Baby Yoda, the adorable green creature from The Mandalorian, took the internet by storm in 2019, but this meme icon almost didn’t happen! Officially named Grogu, the character was kept a total secret during filming to surprise fans. Creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni were so paranoid about leaks that they didn’t even tell most of the crew about the puppet. Instead, they used a stand-in prop during rehearsals—a tennis ball on a stick! The real Grogu puppet, which cost $5 million to make, was only brought out for actual filming.

When The Mandalorian dropped on Disney+, Baby Yoda became an instant hit, spawning countless memes like “Me: I’m going to be productive today. Also me: sips coffee with Baby Yoda.” But Disney almost missed the meme wave—they didn’t have merchandise ready at launch because they feared spoilers would ruin the surprise. Fans didn’t care; they made their own Baby Yoda content, and the rest is pop culture history. Grogu’s big eyes and tiny hands won hearts worldwide, and by 2020, he was everywhere, from T-shirts to tattoos.

This little guy proves that sometimes the best things come from keeping secrets—until they’re too cute to hide. Know a Star Wars fan? Share this reel-worthy fact and come back for more pop culture gems on ReelFact!