Baby Yoda Meets An Iconic ‘Star Wars’ Character In ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 Finale

Baby Yoda had to meet a Jedi in The Mandalorian season two finale. Likely the same one who saved him from Order 66 and, as explained by Ahsoka Tano, took him from the Jedi temple and “hid him.” But which one? Would it be Mace Windu (if Boba Fett can “return” from the “dead,” Samuel L. Jackson can, too)? Or lady Yoda, Yaddle? Or would it be an entirely new character? Nope. He met the most famous Jedi of them all.

In “Chapter 16: The Rescue,” Mando and his crew — Bo-Katan, Koska, Fennec, Cara Dune, and Boba Fett — take Pershing hostage, and using knowledge from the not-so-good doctor, they scheme their way aboard Moff Gideon’s ship. While Bo-Katan & Co. take care of the Stormtroopers and officers, Mando looks for the Child. Along the way, he sends a battalion of near-indestructible Dark Troopers floating in space (ladies and gentlemen…). The plan works splendidly (father and child are reunited, and he even gains the Darksaber from Moff Gideon, as requested by Bo-Katan), until the Darktroopers return to the ship and pound their way through the bridge’s blast doors. Things look break, but then a Jedi boards the cruiser and begins slicing the robotroopers with the ease of a hot knife going through butter (the butter is blue, because Star Wars). Who could it be? Green lightsaber, black glove on right hand… is it?

It is.

Baby Yoda is saved by Luke Skywalker, approximately five years after Anakin’s kid watched Yoda become “one with the Force,” in his first live-action post-Return of the Jedi and pre-The Force Awakens appearance. In the time period between partying with the Ewoks on Endor and grumpily living among the Porgs on Ahch-To, Luke looked for Jedi artifacts, trained with Leia, and taught a new generation of Jedi, including Ben Solo (that did not work out well) and, apparently, Baby Yoda. May they never meet.

“He wants your permission,” Luke tells Mando about getting Grogu to come with him. “He is strong with the Force, but talent without training is nothing. I will give my life to protect the Child, but he will not be safe until he masters his abilities.” Mando takes his helmet off, for the second time in two weeks, so that Baby Yoda can see his face for the first time. It’s a good thing no one could see my face, because I was tearing up.

“Alright, pal. It’s time to go.” And now I’m sobbing.

Was it weird seeing Mark Hamill’s smoothed-out CGI face? Of course. But we’re used to that from Rogue One. And besides, it’s still Luke F*cking Skywalker. And bonus R2-D2! (It’s a nice detail to have the droid be distrustful of Baby Yoda at first.)

His entrance looked awfully familiar, too.

A good ending to a good season of The Mandalorian, which returns in late 2021. Be sure to stick around through the finale’s credits, too. We’ll have more on that development later today.