According to the events of "The Mandalorian" so far, Grogu and Yoda are not the same character. They are simply from the same species. The name of this species has never been revealed since "Star Wars" creator George Lucas wanted to give Yoda a sense of mystery.
In the episode, Mando and Grogu find the former Jedi Ahsoka Tano so that she can train him. Using the Force, she communicates with Grogu and reveals his name to Mando. Fans were conflicted about the name at the time, with some saying they'd rather stick to the Baby Yoda moniker.
Din Grogu, known only as Grogu until being formally adopted by Din Djarin after the conflict on Mandalore, was a male Force-sensitive Mandalorian belonging to the same mysterious species as the legendary Grand Master Yoda.
The small alien Grogu, affectionately dubbed "Baby Yoda" by viewers, is the emotional heart of The Mandalorian. It wasn't until The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5 that Grogu's real name was revealed, which is why many still liken him to Yoda. Like Yoda, Grogu's backstory and species are mostly shrouded in mystery.
Mando calling Grogu by his name | The Mandalorian Season 2 Episode 6
Why is there no mention of Grogu in Star Wars?
While we know the simple answer is that Grogu hadn't been created yet when The Force Awakens kicked off the third Star Wars trilogy in 2015, it's an interesting question from an in-universe perspective, and one THR recently asked The Mandalorian executive producer Dave Filoni.
It was believed that Grogu would eventually become a victim of Kylo Ren's destruction of Luke's Jedi Order. However, The Book of Boba Fett revealed that Grogu chose to follow the Way of the Mandalorian rather than become a Jedi, sparing him from Kylo Ren's wrath.
Grogu's mother is either Yaddle or some other female member of Yoda's species, but he has no father. Because just like Anakin, Grogu was born off the Will of the Force, with no dad, and that explains why he's so powerful at an age that's considered an infant for Yoda's species.
Din Grogu (/ˈɡroʊɡu/), colloquially referred to as Baby Yoda, is a character from the Star Wars Disney+ original television series The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. He is a toddler member of the same species as the Star Wars characters Yoda and Yaddle, with whom he shares a strong ability in the Force.
Grogu appears to be the youngest known member of Yoda's species. He is only 50 years old, and he is still developmentally an infant. For the whole first season of The Mandalorian™, they referred to him only as the Child. It seems that the species is, for whatever reason, quite slow to age.
Given that Grogu, Yoda, and Yaddle are the only known canon members of their species, it makes sense why some would try to draw a connection between the three of them. While Star Wars hasn't disproved the theory, it's highly unlikely that Yoda or Yaddle were Grogu's biological parents.
So, maybe it wasn't about trying to have Grogu look like Yoda, but rather figuring out a specific design for himself. "Jon wanted them to be dog-like, with giant dark pupils," Chiang continues, and, lucky for us, that's what we got — the alternative being a psychotic samurai baby gnome, from the concepts shown.
Yoda in his self-imposed exile, decided not to wield a lightsaber anymore. Skywalker offers the lightsaber to Grogu. After Yoda's death in 4 ABY, the lightsaber with its accompanying storage box ended up in the possession of Yoda's last Jedi apprentice, Luke Skywalker.
Grogu's age was revealed in The Mandalorian episode 1, where he was confirmed to be 50 years old. This is the one definite date given in the show, as Grogu's exact age is never mentioned again in later seasons.
Coupled with the fact that the only other members of his species to have been seen in Star Wars canon were also especially powerful Jedi, this may begin to explain Grogu's true significance. Grogu may be the child of Yoda and Yaddle, potentially conceived purely to help preserve their incredibly rare species.
Because of Grogu's relationship with Din, he simply couldn't justify leaving him to become a Jedi. Luke made it clear that Grogu would likely never see Din again if he chose to walk the path of the Jedi, and this was enough for Grogu to reprioritize his plan in life.
Through their adventures and journeys through the galaxy, young Grogu is honing remarkable abilities. Although he previously trained as a Jedi, Grogu has chosen to return to Din's side and continues to share his adventures as they take a stand against the Imperial remnant.
Given the rarity of his species in the galaxy, along with the fact that the only other two known members of Grogu's species were both living in the Temple when he was born, it seems likely that Grogu is the child of Yoda and Yaddle and was born to help preserve their rare species.
The Mandalorian is back, and while little Grogu has chosen to go back with The Mandalorian to live more adventures, the creators revealed how long he trained with Luke Skywalker. Not days or months have passed, but years since Luke Skywalker took Grogu as his Padawan.
Legend had it that Yoda—a Jedi who became Grand Master—was trained by N'Kata Del Gormo. A Force-sensitive Hysalrian, N'Kata Del Gormo was trained in the ways of the Force and achieved the rank of Master within the Jedi Order.
While fans don't know the state of Grogu's well-being in the sequel trilogy, his ties to Mandalore might explain why Kylo Ren doesn't kill him. It's likely Grogu stays with Din Djarin and the Mandalorians, and never returns to embark on his training with Luke.
As depicted in "Chapter 20: The Foundling," Grogu was rescued from the attack on the Jedi Temple by Jedi Master Kelleran Beq. Beq completed the daring escape that got Grogu to safety, then escaped the attack with his life.
