'Gremlins' Director Alleges Baby Yoda Is 'Completely Stolen' and 'Shamelessly' Copied. Here's How the Beloved Creatures Actually Compare. We haven't seen the last of Baby Yoda or Gizmo.

By Amanda Breen

Not everyone is happy about Baby Yoda's debut in Disney+ and Lucasfilm's Star Wars streaming series The Mandalorian.

Filmmaker Joe Dante, whose 1984 and 1990 horror-comedy Gremlins movies popularized the eponymous creatures, recently told the San Francisco Chronicle (via IndieWire) that Baby Yoda is an unoriginal dupe of the Gremlins star known as Gizmo.

"I think the longevity of [the film] is really key to this one character (Gizmo), who is essentially like a baby," Dante told the publication. "Which brings me, of course, to the subject of Baby Yoda, who is completely stolen and is just out-and-out copied. Shamelessly, I would think."

Related: 5 Powerful Leadership Lessons to Learn From Star Wars' Boba Fett

But how do the beloved creatures actually compare?

For one, as Dante points out, both Baby Yoda and Gizmo are, well, baby-like. Baby Yoda, also known as Grogu and The Child, is a force-sensitive, 50-year-old infant of the same species as Yoda. Gizmo, also referred to as "Giz" in the films, is a Mogwai (like a Gremlin, but smaller and not vicious), and although his age isn't specified, his pure-hearted kindness contributes to the "baby"-like quality Dante describes.

It's also hard to ignore the resemblance between the two characters, per images on Disney Wiki and Heroes Wiki: Although Baby Yoda boasts a greenish hue while Gizmo sports brown-and-white fur, they're both small in stature, with large eyes and prominent, similarly shaped ears.

Additionally, both creatures are heroic in their respective shows, though Baby Yoda has more powers at his disposal, which include the Force, Telekinesis, Force Choke, Force Grip, Force Barrier, Force Healing and Extended Longevity. Gizmo has a talent for handling weapons and tinkering with electrical devices — which ultimately helps him destroy the evil Gremlins in the films.

While the plots of The Mandalorian series and the Gremlins films don't have much in common at all (aside from the ever-popular and effective good versus evil conflict), Dante's accusation about Baby Yoda himself doesn't appear completely unfounded, according to the character and plot overviews on both of the fan sites.

Related: The Entrepreneurial Genius of 'Star Wars'

But we haven't seen the last of Baby Yoda or Gizmo. The animated series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, which Dante served as a consultant on, is coming to HBO Max this fall, and The Mandalorian will return for its third season, though Disney+ has yet to announce its release date.

Amanda Breen

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior Features Writer

Amanda Breen is a senior features writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate of Barnard College and received an MFA in writing at Columbia University, where she was a news fellow for the School of the Arts.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Innovation

4 Ways Market Leaders Use Innovation to Foster Business Growth

Forward-thinkers constantly strive to diversify and streamline their products and services, turning novelties into commodities desired by many.

Business News

JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

Employees were given the option to leave comments about the RTO mandate with their first and last names on display — and they did not hold back.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Since Middle School': She Started a Side Hustle on Facebook Marketplace — Then a 'Game-Changer' Grew It to $25,000 a Month

Leena Pettigrew's "entrepreneurial spirit" inspired her to build a business with earnings that outpaced her full-time income.

Leadership

From Elite Athletes to Tech Titans — Discover the Surprising $100-Million Habit That Leads to Extraordinary Success

Success comes from mastering focus, eliminating distractions and prioritizing what truly matters.

Business News

'I Want the Best People on Our Teams': Meta Is Laying Off More Than 3,000, CEO Mark Zuckerberg Calls for 'Extensive Performance-Based Cuts' — Read the Memo

In an internal memo shared on Tuesday, Zuckerberg said it's "going to be an intense year" at the company.