Baby Yoda Vs. Babu Frik: Who Is Cuter?
The Star Wars universe has given us a whole encyclopedia worth of creatures and species, among them some cute and cuddly critters as well. From the Ewoks to the Porgs to the Crystal Foxes, there were already plenty of adorable Star Wars beings with which to fall in love. And then 2019 happened.
In November, Disney launched its own streaming service, Disney+, which brought with it the live-action television series The Mandalorian. Though the show follows its titular bounty hunter played by Pedro Pascal, the cuddly green guy informally known as Baby Yoda stole fans' hearts. Just a month after The Mandalorian's debut came the release of The Rise of Skywalker. The third installment of the latest trilogy in the franchise introduced another cute character: Babu Frik. The tiny Anzellan droidsmith won over Star Wars fans the world over while helping the heroes decipher important information.
Grogu even managed to share the screen with an Anzellan during Season 3, Episode 1 of The Mandalorian. Not even Baby Yoda could resist the creature's cuteness, giving it a big hug in the process. Seeing the two literally next to each other, it's enough to beg the question: which is cuter, Baby Yoda or Babu Frik? Who takes the crown in this battle of cuteness? Let's discuss.
Baby Yoda has the cuteness factor down to an art
Given the history of Yoda in the Star Wars franchise, the unexpected appearance of another member of his species (in a baby carriage, no less) on The Mandalorian made the character an instantly beloved one. Over the course of the series' eight-episode first season, some fans were even less interested in the Mandalorian himself than what Baby Yoda was getting up to — and it's not difficult to see why.
For starters, Baby Yoda both looks adorable. With his huge eyes, oversized ears, tiny hands, and sweet cooing, he's one of those characters who is cute by simply existing. Pretty much everything Baby Yoda does can elicit "awww"s from audiences. The first episode of The Mandalorian had him reaching out his hands to the bounty hunter Mando in a moment that melted hearts, and the little green dude is often seen cuddled up in his robe, sipping bone broth from a cup. (This has become a fan favorite among the Baby Yoda memes on the internet, and there's no way anyone will convince us it isn't the most squeal-inducing thing ever.) Heck, even Baby Yoda eating a frog was somehow cute and not totally horrifying.
Baby Yoda also behaves adorably. Being a very young member of Yoda's mysterious species, he's as curious as any other tot. The little tyke is always wandering around, eavesdropping, and even getting up close and personal with the Loth-cats, another adorable addition to the Star Wars universe.
And then there's the fact that despite being considered only a baby of his species, Baby Yoda is already incredibly strong in the Force, which adds another layer of magnetism to his cuteness. He's saved the life of his "adoptive father" Mando and healed awful wounds with his Force ability, proving his loyalty.
Babu Frik is a different kind of cute
Babu Frik may not have the same outward cuteness factor as Baby Yoda, but he's got plenty going for himself nonetheless. The Anzellan droidsmith is actually even tinier than Baby Yoda purely size-wise, and he's also quite resourceful in his work thanks to his slightly iffy morals when it comes to smuggling. Babu Frik is known across the galaxy as an engineering genius who's able to hack into any droid no matter the vast protections placed on some of them.
He's not only savvy with regards to his work, but also in the friends he keeps. Babu Frik works with the Spice Runners of Kijimi, a mountainous planet that's ultimately destroyed by the First Order during the course of The Rise of Skywalker, and yet the Anzellan appears at the end of the film on Exegol during the battle of the First Order and Resistance fleets. Clearly he was able to hitch a ride out of Kijimi before it went up in flames.
Perhaps it's only that Babu Frik knows a relatively broken English, but his explanation of what will happen to C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) when he wipes his memory is hilariously sassy and undeniably cute. He communicates with his friends in his own language, before turning to Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe (Oscar Isaac) to explain that "droid memory go blech, blech, blech." Adding to Babu Frik's cuteness is the fact that he's one of those individuals who laughs at his own jokes.
His celebrations when he gets a job done are also adorable, throwing his tiny hands up in the air in a mini-rave moment. Plus, he wears cute — and obviously tiny — goggles while he works, along with equally miniature gloves. Try not to coo at that.
So who is cuter, Baby Yoda or Babu Frik?
Both creatures are welcome additions in the Star Wars universe, but which one is actually the cutest addition? As useful as Babu Frik is, Baby Yoda is also quite skilled in his own right, particularly considering he's only a baby of his species. He rid the Mandalorian of a rampaging Mudhorn, was able to choke someone using the Force, and stopped a Stormtrooper's blaster shots from reaching their target.
But on just the visual cuteness factor, Baby Yoda wins hands down. Those big, puppy-like eyes, the oversized robe he wears, and just the general cooing baby noises he makes are a direct contrast to his immense power, but no doubt make him far cuter than Babu Frik. Unfortunately for the Rise of Skywalker character, we're going to have to give this one to Baby Yoda.