The Mandalorian Director Says He Knows Baby Yoda’s Real Name

Showrunner Jon Favreau must be ridiculously pleased with how successful The Mandalorian season 1 turned out to be, but we know there’s one thing that annoys him: everyone’s use of the name Baby Yoda to describe The Child. Favreau has stressed that Baby Yoda really isn’t what he should be called. The reason why is because the little critter does have a real name, with it hinted that we’ll get to learn it eventually.

While fans are left in the dark, though, it appears that Favreau has entrusted The Child’s real name to those behind the camera on season 2. Sam Hargrave, longtime Marvel stunt coordinator and director of Netflix’s Extraction, worked on the already completed sophomore run of the Disney Plus show as second unit director. While speaking to Collider, he revealed that he’s one of the few with the insider knowledge of Baby Yoda’s true identity.

“Yes, I know the name of The Child,” Hargrave said. “I carry that secret. It’s a very heavy burden.”

Now, the fact that Hargrave is in the know could tell us that The Child’s name will be unveiled within season 2. If that’s the case, then the wait to find out what we should really be calling Baby Yoda in all those memes is due to end in just a few short months. That is, unless, fellow director Taika Waititi actually already told us when he responded to a fan on Twitter. But somehow, we’re pretty sure he was joking when he said The Child is actually called “Nigel.”

Even if Favreau is playing the long game with the mystery of Baby Yoda’s name, though, there’s still plenty to be excited for in The Mandalorian season 2. A bunch of familiar faces will be featured, for one, including Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), The Clone Wars‘ Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) and even a resurrected Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison). Filming wrapped up prior to the pandemic, so it’s on target to premiere on the streaming service this October.