The Mandalorian; a TV series chronicling the adventures of a nameless bounty hunter in a galaxy far, far away, has arguably been a bigger hit with Star Wars fans than The Rise of Skywalker - the final movie of the sequel trilogy. Airing on Disney's new streaming service Disney+, it's already fared well with both audiences and critics.
However, when the first episode dropped the main talking point wasn't on the subject of the story or special effects. Instead, fans instantly fell in love with 'The Child' - an infant alien who appears to be the same species as the Jedi master Yoda.
Check out this cool behind-the-scenes video on Baby Yoda shared by Jon Favreau:Since then, fans have been churning out memes and tributes to the adorable little alien with gusto, and that enthusiasm shows no sign of stopping. In typical Star Wars fashion, Baby Yoda has also been a major merchandising opportunity. Here's some good news: you can now purchase a life-size replica of the character of Baby Yoda to have in your own home.
The replica model is currently being sold on Sideshow Collectibles for $350. Preorders for the figure open today, but it’s not expected to arrive until August/October 2020. Measuring 16-and-a-half inches tall, the figure is constructed out of fabric, plastic, and resin and looks just like the real thing.
In a recent interview with Collider series creator, Jon Favreau spoke about how secretive Disney has been about merchandise, so as to prevent spoilers. The Iron Man director stated: "I have to thank Disney and Lucasfilm because the way the cat usually gets out of the bag with that stuff is merchandising and toy catalogs and things like that.
He added: "So they really back us up. We really wanted to have it be that you had to watch it yourself, so that every time you watch the show, there are new twists and secrets that come out."