We finally know how our favorite Baby Yoda meme was born

Baby Yoda almost immediately spawned a viral meme last year when he drank soup from a cup. But that sensational moment almost never happened.

Baby Yoda can’t do anything without making everyone go, “Aww!”

Makes a tiny squeaking noise? Aww! Drinks soup from a cup? Aww!! Single-handedly saves The Mandalorian and his allies from an untimely firey death?

AWWWWW!

The Child isn’t the only reason The Mandalorian was such an instant streaming success, but his adorable presence sure didn’t hurt.

It’s still mind-blowing to think that the show’s best-kept secret is what has made The Mandalorian such a mainstream phenomenon. All your friends probably know who Baby Yoda is even if they’ve never actually seen a Star War.

There might be a subtle and brilliant reason for that, it turns out. And it all started in the editing room.

Bryce Dallas Howard, who directed an episode of The Mandalorian in its first season, is indirectly responsible for the Baby Yoda soup-sipping meme you probably still use at least once a day.

If you’re looking for someone to thank for the cutaway moment that sparked the meme, you can give credit to Howard’s kids. And Jon Favreau. Maybe bringing your tiny humans to work isn’t a bad idea after all.

“My kids were on set pretty much every day,” Howard said during ATX TV’s At Home Mandalorian panel. “My daughter would come into the editing room, and whenever Baby [Yoda] wasn’t on screen, she would lean over to me and be like, ‘Where’s Baby?'”

This prompted Favreau to change the way the show featured The Child throughout each episode.

Howard continued: “Jon [Favreau] picked up on that, like, ‘Oh yeah — if the kid is wondering where Baby is, then we need to know where Baby is at all times.’”

Hence the now famous cutaway of “Baby” sipping soup as he watches the Mandalorian and Cara Dune sparring outside the cafe where they’d left him.

As (not Baby) Yoda once said: “Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is.” Cast and crew should let theirs hang out on set more often, so we can have more timeless Star Wars memes to cherish.

What’s your favorite Baby Yoda moment from Season 1?