Just when you thought Anna and Elsa would rule over Christmas as this season’s must-have merchandise, Jon Favreau and The Mandalorian reveal their adorable little ace card: Baby Yoda.
The 50-year-old ‘child’ (or asset, depending on who you ask) has truly taken the Internet by storm, inspiring nine kinds of memes and GIFs – GIFs that were temporarily culled from the web before Disney reversed its decision. So when we tell you that Mattel is about to open pre-orders on an official, 11-inch plush of Baby Yoda as he appears in The Mandalorian, you best act quick.
First spotted by ComicBook.com (see below), a Walmart listing emerged earlier this morning, only to be yanked offline before anyone could put their money down. From what we understand, the Baby Yoda plush should be back online by 3pm EST today (pre-order, you must!), while the official description reads as so:
Fully embrace the cuteness of the 50-year-old Yoda species with this adorable 11-inch plush toy. He may look like a Baby Yoda, but this lovable creature is referred to as The Child. Inspired by the Disney+ live-action series The Mandalorian, this sweet Star Wars plush toy makes a Force-sensitive addition to your collection.
Priced at $25, Mattel’s Baby Yoda plush seemingly won’t be ready for a release until May of 2020. That was a conscious decision on Disney and Jon Favreau’s part, as the latter wanted to ensure that The Child was kept hidden from the public eye – otherwise it may have been dismissed as a marketing ploy or unashamed cash-grab. This way, The Mandalorian was able to introduce Baby Yoda as an integral part of the story, and it’s worked like a charm.
The Mandalorian‘s inaugural season continues this Friday, December 6th, and it’s fair to say that Lucasfilm’s episodic adventure has made the wait for Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker a little easier.
