Baba

Baba is a Troll child that first appears in "Hilda and the Stone Forest", and also plays a large role in "Hilda and the Mountain King". She was also adapted into season 2 of the animated series and the Hilda Tie-In Series.

Appearance
Baba is a small troll. Like all trolls, she has a grey, stonelike body and white, pupilless eyes. She has a round head, five fingers on each hand but no toes.

At the end of "Hilda and the Stone Forest", she is turned into a human and stays that way for most of "Hilda and the Mountain King". Even as a human, she still strongly resembles her old troll form, with a round head and no hair. She does have toes now.

Personality
Like many young children, Baba is very curious and energetic, but also prone to causing accidents.

Graphic novels
Baba lives with her mother Trylla in the Stone Forest outside Trolberg.

She encountered Hilda and Johanna when the two accidentally ended up in the Stone Forest after an incident with Nowhere Space. Along with her mom, she took Hilda and Johanna to her home to keep them safe from other trolls, in particular the Two-Headed Troll. There, she and Hilda quickly became friends, and the following day Baba's mom showed the two humans how to escape the Stone Forest.

Her mom, seeing how Johanna cared for Hilda and wanting a better life for Baba, so she decided to use a changeling spell on Hilda and Baba. Thus, Baba became a human and took Hilda's place in Trolberg, while Hilda became a Troll.

Despite being human now, Baba still very much acted like her old troll self, making it hard for Johanna to keep her under control. Johanna did her best to keep her calm with the new child, but lost her patience when Baba broke a lamp. This in turn made Baba upset, and Johanna regretted shouting at her.

Along with Johanna, and eventually joined by Erik Ahlberg, Baba tried to find Hilda and her mom. When they found her, Erik thought the female troll posed a threat to Baba and tried to keep mother and daughter separated, forcing Johanna to step in and disarm him. When both Baba and Hilda were reunited with their real mothers, the spell was broken and they became their old selves again.

After the adventure, Baba and her mom remained on good terms with Hilda and Johanna. On long nights, Baba would visit Hilda in Trolberg, while Hilda sometimes came to visit Baba and her mother in the wilderness.

Animated series
Both Baba and her mother appear in Season 2 of the animated series.

In "Chapter 6: The Old Bells of Trolberg", they can be seen playing just outside the walls of Trolberg. The Keeper of the Bell tries to chase them away since he knows the bell will soon ring, but his attempts fail. When the bell starts, Baba and her mom flee in agony, but at the end of the episode, after Hilda and friends have sabotaged the mechanical bellringers, they return to their favorite spot.

In "Chapter 10: The Yule Lads", they are briefly seen in a cave outside Trolberg. They notice Gryla, who is on her way to Trolberg, and keep a low profile in order not to attract her attention.

Both play a mayor role in "Chapter 13: The Stone Forest", which adapts Hilda and the Stone forest. Their role in this episode is identical to that in the graphic novel; they meet Johanna and Hilda, and help them escape the Stone Forest, but at the end of the episode Baba's mom uses a changeling spell on Baba and Hilda. This leads directly to the the movie, which adapts the sixth graphic novel. The movie gives Baba a bit of a larger role, including a scene where she escapes from the house and Tontu has to chase after her, but otherwise her role is identical to the graphic novel, ending with both her and Hilda being restored to normal but remaining on friendly terms.

Novelization
Both Baba and her mom appear in "Hilda and the White Woff", which adapts "Chapter 13: The Stone Forest". Her role in this book is similar to the animated series, but omits the cliffhanger where Baba's mom uses a changeling spell on Hilda and Baba. There is only a final image of her with the stone figures Baba made earlier, implying the changeling spell will happen in a future installment.

Appearances

 * Graphic novels
 * Hilda and the Stone Forest
 * Hilda and the Mountain King


 * Animated series
 * Chapter 6: The Old Bells of Trolberg
 * Chapter 10: The Yule Lads
 * Chapter 13: The Stone Forest


 * Tie-in series
 * Hilda and the White Woff

Trivia

 * Baba's name was given by Johanna and comes from the fact that "Ba" is the only word she can say.