Disney+
Three years ago, our lives changed forever: We met Baby Yoda. Disney+ launched on Nov. 12, 2019, with the Star Wars TV series spin-off The Mandalorian premiering alongside it. In theory, the show is about the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal)—but from the moment that pint-sized version of Yoda appeared, the show became all about that adorable little dude.
To celebrate that auspicious day, Lucasfilm has released a special short all about Baby Yoda, exclusively on Disney+. But this isn’t just a Baby Yoda romp pulled from the set of The Mandalorian. “Zen — Grogu and Dust Bunnies” was produced in collaboration with one of the most talented, storied, creatively successful studios in film: Studio Ghibli. The result is a stunning, charming, incredibly adorable three-minute treasure.
There’s not much to this hand-drawn film, admittedly. Grogu (Baby Yoda’s real name) is meditating, using the Force to levitate off the ground as he becomes one with his inner spirit. Soon, he’s interrupted by a big-eyed, bouncing set of “dust bunnies,” or susuwatari, as they’re known in Japanese. These sprites are iconic Studio Ghibli characters, appearing in the films My Neighbor Totoro and the Oscar-winning Spirited Away.