The Mandalorian and Grogu almost set its gladiator fights on Coruscant's Level 1313, a new art book says, until Dave Filoni spotted a plot hole. And no, the book's "Yodas" line isn't an official species name.
Coruscant came close to a big-screen comeback.
The team behind The Mandalorian and Grogu considered setting the movie's gladiator fights, the ones tied to Rotta the Hutt, in Level 1313, the seedy underworld of Star Wars' capital planet.
That's according to The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, a new book by Phil Szostak, as The HoloFiles reported. It hit shelves Tuesday, Nov. 3, for $50.
Dave Filoni talked them out of it. His logic, per The HoloFiles: the New Republic is based on Coruscant. If Rotta were there, the New Republic would just send its own military. Nobody would need to hire a bounty hunter.
So the fights moved to Shakari, a brand-new planet. Fair point, honestly. Hard to justify paying a Mandalorian when the cops are down the street.
Then there's the Yoda bit. Near the end of the book, Lucasfilm design chief Doug Chiang talks about Grogu building a hut on Nal Hutta, like Yoda's hut on Dagobah. "Maybe all these Yodas" share that instinct, Chiang said, "or something."
Is "Yodas" the species name? Probably not. The HoloFiles called it a possible hint but said it isn't official confirmation. It may just be Chiang's shorthand for Yoda, Yaddle and Grogu.
Here's a look back at The Mandalorian and Grogu:
What else does The Art of The Mandalorian and Grogu reveal?
A lot. Here are the highlights from the book, as The HoloFiles reported them:
More than 9,000 pieces of concept art were made for the movie, more than any other Star Wars film.
Rotta was Jon Favreau's idea, not Filoni's. "That's one hundred percent Jon," Filoni said.
The snowy opening planet isn't Hoth. It's called Phostera.
Shakari was almost brick. Designers switched to steel because Andor already used brick for Ferrix.
The Hutt twins' palace was based on sourdough bread. Designers tore up real loaves to plan how it falls apart.
The arena's outside was inspired by Wrigley Field in Chicago.
The Imperial warlord's base on Phostera was designed like a James Bond villain's lair.
The original Return of the Jedi Jabba puppet cost $500,000, about $1.9 million today.
"The MandoVerse Shows" is what John Knoll calls Favreau and Filoni's series. The HoloFiles says that's reportedly the first internal Lucasfilm use of the term.
The book's design rule, per The HoloFiles, was "80% rooted in the real world, 20% boldly imaginative."
When did The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu come out?
Nov. 3, 2026, from Abrams Books. It's a 256-page hardcover with a foreword by Doug Chiang, listed at $50. It's packed with concept art, sketches and interviews with cast, crew and creatives.
Szostak is Lucasfilm's go-to art book author. He also wrote the Art of books for the sequel trilogy and The Mandalorian series.
Borg.com, which reviewed an early copy, called it "the best deep dive yet into a Star Wars film."
Why doesn't Coruscant show up more in Star Wars?
Coruscant was everywhere in the prequels, then mostly vanished from the big screen. The HoloFiles noted the planet was left out of The Force Awakens to make room for new places. Colin Trevorrow's unmade Episode IX script reportedly leaned on it heavily.
It has popped up on TV lately, in Andor, The Acolyte and season 3 of The Mandalorian.
Level 1313 has history, too. It's the name of Star Wars 1313, a gritty LucasArts video game that was shown off in 2012 and later canceled. Fans still bring it up like an ex they never got over.
What species are Yoda and Grogu?
Nobody officially knows. George Lucas kept Yoda's species, home planet and backstory a mystery on purpose, The HoloFiles noted, and StarWars.com's databank still lists Yoda's and Yaddle's species as unknown.
Grogu belongs to the same species, which is why everybody called him "Baby Yoda" for a full season before Ahsoka revealed his real name in 2020.
So "Yodas" joins a long list of fan nicknames. Until Lucasfilm says otherwise, treat it as a designer thinking out loud.
Where can you watch The Mandalorian and Grogu?
On Disney+. The movie opened in theaters in May and started streaming Sept. 2, Engadget reported. Favreau directed, and Filoni co-wrote it.
If you've already seen it, the book is basically a director's commentary in hardcover form. It's heavier than a Hutt, though.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
The HoloFiles (Nov. 4, 2026), the Coruscant and Level 1313 details, the Doug Chiang "Yodas" quote and the rest of the book's reveals
The HoloFiles (Nov. 1, 2026), the Nov. 3 release date
Parnassus Books (Nov. 4, 2026), page count, foreword and price
Abrams Books (Nov. 4, 2026), the official description and price
Borg (Oct. 26, 2026), early review quote
Engadget (Aug. 14, 2026), the Disney+ streaming date
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