Baby Yoda Became The Star Of Thanksgiving This Year With His Own Giant Balloon

We all knew Baby Yoda (also known as Grogu) stole our hearts in Disney’s The Mandalorian — but much like a tiny, adorable Grinch, no one knew he’d also steal Thanksgiving. The teeny green tot became the star of the holiday this year with his own giant balloon, and it’s absolutely everything. Of course, Twitter is coming in clutch with the jokes, and these tweets about the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Baby Yoda balloon all talk about how obsessed they are with the galaxy’s cutest alien. And honestly, I get it. He’s adorable.

The balloon was brought to the Thanksgiving parade by Funko Pop!, a brand that’s been creating chibi-style figurines of your favorite nerdy namesakes for years. Of course, Funko Pop! would be remiss if it didn’t create a figurine of Baby Yoda — appropriately named “The Child” — from the hit Disney+ production The Mandalorian. In fact, this particular figurine has become so popular, it’s one of Amazon’s most highly ordered items during the 2021 holiday season. Now, the company has reached new heights by including Baby Yoda as a larger-than-life balloon in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.

People all over the internet were instantly obsessed. While some Twitter users were gushing over how adorable Baby Yoda looked floating overhead, others were quick to welcome him as their new overlord. I, for one, welcome Baby Yoda as earth’s new leader.

Funko Pop!’s figurines have become valuable collector’s items, and the company has created miniature models of fictional characters from almost every background, including from shows like The Golden Girls, WandaVision, and even classic horror movies like Friday The 13th and Nightmare On Elm Street. Paul Southern, the senior vice president of licensing at Lucasfilm, talked about the miniature character models as “iconic pieces” that fans from all over the world seek out.

“We’re very intentional about the brands we collaborate with to bring the authenticity of Star Wars to fans,” he told The New York Times in an interview published Nov. 24. “We’ve been collaborating with Funko for over a decade, and they’re a notable piece of our overall Star Wars licensing portfolio.” In his eyes, the Grogu balloon is just one more “great extension to that relationship.”