Yoda
Yoda | |
---|---|
Star Wars character | |
First appearance | The Empire Strikes Back |
Created by | George Lucas |
Voiced by | |
Performed by | Unknown [1] |
Gender | Male |
Occupation |
|
Affiliation | Jedi Order |
Apprentices | Count Dooku Obi-Wan Kenobi Luke Skywalker |
Yoda (
Creation
The Star Wars franchise was created by George Lucas, who wrote and directed the original Star Wars film (1977).[a] He created the character Obi-Wan Kenobi as a mentor for Luke Skywalker, and originally planned for Obi-Wan to continue training Luke in the sequel, The Empire Strikes Back. However, Lucas ultimately decided that Obi-Wan would die in the first film. Lucas then introduced a new mentor character, who was originally a diminutive frog-like creature called "Minch Yoda".[2][3] The name "Yoda" was chosen because Lucas envisioned the character as a "little Dalai Lama", and he wanted him to have an "Eastern-sounding" name.[4] One of the film's screenwriters, Lawrence Kasdan, said that Yoda was based on Shimada, the lead samurai from the 1954 Akira Kurosawa film Seven Samurai.[5] According to Lucas, the narrative goal of Yoda's design was to teach Luke "to respect everybody and pay attention to the poorest person." Lucas wanted the Jedi Master to be the "exact opposite" of what audiences would expect.[6]
The film's visual effects art director, Joe Johnston, sketched hundreds of different versions of Yoda. The design that Lucas finally settled on was described by Johnston as a combination of a leprechaun, a troll and a gnome.[7] Lucas gave Yoda a backward speech pattern because he felt the character needed a unique way of speaking that was more dramatic than an accent.[4] The filmmakers considered several ways of portraying Yoda before they decided on a sophisticated puppet. These potential methods included dressing a monkey, a child or a dwarf in a Yoda costume, or using stop-motion animation.[b][5]
Portrayals
Yoda was originally portrayed by a puppet created by
Oz puppeteers Yoda and provides his voice in The Empire Strikes Back,
Yoda is voiced by
Reception
Yoda was well-received by several prominent critics when he debuted in The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. Vincent Canby of The New York Times called him "delightful" and "the hit of the movie", but felt he was only a success when used sparingly.[32] In her review of the film, Joy Gould Boyum of The Wall Street Journal praised the "exquisitely constructed" Yoda puppet, and said that Oz "so finely put together [the character] ... as to make us wonder continually if he isn't real."[33] Arthur Knight of The Hollywood Reporter and Gary Arnold of The Washington Post similarly felt that Yoda was incredibly lifelike, with Arnold comparing his face to that of a human actor.[34][35] Writing in the Chicago Tribune, Gene Siskel called Yoda the highlight of the film.[36] In his review of the 1997 re-release of The Empire Strikes Back, Roger Ebert praised the range of emotions conveyed by Yoda, and said his acting was possibly the best in the film.[37]
Yoda has been a popular character since his introduction more than forty years ago.
Appearances in the official canon
Original trilogy
Yoda makes his first appearance in The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Luke arrives on
Yoda appears briefly in Return of the Jedi (1983), which takes place a year after The Empire Strikes Back. Now sick and frail, Yoda tells Luke that his training is complete, but that he will not be a Jedi until he confronts Darth Vader. Yoda also confirms that Vader is Luke's father, something Vader had told Luke in the previous film. Yoda then peacefully dies at the age of 900, his body disappearing as he becomes "one with the Force". He leaves Luke with the knowledge that "there is another Skywalker." Soon after, Obi-Wan's spirit helps Luke realize that the "other" is his twin sister, Princess Leia. In the film's final scene, Yoda's spirit appears on Endor alongside the spirits of Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker.
Prequel trilogy
Yoda returns as a younger version of himself in the prequel trilogy, beginning with The Phantom Menace (1999). In the film—which is set 35 years before The Empire Strikes Back—Jedi Master
Attack of the Clones (2002) is set a decade after The Phantom Menace. Yoda is now the Master of the High Council in addition to his position as Grandmaster. He and many other Jedi are concerned about the emergence of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a
In Revenge of the Sith (2005), Yoda and the Jedi Council pursue the mysterious Sith Lord
Sidious transforms the Republic into the
Sequel trilogy
The first film of the sequel trilogy, The Force Awakens (2015), takes place thirty years after Yoda's death in Return of the Jedi. When the young scavenger Rey has a Force vision and discovers Luke's lightsaber, Yoda's voice is heard. In The Last Jedi (2017), Yoda appears to Luke as a Force spirit. As Luke considers whether to burn down a tree storing sacred Jedi texts, Yoda reminds him that a Jedi must always be sure of his path. When Luke decides to burn down the tree, Yoda summons a lightning bolt and sets it ablaze. Luke is suddenly concerned about the loss of the texts, but Yoda assures him that they contained no knowledge that Rey does not already possess. Yoda's voice is heard again in The Rise of Skywalker (2019) when many deceased Jedi are speaking to Rey during her battle against the resurrected Darth Sidious.
The Clone Wars
Yoda appears in The Clone Wars (2008), again voiced by Tom Kane. In the pilot film, Yoda assigns Anakin Skywalker his own padawan, Ahsoka Tano as he believes that she will help Anakin grow as a Jedi and as a person. Throughout most of the series, Yoda spends his time on Coruscant with the Jedi Council but he occasionally leaves for certain tasks, such as negotiations with King Katuunko on Rugosa and a confrontation with Asajj Ventress's droid army. Yoda also watches over Anakin and Ahsoka throughout the series, pleased that they are both maturing with each other's influence. However, in the final arc of season five, Ahsoka is framed for a crime she didn't commit and Yoda and the Jedi Council turn her over to the Republic military. Along with other members of the council, Yoda observes Ahsoka's trial but Anakin bursts in with the true culprit, fallen Jedi Barriss Offee, before the verdict can be read. Afterwards Yoda, Anakin, and the Council personally invite Ahsoka to rejoin the Order but she refuses and leaves. According to show runner Dave Filoni, Yoda blames himself for Ahsoka's departure as he had made her Anakin's padawan in the first place.
In the final arc of the sixth season, Yoda hears Qui-Gon Jinn speaking to him from beyond the grave. Yoda flees the Jedi Temple with R2-D2 to travel to Dagobah, his future home, to find answers. Shown cryptic visions of the fall of the Jedi, Yoda learns he has been chosen to manifest his consciousness after death as a Force ghost. Yoda is tested by a group of spirit priestesses in order to overcome trials and temptations on his pilgrimage; one of these tests is to face an illusion of ancient Sith lord
Star Wars Rebels
Yoda was heard in the Star Wars Rebels episode "Path of the Jedi" with Frank Oz reprising the role for the first time since Revenge of the Sith.[40] He communicates with padawan Ezra Bridger and his master Kanan Jarrus during their experience in an ancient temple on Lothal, helping the pair do some soul-searching to analyze their true motivations. He appears physically for the first time in the season two episode "Shroud of Darkness", in which he appears in a vision of Ezra's and reunites with Ahsoka. His appearance in the series differs from his usual countenance as an homage to an early Ralph McQuarrie design for the character as well as a classic Kenner action figure. This was justified by premise that Ezra is viewing the character through his own imagination,[41] but the decision was confusing to many viewers.[42]
Tales of the Jedi
Yoda is seen in two of the six episodes of
Other
Yoda is featured in the audio drama Dooku: Jedi Lost and the novel Master & Apprentice, both released in 2019. He also appears in The High Republic Adventures comic (2021), set 200 years before the prequel trilogy.[43]
Appearances in Star Wars Legends
In 2014, most of the licensed Star Wars novels and comics produced since 1977 were rebranded by Lucasfilm as Star Wars Legends and declared non-canon to the franchise. The television series Clone Wars was also removed from canon and added to the separate Legends narrative universe.[44][45][46][47]
Clone Wars
The animated television series Clone Wars aired on
Novels and comics
Yoda appears in the 2004 Sean Stewart novel Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, in which he sends an impersonator of himself to negotiate a treaty with Dooku.[48] Yoda also appears as a supporting character in the comic series Republic.
Other appearances
In 2012, Yoda was featured in a series of Vodafone commercials, which were broadcast in the United Kingdom.[49][50]
See also
- Yoda – a parody song by "Weird Al" Yankovic
- Yoda conditions – a style of writing conditionals in computer programming languages
Notes
- ^ Originally titled Star Wars, the film was later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope.
- ^ For wide shots of Yoda moving around, the dwarf actor Deep Roy wore a Yoda suit.[8]
- ^ Kane voices Yoda in The Clone Wars film and television series. He also voices him in Clone Wars, Forces of Destiny and several Lego Star Wars productions.[28]
References
Citations
- ^ Newby, Richard (November 15, 2019). "Will 'The Mandalorian' Answer One Question George Lucas Never Did?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ Rinzler 2010, pp. 22, 34.
- ^ "Unscripted With Hayden Christensen and George Lucas". Moviefone. May 19, 2005. Event occurs at 5:22. Archived from the original on November 25, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ a b Rinzler 2010, p. 241.
- ^ a b Rinzler 2010, p. 363.
- ^ a b Nathan, Ian (May 20, 2020). "The Empire Strikes Back At 40: The Making Of A Star Wars Classic". Empire. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
- ^ Rinzler 2010, p. 165.
- ^ Rinzler 2010, p. 1229.
- ^ Rinzler 2010, p. 1677.
- ^ "Star Wars make-up artist Stuart Freeborn dies aged 98". BBC News. February 6, 2013. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
- ^ Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy (2004). 20th Century Fox Television. Event occurs at 1 hour and 40 minutes.
- ISBN 978-0-345-52612-0. Archivedfrom the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ^ Rinzler 2010, p. 392.
- ^ Rinzler 2010, p. 564, 1159.
- ^ Nick Maley (November 29, 2020). Insider story of the creation of Yoda. Retrieved June 3, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Rinzler 2010, p. 1498.
- ^ Desowitz, Bill (June 14, 2002). "Yoda as We've Never Seen Him Before". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ Landy, Tom (August 25, 2011). "Yoda Goes CGI in 'Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace' on Blu-ray". Hi-Def Digest. Archived from the original on June 11, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2011.
- ^ Blum, Matt (February 10, 2012). "7 Things Everyone Should Know About Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D". Wired. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ Coleman, Rob (2002). Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones audio commentary (DVD). 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Event occurs at 6 minutes.
- 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Event occurs at 6.
- ^ Breznican, Anthony (December 16, 2017). "The Last Jedi spoiler talk: How an old-school Star Wars character made a surprising return". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ Evans, Nick (January 2018). "Why Star Wars: The Last Jedi Used A Puppet For Yoda". Cinema Blend. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
- ^ Bryant, Jacob (December 21, 2015). "Obi-Wan, Yoda Secretly in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'". Variety. Archived from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- ^ "'Star Wars' fans rejoice: Beloved character Yoda will return". New York Daily News. April 14, 2018. Archived from the original on April 15, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
- ^ "Exclusive: Yoda Returns for Star Wars Rebels". TV Guide. December 15, 2014. Archived from the original on December 16, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- ^ Bilodeau, Matthew (July 21, 2022). "Did You Know John Lithgow Voiced Yoda In The Star Wars Radio Dramas?". SlashFilm. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ "Tom Kane (visual voices guide)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ "Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Will Premiere May the Fourth". Gizmodo. February 9, 2023. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ "Yoda Voice - Star Wars: Rebellion (Video Game)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
- ^ "Peter McConnell (visual voices guide)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ Canby, Vincent (June 15, 1981). "The Empire Strikes Back strikes a bland note". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ Gould Boyum, Joy (May 27, 1980). "The Empire Strikes Back". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ Knight, Arthur (November 28, 2014). "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: THR's 1980 review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 29, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ Arnold, Gary (May 18, 1980). "Darth Vader's surprise attack". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ Siskel, Gene (May 20, 2005). "Star Wars Episode VII". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ Roger Ebert (February 21, 1997). "The Empire Strikes Back". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2012. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
- ^ Sherlock, Ben (July 5, 2019). "Star Wars: Yoda's 10 Greatest Moments, Ranked". ScreenRant. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
- ^ Katz, Brandon (May 15, 2020). "40 Years Ago, Yoda Showed Us the Truth of the Force in 'Empire'". Observer. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
- ^ "Exclusive: Yoda Returns for Star Wars Rebels". tvguide.com. December 15, 2014. Archived from the original on December 16, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- ^ Breznican, Anthony (January 16, 2016). "'Star Wars: Rebels' — A deep dive into the shocking new trailer with creator Dave Filoni". EW.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
- ^ David, Margaret (December 12, 2020). "Why Yoda Looked SO Different on Star Wars Rebels". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
- ^ Brooks, Dan (September 1, 2020). "Inside Star Wars: The High Republic: Meet Yoda". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ McMilian, Graeme (April 25, 2014). "Lucasfilm Unveils New Plans for Star Wars Expanded Universe". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 29, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Archivedfrom the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- ^ "Disney and Random House announce relaunch of Star Wars Adult Fiction line". StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- ^ Dinsdale, Ryan (May 4, 2023). "The Star Wars Canon: The Definitive Guide". IGN. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
- ISBN 978-0-345-49269-2. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- DigitalSpy. Archivedfrom the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
- DigitalSpy. Archivedfrom the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
Works cited
- Rinzler, J.W. (2010). The Making of the Empire Strikes Back (eBook v3.1 ed.). London: Del Rey. ISBN 9780345543363.
Further reading
- Guynes, Sean; Hassler-Forest, Dan, eds. (2018). Star Wars and the History of Transmedia Storytelling (PDF). Amsterdam University Press. ISBN 9789462986213. Archived(PDF) from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- Hauptfuhrer, Fred; Peterson, Karen (June 9, 1980). "Yoda Mania: America Falls in Love with the 26–Inch, Green, Pointy-Eared Sage and his Master Puppeteer, Frank Oz". People. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
- "Frank Oz: In Confidence (Season 1, Episode 4)". NOW. Retrieved April 19, 2024.