He is tiny. He is old. He basically speaks in exclamation points and technical jargon. When The Rise of Skywalker hit theaters in 2019, fans were divided on almost everything—the plot, the pacing, the Palpatine of it all. But then we met Babu Frik, and suddenly, there was a rare moment of pure, unadulterated consensus. People loved this guy.
The little Anzellan droidsmith is more than just a marketing play for toy sales. Honestly, he represents a specific kind of Star Wars magic that gets lost when the franchise takes itself too seriously. He’s gritty. He’s weird. He’s clearly seen some things.
Who is the tiny genius known as Babu Frik?
If you're looking for a formal biography, you won't find much in the way of a family tree. Babu Frik hails from the planet Kijimi, a freezing, mountainous world where the Spice Runners of Kijimi operated. He isn't a hero in the traditional sense. He’s a specialist. Specifically, he’s a droidsmith who can bypass almost any security protocol in the galaxy.
Think about the skill required to slice into a restricted Imperial-era protocol droid like C-3PO. Most technicians would fry the logic board. Babu does it with a laugh and a tiny soldering iron. He lives among the "Kijimi Crew," a rough crowd that includes Zorii Bliss. Despite his stature—roughly 9 inches tall—he commands massive respect in the underworld.
Anzellans are a fascinating species. They have floating corneal micro-lenses in their eyes, which allows them to see microscopic details without any extra equipment. That’s why he doesn't need a magnifying glass to rewire a memory core. He just looks at it.
The voice behind the puppet
One of the reasons this character feels so "real" is the performance. Shirley Henderson provided the voice. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because she played Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films. She didn't just record lines in a booth; she was actually on set, often improvising based on the physical movements of the puppet.
This brings us to a crucial point: Babu is a practical effect.
Neal Scanlan’s creature shop built him. In an era where everything is CGI, having a physical puppet that actors like Oscar Isaac and John Boyega can actually look at makes a world of difference. You can feel the weight of him. When he moves his tiny hands, there’s a mechanical soul there that a digital render just can't replicate.
Why the C-3PO memory wipe mattered
The core of Babu’s role in the story involves a high-stakes hack. The Resistance needs to translate a Sith inscription found on a dagger, but C-3PO’s internal programming forbids him from translating the language of the Sith. It’s a hard-coded "red line" in his software.
Enter the Anzellan.
This scene is kookier than most of the movie. It’s dark, cramped, and smells like ozone and old oil. Babu Frik has to perform what is essentially a lobotomy on our favorite golden droid. He warns them that the process will wipe Threepio's memory. It’s a heavy moment played with a mix of technical coldness and that signature Anzellan charm.
"Hey-HEYYYY!"
That catchphrase became an instant meme. But beyond the meme, this scene showed us the vulnerability of droids in Star Wars. They aren't just machines; they are containers for memories and personalities. Babu is the guy who has to break that container. It’s messy work.
Misconceptions about the "Duo"
Sometimes people get confused and think Babu is the only one of his kind we see. Actually, in The Mandalorian Season 3, we see several other Anzellans working on Nevarro. They are often mistaken for being "more Babus," but they are just other members of the species.
Babu is unique.
✨ Don't miss: Why Law Roach and Keke Palmer Stopped Working Together (Honestly)
He stayed on Kijimi until the Final Order blew the planet to smithereens. Luckily, he escaped with Zorii Bliss and showed up during the massive Battle of Exegol. If you blink, you’ll miss him popping up in the cockpit of a Y-wing during the final assault. He’s a survivor.
The technical brilliance of Anzellan design
Let's get into the weeds for a second. Why does Babu Frik work so well from a design perspective? It’s the contrast. He has the face of a very old, very weathered man, but the size of a kitten. His shop is a disaster zone of spare parts.
Star Wars thrives on the "used universe" aesthetic. Nothing is clean. Everything is kit-bashed. Babu is the personification of that. He isn't using high-tech Stark Industries tech; he's using tools that look like they were stolen from a 1950s watchmaker.
- He wears a specialized leather apron.
- His welding goggles are permanently attached to his head.
- His shop on Kijimi is basically a glorified hole in the wall.
This groundedness is what makes him endearing. He’s a blue-collar worker in a galaxy of space wizards and generals. He doesn't care about the Force. He cares about whether the circuits are firing correctly.
The impact on the fandom and the "Baby Yoda" effect
It’s impossible to talk about Babu without mentioning Grogu. They both arrived around the same time, tapping into that "cute but dangerous" niche. However, while Grogu is silent and mysterious, Babu is loud and chaotic.
He represents a different side of the Star Wars toyetic strategy. He isn't "cute" in a traditional Disney way. He’s kind of ugly. He has wispy hair and a wrinkled face. But that ugliness makes him authentic. He fits into the world of Jabba the Hutt and the Cantina in a way that a perfectly polished character wouldn't.
Many critics argued that the sequel trilogy lacked "new" iconic aliens. Most of the background characters were just lumps of brown latex. Babu broke that mold. He had a personality that leaped off the screen.
Where does he go from here?
Is he still alive? Yes. In the current canon, he survived the war. With Rey Skywalker looking to build a new Jedi Order and the galaxy in a state of reconstruction, a master droidsmith is a valuable asset.
There have been rumors of him appearing in future projects, perhaps in the upcoming "New Jedi Order" film. Honestly, it would make sense. You need someone to maintain the droids of a new generation.
How to spot a real Babu Frik fan
If you're talking to a Star Wars die-hard, they won't just talk about his "Hey-HEYYYY!" line. They'll talk about his interaction with C-3PO calling him his "oldest friend." It’s a joke, of course, because they just met, but it highlights Babu’s weirdly social nature. He treats everyone like a long-lost pal, even if he's about to delete their entire brain.
Nuance is everything.
Babu isn't a Resistance fighter because he believes in the Republic. He’s there because Zorii is there, and because he’s a tinkerer who can’t resist a challenge. That’s a very "Han Solo" motivation. It feels right for a smuggler’s moon like Kijimi.
Actionable insights for the casual fan
If you want to dive deeper into the world of Anzellans and droid-smithing, there are a few things you should do to get the full picture.
First, go back and watch the Kijimi sequence in The Rise of Skywalker with the subtitles on. You'll catch a lot of the muffled technical jargon he’s muttering under his breath. It’s world-building at its most subtle.
Second, check out the "Behind the Scenes" features on the home release. Seeing Shirley Henderson hunch over and operate the controls while doing the voice is a masterclass in puppetry. It’s a dying art form that Star Wars is thankfully keeping alive.
Third, if you play LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, unlock him. He is one of the few characters who can fit into small hatches, making him essential for 100% completion. It’s a meta-nod to his actual job in the films.
Lastly, keep an eye on the high-end collectible market. Companies like Sideshow and Hot Toys have produced life-size figures of him. Because he’s so small in real life, a 1:1 scale model is actually affordable and takes up very little shelf space. It’s the closest you can get to having a tiny droidsmith in your own living room.
Babu Frik reminded us that Star Wars is supposed to be weird. It’s supposed to be fun. Amidst all the heavy themes of lineage and destiny, sometimes you just need a tiny guy to yell something enthusiastic and solder a few wires together. That's the heart of the galaxy far, far away.
To truly appreciate the character, look past the meme. Look at the craftsmanship of the puppet, the nuance of the voice acting, and the way he bridges the gap between the gritty underworld and the grand space opera. He’s the tiny glue holding the technical side of the Resistance together.