitive being, he was raised on Coruscant at the Jedi Temple.
Grogu was a Jedi Initiate- also known as Jedi younglings due to being Force-sensitive children- of the well-known Jedi Order, the religious and monastic order of those able to harness the powers of the Force who were bound together by their devotion and dedication to the light side of the Force.
Let’s be real, you all know what the Force is and who the Jedi are, so that’s all we are going to say on the matter!
Grogu survived Order 66, which was the Great Jedi Purge that occurred during the third and final Star Wars prequel film, Revenge of the Sith.
This purge lasted for many years, beginning in 19 BBY and ending in 3 BBY.
The order was carried out by the Sith, who had been plotting the elimination of the Jedi in secret for centuries.
It can be assumed that Grogu was protected, hidden and kept safe during these years, as many other younglings were not so lucky as to escape the purge.
Who helped him survive and how he managed to hide for so long is unknown.
When Grogu and The Mandalorian- also known by his actual name Din Djarin– meets Padawan Ashoka Tano, she uses her Force sensitivity to feel Grogu’s thoughts as he cannot voice them himself due to still being a child (he might be 50 years old, but he is still an infant due to the way his species ages!).
When she does this, she notes that she can see that Grogu had worked with various Jedi Masters.
This could be a reference to his time training under the Jedi Order before the purge, which would have been during the first two prequel films.
Grogu was also likely to have witnessed the slaughter of his Jedi peers at the hands of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, but the circumstances surrounding this and his time hiding- from between 19 BBY and 0 BBY- are uncertain, as alluded to by Ashoka when she meets Grogu as she states that his memories begin to grow dark as she attempts communication with him.
The Original Films
As mentioned, Grogu would have been in hiding throughout the entirety of the original trilogy.
Despite his kind being mercilessly hunted down and killed, he managed to stay safe and keep his Force powers well hidden.
For a decent amount of years at least.
Unfortunately, Grogu’s luck eventually did run out, as he would be captured and held at a Nikto encampment.
This likely happened at some point between 4 ABY up to 9 ABY.
4 ABY is when Return of the Jedi– the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy- took place, with 9 ABY being five years after.
The Mandalorian
Grogu was found in 9 ABY and made his first on-screen appearance in the Disney Plus show The Mandalorian, so although Grogu existed in the Star Wars universe before his on-screen debut, he was never seen on screen.
That being said, he has had a few appearances in LEGO Star Wars short films that have come out since the release of seasons one and two of The Mandalorian.
Since every appearance counts, let’s take a closer look at them!
Snowflake Snack
Whilst this is a non canon installment in the Star Wars franchise that aired online in November 2020, it does show Grogu using his powers quite prolifically.
He is shown using his abilities to let himself out of the Razor Crest ship belonging to Din Djarin as well as using them to create and levitate snowballs.
LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special
Grogu only appears briefly in the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special from November 2020, and his appearance acts as a moment of connection between Rey- from the most recent film trilogy- and
Trick-Or-Treat
In another LEGO short from September 2021, we see Grogu again, but this time he doesn’t use his powers all that much.
Instead, he just helps himself to heaps of Halloween candy!
Ghost Ship
In another Halloween-themed LEGO short from September 2021, Grogu uses his powers to fend off Stormtroopers and Moff Gideon rather effectively.
He fights them so well that both he and Din have time to escape from Moff Gideon’s ship, which is pretty impressive for a youngling (even if it isn’t canon!).
Will Grogu Appear In Any Future Star Wars Films?
Grogu has become such a popular figure in the Star Wars universe that it is likely that we will see him at some point on the big screen, as well as see him continue on with his role on the small screen with The Mandalorian.
His film debut could happen in a number of ways, such as the following:
- A new trilogy of Star Wars films, particularly one that centers on the reformation of the Jedi Order. His role as one of the Jedi younglings that survived Order 66 could make for a plethora of interesting stories, especially if Grogu takes an active role in rebuilding the Jedi.
- Standalone Star Wars films, such as those surrounding The Mandalorian.
- More short films, be they LEGO, animated or any other kind of short film.
Final Thoughts
Whilst Baby Yoda/Grogu/The Child has not appeared in any Star Wars films as of yet – despite him canonically being present in the Star Wars universe through the prequels and the original trilogy– there is definitely a strong chance that we will see the cute green infant in future Star Wars film projects thanks to his popularity with the fans and the potential that his character has for interesting storytelling.
Brad Burnie is the founder of Starships.com. He loves all video game genres. In his spare time, he loves reading, watching movies, and gaming
