The World According to Baby Yoda

Life’s tough in a galaxy far, far away. Whether it’s Jawas stealing the grease off an engine or new types of evil manifesting after every breath, poor Grogu, aka Baby Yoda, goes through the most in his corner of the Star Wars Universe. However, he must be a secret Monty Python fan because this 50-year-old toddler can’t help but look on the bright side of life. As the celebrations for Star Wars Day kick off, let’s take a look back at what everyone can learn from Grogu and how he sees the world around him.

Never pass up the opportunity for a nap.

There’s a pressure from society to always be busy–the hustle culture that all LinkedIn bros insist is the way. Even the Star Wars Universe can’t escape it. Someone needs to be fighting an intergalactic war or joining some cause, as no one finds the time to just breathe and reconnect with their inner self. Grogu doesn’t believe in these principles. Instead, he practices self-love in the form of naps and getting in his full eight hours of sleep every night.

For Baby Yoda, he never misses out on the opportunity to turn to the dark side of his eyelids and catch some Zs. Regardless of the peril or the urgency, Grogu finds the time to step away from reality and dream about a world where he gets to stuff his mouth with a variety of eggs and play with shiny things. It proves to be a wise choice, because when he wakes up, he has a clear mind and recharged body, using his new state of clarity to solve problems with his Force abilities and general cuteness. Imagine how much better the galaxy could be if everyone took a power nap instead of engaging in full-blown battles all the time. Pillows over blasters, please.

Use great power for good.

Somewhere in Heaven, Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben must grin every time Baby Yoda uses the Force. While Grogu shows a high degree of power for one so young, he uses it responsibly, refusing to walk around and Force blast everything as if he has a magical Nerf gun in his fingertips. Instead, he only uses the ancient energy within when it’s absolutely necessary in a life-or-death situation.

Despite being raised at the Jedi Temple and heading off with Luke Skywalker to learn the way of the Jedi, Grogu decides to follow a different destiny. He doesn’t want to be a space cop–like the rest of the self-righteous Jedi who seem to be at the center of all the trouble in the galaxy–he wants to explore the world with Din Djarin and help out wherever he can. When Luke presents Grogu with an option of taking Yoda’s lightsaber or chainmail armor, Grogu chooses the latter as it symbolizes his attachment to the Mandalorian (and also possibly because it’s shiny). He could have wielded a legendary lightsaber and learned how to tap into deeper, greater power, but he chose the path of love rather than that of being a soldier of star wars.

Embrace other cultures and cuisines.

For Grogu, life’s an adventure. Not only does he possess an understanding of the Jedi Order and the Way of the Mandalore, he also tries to learn from every creature or being he encounters in his travels across the galaxy. He never tries to be superior or as if he knows more than others, as he simply takes it all in and lives under the knowledge tree of life.

This extends to his appetite, too. Grogu indulges in delicacies such as frog and spider eggs, while also attempting to sample whatever he can stuff in his mouth. Sure, he often needs a reminder that some things (and creatures) aren’t meant to be eaten, but one cannot fault his desire to sample exotic cuisine. His diet isn’t limited to beans on toast, that’s for sure.

You can choose your family.

Those who say blood is thicker than water have obviously never sat down for a Thanksgiving dinner with all their relatives. In Grogu’s case, though, he doesn’t even have the luxury of despising a drunk uncle or passive-aggressive parent. With no known blood relatives, he’s all alone in this world–or is he? Grogu understands that family is more than blood, building strong emotional connections with the people he meets on his journeys.

The close relationship between him and Din Djarin culminates with the Mandalorian adopting him, but it’s remarkable how Baby Yoda creates his own family circle beyond this. Peli Motto becomes a surrogate aunt as the Mandalorian drops off Grogu for her to babysit on occasion. Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano also create powerful attachments to the child, as they share a Jedi connection and become something more than masters. Ultimately, it’s clear Grogu subscribes to the Dom Toretto school of thought, uttering the mantra in his own unique goo-goo-ga-ga: “I don’t have friends, I’ve got family.”