Baby Yoda watch out, Disney has a new green, reptilian mascot and he’s burden with “glorious purpose.” All of Disney+’s shows from Marvel Studios have permeated popular culture; the latest series, Loki, is now rivaling the popularity of Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian thanks to an alligator. That which was once feared has now become a Disney mascot.
In 2019, Disney+ launched and immediately dropped Star Wars’ The Mandalorian. The first episode introduced the world to “The Child” Aka Baby Aka Grogu. Throughout two seasons, Baby Yoda not only reigned as the cute face of Star Wars but Disney. Nothing, not Porgs or Olaf could stand in his way. Even when he committed causal genocide by eating those frog eggs, he was immune to cancel culture.
Now, something unexpected has happened; Loki has introduced a rival. The series’ fifth episode saw Tom Hiddleston’s Loki surrounded by variants of himself including, of course, Alligator Loki or “Croki” (as they called him Down Under) a version of the trickster who was supposedly born a reptile. We say “supposedly” because he’s not a character from the comics. Is he really a Loki? Or is he just green? Fans have embraced this gator much like they did Baby Yoda. This begs the question: does Baby Yoda still have your love or is there a new king in town?
Cover Photo: Disney+
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Naturally, we all love Baby Yoda more. No one is cuter, more adorable, or as bankable as this little green guy. While Disney may ride Alligator Loki’s scales for a hot minute via Funko Pops, plush toys, and animatronics (hopefully), Baby Yoda has been immortalized by one of the best father/son relationships in a galaxy far, far away. That’s right, Vader was an absent father who beat up on Luke and Obi-Wan failed Anakin. Baby Yoda is the one true king burdened with glorious purpose.
Overall Winner: Baby Yoda
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Baby Yoda Alligator Loki
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Hi! My name is...
There’s nothing like a good fresh impression unless, of course, your mutual friend slacks on the introduction. This is not the case for our lord and savior, Disney; having held off on merch for both reptiles (is Baby Yoda a reptile? I mean, he’s frogish, right?) to facilitate mic drop intros. The end of Loki’s fourth episode saw its titular trickster pruned; which left viewers believing all was lost. During the post-credits scene, Classic Loki, Boastful Loki, and Kid Loki holding Alligator Loki, appeared to which everyone inquired “is that an Alligator!?” A mic-drop-worthy moment.
Enter Baby Yoda. At the end of The Mandalorian’s pilot, bounty hunters Din Djarin and IG-11’s shared bounty turned out to be a Force-sensitive infant member of the same species as famed Jedi Master Yoda; provoking nerdgasms all across the multiverse. Not only did Baby Yoda’s introduction foreshadow character development for the show’s main character but revelations and cameos of epic proportions—Star Wars isn’t dead.
Winner: Baby Yoda
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Ridiculousness
Alligator Loki doesn’t coo or make baby noises, he doesn’t really speak at all. Like Baby Yoda, he needs to be carried almost everywhere because, he’s an alligator, who’s more than ready to die and prays on occasion—most of what we know about him is through the translation of other Lokis. Maybe it just feels like it's been a while since Baby Yoda made us laugh but the absurdity of a gator, who drinks juice, being the physical personification of Loki’s eccentricities is precious.
Winner: Alligator Loki
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Baby Yoda Alligator Loki #3
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Cute Factor
Alligator Loki and Baby Yoda are deadly. They’re also, somehow both adorable. While Alligator Loki deserves brownie points for making Alligator endearing for the first time since the legendary antics of the late Steve Irwin, Baby Yoda is a stunner. His alluring innocence, puppy dog eyes, eating habits, and strut rivaled only by baby Jesus himself. Who didn’t swoon when he took a photo op with grandpa Lucas? Baby Yoda is a meme machine.
Winner: Baby Yoda
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Usefulness
Baby Yoda has the Force. Game over.
Winner: Baby Yoda
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Legacy
Alligator Loki appears to be a one-and-done character. Don’t expect to see him in Loki season two. He’s a fun character but not an icon like Baby Yoda, who can arguably be accredited with saving Star Wars in the wake of those lackluster sequels. When The Mandalorian aired its season two finale, Baby Yoda said goodbye, and we all cried. That, coupled with the fact that he went off to befriend R2-D2 and train with Luke Skywalker, makes him pop culture royalty.
Winner: Baby Yoda
