Star Wars Finale Pokes Fun at Baby Yoda Controversy

By Jennifer McDonough Updated:
Grogu, various Star Wars characters on red and blue backgrounds

The grand finale for the latest Star Wars series on Disney+ finally arrived on February 9, 2022. The Book of Boba Fett's conclusion saw the ex-bounty hunter's conflict with the fearsome Pyke Syndicate come to a head. The episode wrapped up the season's continuing plot threads and also left the door open for further adventures with Fett and this corner of the Star Wars galaxy. The arcs of some popular characters from The Mandalorian were also pushed forward.

Warning - The rest of the article contains spoilers for The Book of Boba Fett.

Indeed, the final episode of The Book of Boba Fett saw Temuera Morrison's Boba and his allies run the Pyke Syndacite out of Mos Espa and off of Tatooine, seemingly for good. Along for the ride was the Mandalorian himself, Din Djarin. Also taking place in this installment was the reuniting of Djarin with his pint-sized pal, Grogu. 

Before he was given an official name in Star Wars canon, audiences latched onto the name "Baby Yoda" while Lucasfilm continually referred to the character as "The Child." However, during an encounter with ex-Jedi Ahsoka Tano on the planet Corvus, Tano uses the Force to communicate with the little one and reveals his name to be Grogu.

The revelation was met with a mostly positive response, but as with everything related to Star Wars, it's difficult to please everyone. The Grogu name did have its fair share of detractors.

Peli Motto Tells It Like It Is

In "Chapter 7" of The Book of Boba Fett, a lone X-Wing, piloted by none other than the famed astromech droid R2-D2, lands in the Mos Eisely garage owned by Amy Sedaris' Peli Motto. When the hatch opens on the X-Wing, Motto sees Grogu sitting in the cockpit, only to have Artoo learn that Grogu is "a terrible name" and that there's "no way" she'll refer to him as such:

Peli Motto holds Grogu
Lucasfilm

"Let me say hello to my old pal. Well hello, bright eyes! Come here! Grogu? Woah, that's a terrible name! Sorry about that pal, no way am I calling you that."

Grogu in Motto’s arms
Lucasfilm

 

Teasing the Star Wars Fanbase?

It would seem as though the show is having a tiny bit of fun at Star Wars fans' expense by making fun of the brouhaha surrounding the name Grogu. The line, "That's a terrible name... No way am I calling you that!" could practically have been lifted from Twitter or Reddit from around the time that Grogu's name was revealed in The Mandalorian Season 2.

Star Wars fans can be a difficult bunch to satisfy at times. The franchise means so many things to so many different people that some groups are bound to be disappointed when an element of one of the films or television shows doesn't match up to what they personally wanted.

That being said, it's good to see that Lucasfilm has a sense of humor about these mini-controversies and doesn't take itself too seriously.

As for Grogu, he was last seen jetting off in the modified droid socket of Djarin's customized Naboo N1 starfighter to whatever the duo's next adventure ends up being. Fans won't need to wait too long for that story to arrive on Disney+, as Season 3 of The Mandalorian is expected to arrive on Disney+ in 2022.

All seven chapters of The Book of Boba Fett are now streaming exclusively on Disney+.

- About The Author: Jennifer McDonough
Jennifer McDonough has been a writer at The Direct since its 2020 launch. She is responsible for the creation of news articles and features. She also has a particular affinity for action figures and merchandise, which she revels in discussing in the articles she writes, when the situation calls for it.