The Mandalorian – the new Star Wars TV series depicting a bounty hunter operating on the fringes of the galaxy, has received praise from both critics and audiences so far. Which is all well and good. People love good TV, after all. It seems, however, that there’s one thing people love more.

Yes, as you may’ve heard, The Mandalorian has a breakout character destined to be seen on kid’s lunch boxes and stuffed down Christmas stockings for years to come. Known as Baby Yoda, who’s either an adorable miniature of a film icon or a menace to society (depending on your outlook on life), has burst into the mainstream. And, despite initial denials, it appears that merch baring his winsome green face will be available to purchase just in time for the holidays, with all the festive paraphernalia that entails.

Of course, one never knows for certain what the next movie-media merchandising craze will be, but it looks like this is the latest such frenzy to have landed – a proverbial consumerist hurricane. Then again, the Star Wars franchise has had no shortage of cutesy iconography to market to the world throughout its storied history. A lineage dating back to R2-D2 (classic), Ewoks (less so), and continuing into this decade’s Disney-produced blockbusters.

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