Yoda

The Jedi Master who trained Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force until his death at the age of 900.

Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, first appearing in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back. He is a small, green, elderly humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force and typically speaks in an inverted phrase order. Voiced and puppeteered by Frank Oz in his debut, Yoda has since been portrayed by multiple actors including Tom Kane, John Lithgow, Peter McConnell, Piotr Michael, and Tony Pope across films, television series, comics, novels, video games, and commercials. In the original trilogy, he lives in solitude on the swamp planet Dagobah, introduced as a former mentor of Obi-Wan Kenobi who trains Luke Skywalker until his death at age 900.

Quick Facts

Series

Star Wars

First

The Empire Strikes Back

Creator

George Lucas

Gender

Male

Affiliation

Jedi Order

Occupation

Jedi Master
Jedi Grand Master
Jedi General

Lore & Background

In the original trilogy, Yoda lives in solitude on the swamp planet Dagobah. He is introduced as a former mentor of the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and he trains Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force until his death at the age of 900. In the prequel films, Yoda leads the Jedi High Council and trains young Jedi until they are assigned to a master. When the Clone Wars break out, he becomes a general in the army of the Republic and leads several legions of clone troopers. Yoda is one of the few Jedi to survive the events of Order 66 at the end of the war, when he battles Darth Sidious and is forced to go into hiding. Yoda's Force spirit appears again in the sequel trilogy, advising an older Luke on his training of Rey.

Reader's Guide

Yoda appears in the prequel trilogy beginning with The Phantom Menace (1999), set 35 years before The Empire Strikes Back. When Qui-Gon Jinn brings young Anakin Skywalker to the Jedi Council, Yoda senses great fear in Anakin regarding his attachment to his mother Shmi and foresees 'grave danger' in his training. The Council rejects Qui-Gon's request, but after Qui-Gon's death, Yoda reluctantly gives his blessing to Anakin's training under Obi-Wan.

In Attack of the Clones (2002), Yoda is Master of the High Council and Grandmaster. At the film's climax, he saves Obi-Wan and Anakin from Separatists and defeats his former apprentice Count Dooku in a lightsaber duel. In Revenge of the Sith (2005), Yoda and the Council pursue Darth Sidious. Anakin seeks Yoda's counsel about prophetic visions; Yoda tells him to train himself to let go of everything he fears to lose.

Unsatisfied, Anakin turns to Palpatine, who reveals himself as Sidious. Sidious orders the clone troopers to kill their Jedi generals, and Yoda feels the deaths of each Jedi through the Force.

Did You Know?

Yoda's name was chosen because George Lucas envisioned the character as a 'little Dalai Lama' and wanted an 'Eastern-sounding' name.
The design that Lucas settled on was described by art director Joe Johnston as a combination of a leprechaun, a troll, and a gnome.
Stuart Freeborn based Yoda's face on his own facial features and those of Albert Einstein, hoping Einstein's features would make the character appear intelligent.
In the original 1999 release of The Phantom Menace, Yoda was portrayed by a new puppet in all but two shots; those wide shots used CGI.
In Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005), Yoda is entirely computer-generated, allowing movements not possible with the puppet, such as fighting with a lightsaber.