Gremlins Creator Calls Baby Yoda A 'Rip-Off' As Memers Rush To Defend Him

Accusations of plagiarism were flung yesterday following an IndieWire interview with Gremlins director Joe Dante in which he claimed the largely beloved Baby Yoda character from The Mandalorian was “completely copied” from Gizmo in Gremlins.

The Mandalorian first came out in 2019 and immediately the character known as “The Child” became an audience favorite and a critical success. Later named "Grogu," Baby Yoda's wide, pointy ears and innocent child-like face have endeared it to fans and non-fans alike, leading its likeness to appear everywhere from children's lunchboxes to adults' tattoos. "Baby Yoda," as he was frequently called, became nothing less than an icon.

Gremlins, released in 1984, is a cult-classic film fondly remembered by many members of Generation X and Millennials. Central to Gremlins is one particular gremlin, an adorable creature named Gizmo with brown-and-white fur, large pointy ears and an adorable kitten-like face and vibe — that is … until he gets wet or is allowed to stay up after midnight.

A number of posters leaped immediately to Baby Yoda’s defense, arguing that OG Yoda preceded Gremlins by four years, and therefore Baby Yoda could not be a copy of Gizmo.

A few others expressed their preference for Gizmo to Baby Yoda, claiming Grogu was just a “reskin."

Some defenders of Baby Yoda, however, conceded that there was a resemblance between the two pop culture icons.

The debate showed signs of expanding to include their snuggly creatures from the fictional universe.

Both Grogu and Gizmo share the features of a human infant, but with exaggerated cat-like ears. They have large eyes, compact faces and make cooing noises. Additionally, both characters are morally complicated, with Gizmo transforming into a monster under certain conditions and Baby Yoda controversially disrupting a nest in his show.