
Grogu’s On-Set Magic: Puppets, Rigs, and CGI Behind Baby Yoda’s Life
The piece explains how Grogu was brought to life for The Mandalorian and the film through a hybrid practical-CGI workflow: Legacy Effects built multiple puppets and used several puppeteers on set, with CGI reserved for moments like slime or certain actions. The film introduced upgrades such as articulated fingers, more realistic blinking, and a ‘lawnmower’ rig to enable walking, while most scenes stayed practical and puppeteers were removed in post‑production to preserve the character’s charm Favreau champions.










