Summary
- The introduction of "Baby Yoda" in The Mandalorian was revolutionary, but Star Wars actually hinted at this concept in 2005.
- Obi-Wan and Yoda pretended that Yoda was an ugly Jedi baby to gain access to the Jedi Temple, making a baby version of Yoda's species.
- Grogu, the real "Baby Yoda," may have been inspired by this earlier concept, and his future in the Star Wars universe looks promising as he journeys with Din Djarin.
The introduction of Grogu as "Baby Yoda" in The Mandalorian rocked the whole world, but Star Wars actually first introduced this concept 14 years before then. Before Grogu was given his name in The Mandalorian season 2, the entire world lovingly called him "Baby Yoda," a name that stuck for a full calendar year until Ahsoka Tano was able to reveal his name to Din Djarin and the rest of the Star Wars audience. Despite the name reveal, many viewers still continue to refer to Grogu by his affectionate nickname, and the concept of a baby version of Yoda continues to live on in memes, jokes, and more across the Star Wars fandom.
Grogu's introduction felt revolutionary at the time it occurred in 2019, but in reality, Star Wars actually teased is all the way back in 2005. The novelization for Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith reveals that it was none other than Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda themselves who made the way for this introduction, though it wasn't as the saviors of the youngling who's since become a Mandalorian apprentice. Instead, they made their own version of a "Baby Yoda."
Your browser does not support the video tag. Obi-Wan's Revenge Of The Sith Gambit Is Hilarious 
Obi-Wan and Yoda needed a gambit to get them into the Jedi Temple after Order 66 in the Revenge of the Sith novelization, and they found their solution in pretending that Yoda was an ugly Jedi baby that Obi-Wan was carrying. This, quite literally, made Yoda a baby version of himself, and the way the clone's narrative description emphasizes his ugliness only makes it even funnier. This technique ended up working for the two of them and granted them access to the Jedi Temple, but in retrospect, the joke gets even better knowing there was truly a baby version of Yoda's species that would have been seen around the Jedi Temple during that era.
