At first, Famuyiwa apparently couldn’t see Grogu as, well, a Grogu. As previously mentioned, the moniker of Baby Yoda just made sense for the little guy and was instantly catchy. Grogu, on the other hand, just didn’t sound right to the director. He remarked that it didn’t roll off the tongue that well, about which he admittedly has a point. But seriously, after all these years of “Star Wars” and all the crazy names thrown around throughout the series, would Grogu really be anyone’s final straw?
No matter your or Famuyiwa’s personal thoughts on Grogu’s name, the important thing is that he has a name at all. While he may not really speak, he’s a critical character that deserves to be seen as multi-dimensional and able to grow. As Jon Favreau explained to Empire, revealing his name is one step that helps him become his own unique part of the “Star Wars” universe, not just a baby version of a beloved character. That’s precisely why they had Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) bring that pivotal moment to life.
“It was a fun opportunity to add more dimension and history to the character, having somebody Force-sensitive actually read [the name] from him,” he explained.
“The Mandalorian” returns to Disney+ on March 1, 2023.