Star Wars: Daisy Ridley Weighs in on Baby Yoda’s Healing Abilities

The sequel trilogy of Star Wars films introduced all-new Force-powers into the franchise, including the ability for a Force-wielder to heal individuals, with actress Daisy Ridley jokingly calling out the double standard that her character’s abilities were criticized by some fans while “Baby Yoda” didn’t earn the same backlash. Ridley is no stranger to her character earning criticisms, as her healing powers and abilities to connect with Kylo Ren across the galaxy earned frustrations from some fans, though the actress pointed out that the pint-sized Force-wielder was just too adorable to criticize, even if her character displayed those abilities later chronologically.

“Here’s the thing… Baby Yoda is immensely powerful but also Baby Yoda is almost cheating because he’s so sweet that whatever Baby Yoda did you’re like, ‘Aww!’ Whereas I’m a human so I don’t have that,” Ridley quipped to Fandom about their powers. “So I feel like Baby Yoda has had an easier time being a Force healer because it’s Baby Yoda being a Force healer. We’re both good in that space but he definitely has cuteness on me.”

Despite Ridley’s comments being made in jest, there is an underlying truth to her observations and how fans have unfairly criticized Rey’s accomplishments.

In Star Wars: A New Hope, the Force was shown to offer communication from beyond the grave, mind control, and seeing things despite vision being totally obscured. In Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, the Force was heightened to allow users to control objects of massive size, as well as heightening one’s physical abilities. The power might have been limited to the Sith, but Star Wars: Return of the Jedi also showed that someone as powerful as Palpatine could conjure Force-lightning, with most of these powers then replicated in the prequel trilogy.

Despite establishing the mysterious nature of the Force and what one could do with it, the Force bond between Rey and Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Last Jedi caught criticism by fans, as such a display of power had never quite been seen before. Additionally, Rey only learned of her connection to the force in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, resulting in those latent powers emerging to mentally and physically combat Kylo Ren by that film’s finale. Luke Skywalker similarly went from obliviousness of his Force powers in A New Hope to connecting with Obi-Wan Kenobi to fire a crucial shot that destroyed the Death Star, yet audiences largely just accepted these accomplishments.

With Ridley’s time in the Skywalker Saga concluded, it would look like she no longer has to worry about any of Rey’s actions being called into question.