Let’s talk about the biggest, greenest, backward-speaking elephant in the room: Yoda. And by extension, Grogu… and Yaddle. I know you don’t want to remember that, but that’s how PTSD works.
We’ve seen these enigmatic, long-lived, profoundly Force-sensitive beings flit through the sagas, dropping wisdom, levitating starships, and generally being adorable. But their origins? A complete and utter mystery. And for good reason, or so we’ve been told. George Lucas famously, almost religiously, guarded the secret of their species, insisting it should never be revealed.
Well, George, with all due respect to the maker of my childhood dreams… times change. And with The Mandalorian saga continuing, with Grogu as a central figure, and Disney likely scared they made something like Andor, so darn good, we’re teetering on the precipice of a revelation that could redefine our understanding of the Force itself. The hot take? Grogu’s species isn’t just Force-sensitive; they are, quite literally, born of the Force.
Now, before you grab your thermal detonators and accuse me of heresy, hear me out! This isn’t just wild speculation fueled by too little grass touching and a desperate need for answers; there are whispers, threads, and tantalizing hints woven into the very fabric of Star Wars lore that suggest something far more profound.
Let’s start with the obvious: their unparalleled connection to the Force. Yoda, at over 900 years old, was the Grand Master of the Jedi Order for centuries. His connection was so deep that he could communicate with Force ghosts and even become one. Yaddle, though less explored, was also a High Council member, her wisdom and power undeniable. And Grogu? A mere 50-year-old infant, already demonstrating telekinesis, Force-healing, and even Force-choking abilities that would make even Vader blush. This isn’t just strong Force-sensitivity; this is a baseline power level that dwarfs nearly every other known species in the galaxy. It’s not an outlier; it’s the norm for them.
Since we are talking Yaddle, let’s also consider the midichlorians, the microscopic life forms that reside within all living cells and communicate with the Force. While controversial for some, they were Lucas’s attempt to quantify and explain the Force’s presence. What if, for Yoda’s species, their midichlorian count isn’t just high, but astronomically high? The only being we know of that was directly created from the force & had a higher count, was Anakin. That adds credibility to the fact that Yoda is closer to a created being by that standard alone. What if their very cellular structure is so infused with these conduits of the Force that they are, in essence, living conduits themselves? This leads us to the concept of the Whills.
Is Yoda’s species a direct manifestation of the Whills’ influence? Perhaps a deliberate creation or an organic byproduct of the Force’s primordial stirrings? This connection also neatly explains their longevity. If their existence is directly tied to the Force, and the Force is eternal, then their lifespans would naturally extend far beyond that of other species. Their physical forms might age, but their Force-essence, their very being, would remain deeply connected to an unending wellspring of energy.
Furthermore, it accounts for their rarity. We’ve only ever seen “three” of them in canon (you may want to deny it, but the Christmas special was a Lucas canon project). Three! In a galaxy teeming with trillions of lifeforms across countless planets, that’s an almost statistically impossible anomaly for a naturally evolving species. But if they are a unique, Force-born creation, then their scarcity makes perfect sense. They aren’t breeding in the traditional sense; they are emerging.
Now, the contentious part: George Lucas’s adamant refusal to reveal their origin. Why? Perhaps he felt that demystifying Yoda would lessen his mystique. And in many ways, he was right. Part of Yoda’s allure is the unknown. But there’s a difference between revealing a boring, biological evolutionary path and revealing a profound, spiritual, and galaxy-altering origin.
Imagine The Mandalorian exploring this. Din Djarin, in his quest to understand and protect Grogu, stumbles upon a Force-saturated planet, perhaps the fabled homeworld of the Whills themselves. He finds ancient texts, or even Force visions, that reveal the genesis of Yoda’s species, not as a biological evolution, but as a spontaneous generation from the very fabric of the cosmic Force. Grogu, therefore, isn’t just a Force-sensitive child; he’s a living embodiment of the Force’s creative power, a direct link to the very source of all energy in the galaxy.
This wouldn’t diminish Yoda or Grogu; it would elevate him. It would make his wisdom and power even more profound, knowing that he is a direct conduit of the Force’s will. It would explain why he seems to understand the Force on a level beyond even the most revered Jedi. It would also give Grogu’s journey an even greater cosmic significance, as he isn’t just learning to use the Force, but learning to understand his inherent nature as a child of the Force itself.
This isn’t just fan service; it’s a narrative goldmine. It allows The Mandalorian to delve into the very nature of the Force in a way that the Skywalker saga only hinted at and The Clone Wars barely touched on with the Family. It opens up entirely new avenues for understanding Force-users, the Jedi, and the Sith. It gives a cosmic purpose to Grogu’s existence that goes beyond simply being Mando’s adorable sidekick, or Yoda’s son or something else tired and overused.
So, while George Lucas’s wishes are important, the narrative imperative for The Mandalorian to explore Grogu’s origins is undeniable. And the most compelling, most Star Wars-y explanation of all? That Yoda, Yaddle, and Grogu aren’t just Force-sensitive. They are the living embodiment of the Force, born from its primordial essence, a testament to its boundless power and profound mystery. It’s a hot take, I know, but imagine the possibilities. Imagine the awe. Imagine the Force.
Cool article. Interesting idea that fits in a lot of ways. Screw Lucas for withholding their origin.