Why Did George Lucas Resist Bringing Grogu Into Star Wars? 

Star Wars as a franchise has officially changed hands from Lucasfilm to Disney. But it can’t be denied that there is only one person whose

By Ishita Chatterjee
February 16,2022
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Star Wars as a franchise has officially changed hands from Lucasfilm to Disney. But it can’t be denied that there is only one person whose views actually matter regarding this galactic franchise- George Lucas.

His imagination has given birth to one of the most successful franchises in all of Hollywood. So it’s only fitting that his apprentice, Dave Filoni, has become a major storytelling force in a galaxy far, far away.

He currently oversees the MandoVerse along with Jon Favreau. Lucas still stays in touch with Filoni as well as Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm’s President. Also, he has visited sets of every Star Wars project under Disney.

As such, he has been to The Mandalorian’s production as well. He has watched Rosario Dawson, and Dave Filoni bring Ahsoka Tano to life. Initially, Lucas was hesitant to bring in a baby belonging to Yoda’s species.

This was because he thought that it would hamper the mystique and aura of Jedi Master Yoda. But he eventually caved in and created one of the newest and most popular Star Wars characters with Favreau.

Now, we know a lot about Grogu’s powers with the Force, and what path he has chosen to follow. But there was a time when the people behind the character didn’t fully know Baby Yoda’s backstory.

So Filoni turned to Lucas for advice.

George Lucas Was Concerned About Grogu’s Training

George Lucas meets Grogu
George Lucas meets Grogu

In the Star Wars book The Art of The Mandalorian: Season 2, it was revealed that director and writer Dave Filoni discussed Grogu with George Lucas.

Lucas apparently wanted to make sure that the character learned just how to hone in on his Force powers. Here’s the quote on the matter:

“I had a talk with George, at one point, about the Child, and his main concern was that the kid has to have a proper amount of training.”

Also, George Lucas indirectly influenced a decision made by concept artist Doug Chiang in “Chapter 15 – The Believer” after his set visit on Rogue One. Here’s the quote:

“An early idea was that the Imperial drivers were wearing the same armor as the AT-AT commanders [from The Empire Strikes Back]. Ultimately, we decided to go with the tank troopers from Rogue One [a design chosen by George Lucas on a Rogue One pre-production set visit].”

Chiang explained in the foreword of the book that The Mandalorian’s art department still follows the design principles Lucas established in Star Wars. Here’s what he said:

“So, what makes a strong Star Wars design? The guidelines established by George Lucas are simple: Design as if a child could draw it. Design for the silhouette. Design for the iconic logo. Keep it simple. Give it personality and make it believable.”

George Lucas’ Concerns Make Sense

The Star Wars sequel trilogy
The Star Wars sequel trilogy

It’s amazing that George Lucas still continues to have a remarkable influence on the franchise even after it was sold to Disney. However, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing.

Originally he wanted to be deeply involved with the Sequel Trilogy as well. But Disney didn’t care for his story, and the directors/writers of the movie didn’t follow up the story he set up well.

This turned the creator away from his company, and since then he has taken more of a back seat. But as we read, even his set of visits have yielded positive results.

Lucas’ reservations about Grogu make sense. After all, for a character like Grogu to have the power to heal injured beings and lift beasts, he needed to be properly trained regarding his abilities.

Grogu uses force choke
Grogu uses force choke

Otherwise, it would have pushed the boundaries of believability. It’s also important that little Grogu continues to learn so that he can grow beyond his helplessness and become a powerful fighter and teacher, too.

Grogu is pretty much Rey’s opposite. He is from a species that’s naturally blessed with the Force. But without proper discipline and training, he couldn’t evolve as a Jedi.

Favreau and Filoni have emphasized that the character needs to devote himself as well as take the proper time to harness his powers. After all, even Luke tells Din Djarin before taking Grogu that Talent without training is of no use.

You can check out Grogu’s journey in seasons 1 and 2 of The Mandalorian as well as season 1 of The Book of Boba Fett, which’s streaming on Disney+.

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