There’s an Animatronic Grogu at San Diego Comic-Con and I’ve Never Been More Jealous

Adam Savage’s (Mythbusters) YouTube channel Tested is known for exploring the cutting edge of special effects, everything from set design, to costuming, to animatronics. Their most recent video highlights EFX Collectibles’ Baby Grogu, designed by the engineers and artists at Garner Holt Productions, which is on display at their San Diego Comic-Con booth.

The puppet apparently “uses 15 servos to recreate all of the character’s joyful expressions seen in The Mandalorian” and is available to view at EFX Collectibles’ Comic-Con booth 3635. They call this the “most accurate animatronic possible” thanks to working with the actual license and Legacy Effects and having had access to assets such as master patterns for the head, the ears, the hands, the fabric samples for the robe, and the paint master for the iris of the eyes. This baby is also unique for his voice box, which produces the cute little squeaks and grunts we expect from Baby Grogu.

This isn’t the first time the Tested channel has shown off the latest in Baby Grogu merch and mechanics; Adam Savage personally repainted his Sideshow Collectible Baby Yoda, and Tested has also made a video showing off the late Grant Imahara’s Baby Yoda animatronic that he was planning to take to hospitals.

Perhaps the most interesting part of these videos is that each goes into detail about all the different things model makers must take into account when designing a figure—the differences between static models and animatronics, the differences between an animatronic used for the show and one used for theme parks, and the subtleties of materials and coloring and programing expressions.

This also has fans excited for the future of public collectibles and theme park animatronics with the idea that perhaps, one day, we will have an animatronic Baby Grogu available for in-person meet-and-greets.

In any case, the galaxy (and San Diego Comic Con) is made a little brighter for the green baby alien with big brown eyes and a love for a shiny ball.

EFX Collectibles: https://efxcollectibles.com/ (Comic-Con booth 3635)

Garner Holt Productions: http://www.garnerholt.com/

(featured image: Tested)