/Film Showdown: Baby Yoda Vs. Baby Groot

The next match in our stupendous /Film Showdown features two of the fiercest fighters in all the galaxy. Though they may be diminutive in stature, you shouldn't let their size fool you because their powers positively pack a punch. That is, of course, if they don't kill you with cuteness first. You want to see the babies? Well, here they are.

Hailing from a galaxy far, far away, this youngling is strong with the force. With an affinity for snacks and shiny objects, he can get easily distracted. But under the right circumstances, he can take down foes much larger and stronger than he is, especially if those he loves are in danger. Known far and wide (in our world) as "Baby Yoda," this competitor has stepped out of the familiar Jedi Master's shadow to become one of the most beloved characters across the entire "Star Wars" mythology. And after getting some training from Luke Skywalker, his powers are more laser-focused than ever. Our first fighter is Grogu from the acclaimed Disney+ series "The Mandalorian" and "The Book of Boba Fett."

Fighting out of Universe-616, Grogu's opponent was first introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in James Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy." This Flora Colossus from Planet X acts as the resident muscle and houseplant to a group of noble and lovable a-holes. In fact, he even sacrificed themselves to insure that their companions stayed alive in battle. That's why the once-towering tree-like creature has reverted into a sapling at the end of his first movie. But whether he's fully grown, an angsty teen, or fresh out of the pot, their bark is as worse as their bite. But in order to make it a fair fight, Baby Groot from "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" has left the Benatar to hit Grogu with their best shot.

As the bell rings to mark the start of the match, Groot and Grogu are slow to start since they're not hostile creatures by nature. But these small, adorable combatants are more than meets the eye. For instance, when it comes to fighting style, Groot is a brawler. He relies on brute strength whenever he's called into battle. Even in his baby form, he possess superhuman strength, durability, and stamina. When he does get hurt, he can utilize a regenerative healing factor to make it more difficult for his opponent to hurt him. He can even brush off the emotional damage of getting teased by Taserface, Retch, and the other mutinous Ravagers. But one of Groot's biggest strengths is the ability to manipulate his body. He has the ability to grow his limbs to grow taller or extend his fingers and arms to create weapons or armor for himself or others. We're talking about spears, projectiles, and even handles for mystical axes. 

Conversely, Grogu is more of a cerebral fighter. Rather than utilizing physical means, he fights his battles with his mind and generally his whole vibe. (That's what the Force basically is, isn't it? A mythical energy spiritually connecting the universe? Sounds like a vibe.) This is especially ideal for him since his species experiences the stages of life for a prolonged amount of time compared to humans. Though he's aged 50 years, Grogu is still considered an infant that lives up to his codename of "The Child." But thanks to the Force, he can lift, repel, crush, and retrieve things that he would normally be unable to move using his physical strength alone. On some days, that means he can lift a massive mudhorn. On other days, it means catching a frog to eat as a snack.

Finally emerging from their corners and taking note of their opponent across the ring, Groot and Grogu start examining each other from afar and assessing the threats before them. As they do this, this brings to mind some of the other fights they've been in. After being liberated from The Client by Din Djarin, Grogu traveled with the Mandalorian bounty hunter to worlds like Sorgan, Nevarro, and Tatooine where they collected allies such as Skywalker, Fennec Shand, Cobb Vanth, and former Jedi Ahsoka Tano. During their travels, Grogu was mostly kept out of harm's way, but occasionally he would help out like when he tried to contain the flames of Moff Gideon's attack on the cantina in Nevarro or when he briefly held back the Dark Troopers from attacking on Tython.

Meanwhile, though Groot was also protected in battle, he still mixed it up alongside the other Guardians of the Galaxy. After the Ravagers imprisoned his friends and ridiculed him, he got revenge on Retch by killing him after he tried to escape Yondu's arrow. Groot then goes on to play an instrumental part in the fight against Ego as he is the one that places and activates the bomb that ultimately defeats the Living Planet.

In bringing up their previous fighting experience, that also brings to mind each contender's weaknesses. After each of those scuffles that Grogu was involved in, he would exhaust his energy and often take a nap wherever he was standing. Though his methods are powerful, they can drain the little green guy pretty quickly. Plus, he's very indecisive. After spending time with Mando and Luke Skywalker, he's torn between two paths and tries to get the best of both worlds. Ultimately, we see him go off with his friend rather than continue his Jedi training, but he took his sweet time with that decision, a luxury that he wouldn't be afforded in battle.

Similarly, Groot's decision making skills are hindered because he doesn't fully listen to what he's told and, in turn, doesn't follow directions. While Yondu and Rocket are incarcerated, they task him with retrieving Yondu's fin, which controls his whistle-activated arrow. But instead of going where he needs to go in the captain's quarters, Groot brings back a series of wrong items. Then, while placing the bomb on Ego, he doesn't fully take in all the information that Rocket gives him about which button activates the bomb correctly. One false move and they all die with the villainous Celestial. Luckily, at the last possible moment, Groot gets it right and helps save the day, but there were some real rocky waters to get through there for a moment. On that note, that's also probably why Groot hasn't taken any steps towards winning this fight with Grogu so far.

The two competitors have gotten closer now, but are simply circling each other in the center of the ring. Apparently, we're still in the sizing up phase of this contest. But at ringside, Groot and Grogu have some support in their corners. And that support is an integral part of who these characters fundamentally are.

Adorned in the finest Beskar armor and wielding the Darksaber, Din Djarin stands in Grogu's corner as much as he can. After refusing to hand over The Child to the Imperials who hired him, he forged a strong bond with Grogu as he vowed to return him to the Jedi. But as they traveled around the Outer Rim to evade the Empire, the duo grew closer. And though the Mandalorian eventually fulfilled his intended mission by letting Grogu go with Luke Skywalker to train, it was clear that this clan of two shouldn't be separated.

Likewise, Groot has Rocket Raccoon in his corner. Even before they joined the Guardians of the Galaxy, they were galavanting around the universe, having adventures, and making money whenever they could. But being a part of this found family with Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Mantis, and Nebula has made them even stronger as people. When it comes to raising children, sometimes it takes a village. But in Baby Groot's case, it takes the whole island of intergalactic misfit toys. And thanks to Rocket's uncanny prowess with building weapons, they're well equipped for any danger that they might encounter in their travels.

If we were to have an undercard bout ahead of this match that reignited the schoolyard argument of "my dad can beat up your dad," things would probably lean in Rocket's favor. While Mando has upgraded armor, a mythical weapon at his disposal, and tries his best to keep Grogu safe, he gets beat up a lot. Earlier, we talked about the mudhorn and the fire. Grogu had to step in and save Djarin in both of those instances. Eventually, through teamwork and cooperation, they got where they needed to be, but not before they hit some bumps in the road like needing a new ship.

Groot and Rocket have met their fair share of turbulence as well. But thanks to Rocket's cybernetically enhanced anatomy, his heightened intelligence allows him to be a master tactician and a resourceful engineer. He built the Hadron Enforcer, which defeated Ronan the Accuser during the Battle of Xandar, with scraps that he found around the Milano. With his massive arsenal of weaponry, combat expertise, and durability, Rocket would end up going the distance with the Mandalorian and ultimately find the right place to land the knockout blow.

While we may have determined the winner of that dad fight, we have yet to reveal the winner of the showdown you all came to see. By this point, the tiny titans are giving each other some strong side eye. Remaining skeptical of each other, Grogu raises his arms in front of him as if he may be planning an attack. Groot matches the action and unleashes a battle cry. Grogu's mouth opens with similar aggressive yet adorable noises. They finally lunge at each other...

And hug.

The smaller Grogu nuzzles up to the slightly taller Groot's chest. Groot rests his head on Grogu's head. Grogu uses the Force to take someone's candy from the front row and shares it with Groot. Both fighters raise their arms in victory as the bell rings. The crowd, overcome by the sweetest, most precious beings in all the multiverse, is knocked out by cuteness and the match is ruled a no contest. On this night, everybody wins because in a world of constant fighting and violence, sometimes we need something wholesome in the world.