yoda

The Star Wars franchise was created by George Lucas, who wrote and directed the original Star Wars film (1977).{{Efn|Originally titled Star Wars, the film was later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope.}} 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".{{Sfn|Rinzler|2010|pp=22, 34}}{{Cite web |date=May 19, 2005 |title=Unscripted With Hayden Christensen and George Lucas |url=https://www.moviefone.com/movie/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith/17722/video/qvNPYXmc/ |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240331083039/https://www.moviefone.com/movie/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith/17722/video/qvNPYXmc/ |archive-date=March 31, 2024 |access-date=March 31, 2024 |website=Moviefone |at=Event occurs at 5:22 }} 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.{{Sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=241}} 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.{{Sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=363}} 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.{{Cite web |last=Nathan |first=Ian |date=2020-05-20 |title=The Empire Strikes Back At 40: The Making Of A Star Wars Classic |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/star-wars-making-empire-strikes-back/ |access-date=2024-06-03 |website=Empire |language=en |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112021758/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/star-wars-making-empire-strikes-back/ |url-status=live }}

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.{{Sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=165}} 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.{{Sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=241}} 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.{{Efn|For wide shots of Yoda moving around, the dwarf actor Deep Roy wore a Yoda suit.{{Sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=1229}}

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Yoda was originally portrayed by a puppet created by Stuart Freeborn and Wendy Froud.{{Sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=1677}} Freeborn based Yoda's face on his own facial features and those of Albert Einstein, hoping the latter inspiration would make the character appear intelligent.{{cite news |date=February 6, 2013 |title=Star Wars make-up artist Stuart Freeborn dies aged 98 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21357301 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407081214/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21357301 |archive-date=April 7, 2019 |access-date=February 6, 2013 |work=BBC News}}Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy (2004). 20th Century Fox Television. Event occurs at 1 hour and 40 minutes. Lucas asked Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets, to perform the puppeteering for Yoda. Henson was busy with another project, however, and recommended Frank Oz for the role.{{Cite book|last=Jones|first=Brian Jay|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hPcBDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA308|title=Jim Henson: The Biography|publisher=Ballantine Books|year=2015|isbn=978-0-345-52612-0|location=New York|pages=308|language=en|access-date=December 23, 2021|archive-date=April 22, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422154501/https://books.google.com/books?id=hPcBDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA308|url-status=live}}{{Sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=392}} To perform Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, Oz inserted his hand into the puppet's head to manipulate the mouth and brow. Kathryn Mullen, Wendy Froud and David Barclay operated Yoda's eyes, ears and other body parts using cables, strings, hydraulics and electronic mechanisms.{{Sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=564, 1159}} There was also a radio-controlled Yoda puppet that was used when the Jedi Master is riding on Luke's back.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8lw1iMugbg |title=Insider story of the creation of Yoda |date=2020-11-29 |last=Nick Maley |access-date=2024-06-03 |via=YouTube |archive-date=April 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418204700/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8lw1iMugbg&list=PLkGUNCMKghxg0TTh0ve498ukAdD0aLG1z |url-status=live }} Lucas had intended for a different actor to provide Yoda's voice, but ultimately decided that Oz was the best performer for the role.{{Sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=1498}}

In the original 1999 release of The Phantom Menace, Yoda was portrayed by a new puppet in all but two shots. In these two wide shots, the character was created using computer-generated imagery (CGI).{{cite web |last=Desowitz |first=Bill |date=June 14, 2002 |title=Yoda as We've Never Seen Him Before |url=http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=Columns&category2=&article_no=1415&page=1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531060024/http://www.awn.com/articles/production/yoda-weve-never-seen-him |archive-date=May 31, 2012 |access-date=May 7, 2024 |website=Animation World Network |publisher=}} The puppet was replaced with a digital Yoda in the 2011 Blu-ray release and the 2012 theatrical 3D release.{{cite web |last=Landy |first=Tom |date=August 25, 2011 |title=Yoda Goes CGI in 'Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace' on Blu-ray |url=http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/news/show/George_Lucas/20th_Century_Fox/Yoda_Goes_CGI_in_Star_Wars_Episode_I_-_The_Phantom_Menace_on_Blu-ray/7520 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611020053/http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/news/show/George_Lucas/20th_Century_Fox/Yoda_Goes_CGI_in_Star_Wars_Episode_I_-_The_Phantom_Menace_on_Blu-ray/7520 |archive-date=June 11, 2012 |access-date=August 25, 2011 |magazine=Hi-Def Digest}}{{Cite magazine |last=Blum |first=Matt |date=Feb 10, 2012 |title=7 Things Everyone Should Know About Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D |url=https://www.wired.com/2012/02/star-wars-phantom-menace-3d/ |access-date=May 7, 2024 |magazine=Wired}} In Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005), Yoda is entirely computer-generated. The digital character accomplishes movements not possible with the puppet, such as fighting with a lightsaber.{{cite AV media |title=Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones audio commentary |last=Coleman |first=Rob |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox Home Entertainment |year=2002 |time=6 minutes}} In Revenge of the Sith, his face is shown in several close-ups, which required highly detailed CGI work.{{cite AV media |title=Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones audio commentary |last=Coleman |first=Rob |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox Home Entertainment |year=2002 |time=6}}

Yoda uses the object-subject-verb word order giving him his distinctive speaking style. Lucas later explained why he added this to the character: “Because if you speak regular English, people won’t listen that much. But if he had an accent, or it’s really hard to understand what he’s saying, they focus on what he’s saying.”{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2025/film/news/why-yoda-talks-backwards-star-wars-george-lucas-1236378508/|date=April 25, 2025|title=George Lucas Reveals Why Yoda Talks Backwards at ‘Empire Strikes Back’ Anniversary Screening|author=Gilchrist, Todd|work=Variety}}

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.{{cite web |first=Vincent |last=Canby |author-link=Vincent Canby |title=The Empire Strikes Back strikes a bland note |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/film/061580empire.html |website=The New York Times |date=June 15, 1981 |access-date=August 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525193727/https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/film/061580empire.html |archive-date=May 25, 2021 |url-status=live |url-access=limited}} Joy Gould Boyum of The Wall Street Journal praised the "exquisitely constructed" Yoda puppet, and said that Oz "so finely put together [the character]{{nbsp}}...{{nbsp}}as to make us wonder continually if he isn't real."{{cite web |last=Gould Boyum |first=Joy |date=May 27, 1980 |title=The Empire Strikes Back |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB111653069458538291 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801030307/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB111653069458538291 |archive-date=August 1, 2016 |access-date=August 30, 2021 |website=The Wall Street Journal}} 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.{{cite web |last=Knight |first=Arthur |author-link=arthur Knight (film critic) |date=November 28, 2014 |title=Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: THR's 1980 review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/empire-strikes-back-review-1980-movie-752672/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829041917/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/empire-strikes-back-review-1980-movie-752672/ |archive-date=August 29, 2021 |access-date=August 30, 2021 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}{{cite news |last=Arnold |first=Gary |date=May 18, 1980 |title=Darth Vader's surprise attack |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/review97/empirestrikesbackarnold.htm |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528051212/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/review97/empirestrikesbackarnold.htm |archive-date=May 28, 2020 |access-date=August 30, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune called Yoda the highlight of the film, while People magazine called him a pivotal character.{{cite web |last=Siskel |first=Gene |author-link=Gene Siskel |date=May 20, 2005 |title=Star Wars Episode VII |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2005-05-20-0505200368-story.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020174433/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2005-05-20-0505200368-story.html |archive-date=October 20, 2018 |access-date=August 30, 2021 |website=Chicago Tribune}}{{Cite web |last1=Hauptfuhrer |first1=Fred |last2=Peterson |first2=Karen |date=June 9, 1980 |title=Yoda Mania: America Falls in Love with the 26–Inch, Green, Pointy-Eared Sage and his Master Puppeteer, Frank Oz |url=https://people.com/archive/cover-story-yoda-mania-vol-13-no-23/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927192013/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0%2C%2C20076674%2C00.html |archive-date=September 27, 2013 |access-date=December 17, 2012 |website=People}} 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.{{cite web |author=Roger Ebert |date=February 21, 1997 |title=The Empire Strikes Back |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19970221%2FREVIEWS%2F702210302%2F1023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116065857/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19970221%2FREVIEWS%2F702210302%2F1023 |archive-date=November 16, 2012 |access-date=February 29, 2012 |work=Chicago Sun-Times}}

Yoda has been a popular character since his introduction more than forty years ago.{{Cite web |last=Sherlock |first=Ben |date=2019-07-05 |title=Star Wars: Yoda's 10 Greatest Moments, Ranked |url=https://screenrant.com/star-wars-yodas-best-moments-ranked-movie/ |access-date=2024-06-04 |website=ScreenRant |language=en |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110234559/https://screenrant.com/star-wars-yodas-best-moments-ranked-movie/ |url-status=live }} Brandon Katz of Observer has called him an icon of cinema.{{Cite web |last=Katz |first=Brandon |date=2020-05-15 |title=40 Years Ago, Yoda Showed Us the Truth of the Force in 'Empire' |url=https://observer.com/2020/05/star-wars-the-empire-strikes-back-yoda-anniversary/ |access-date=2024-06-03 |website=Observer |language=en-US |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110225146/https://observer.com/2020/05/star-wars-the-empire-strikes-back-yoda-anniversary/ |url-status=live }} Empire magazine claimed that after the droids C-3PO and R2-D2, Yoda is the "most beloved" character in the Star Wars franchise.

{{Main articles|Star Wars original trilogy}}

Yoda was introduced in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), in which he is puppeteered and voiced by Frank Oz. In the film, Luke arrives on Dagobah to seek his guidance at the behest of {{No wrap|Obi-Wan's}} Force spirit. At first, Yoda does not identify himself to Luke and instead tests his patience by provoking him. Luke is shocked when he discovers that this small, eccentric creature is the powerful Jedi Master he was seeking. Finding Luke to be impatient and undisciplined, Yoda is reluctant to mentor him in the ways of the Force, but agrees to the task after conferring with Obi-Wan. Before finishing his training, Luke chooses to leave Dagobah to confront Darth Vader and help his friends in Cloud City. Yoda and Obi-Wan warn that he is not ready, but Luke leaves anyway. When Obi-Wan laments that Luke is their "last hope", Yoda reminds him that "there is another".

Yoda appears briefly in Return of the Jedi (1983), again performed and voiced by Oz. Now sick and frail, he 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.

{{Main articles|Star Wars prequel trilogy}}

A younger Yoda appears 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 Qui-Gon Jinn brings the young Anakin Skywalker to the Jedi Council. Convinced that Anakin is the "Chosen One" of Jedi prophecy who will bring balance to the Force, Qui-Gon requests that the boy be trained as a Jedi. Yoda senses great fear in Anakin, especially in regards to his attachment to his mother Shmi, and foresees "grave danger" in his training. The Council, led by Mace Windu, rejects Qui-Gon's request. When Qui-Gon is mortally wounded in a duel with the Sith Lord Darth Maul, his dying request is that his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi train Anakin. Obi-Wan tells Yoda that he will train the boy, even without the Council's approval. Yoda reluctantly gives his blessing to Anakin's training.File:Yoda Attack of the Clones.pngAttack 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 secessionist movement seeking independence from the Galactic Republic. After the first attempted assassination of Senator Padmé Amidala, Chancellor Palpatine suggests that she be put under the protection of Obi-Wan, who is training Anakin. At the climax of the film, Yoda saves Obi-Wan and Anakin from the Separatists and defeats his former apprentice, Count Dooku, in a lightsaber duel.

In Revenge of the Sith (2005), Yoda and the Jedi Council pursue the mysterious Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Palpatine has now amassed near-dictatorial emergency powers, and begins interfering in Jedi affairs. The Council orders Anakin to spy on Palpatine, whom he considers a friend and mentor. Anakin seeks Yoda's counsel about his prophetic visions that someone close to him will die. Yoda, unaware that Anakin is referring to Padmé, tells him to train himself to let go of everything he fears to lose. Unsatisfied, Anakin turns to Palpatine, who then reveals himself as Darth Sidious. The Sith Lord manipulates the young Jedi into becoming his apprentice, suggesting that the dark side of the Force can save Padmé from dying.

Sidious transforms the Republic into the Galactic Empire, proclaiming himself emperor and ordering the clone troopers to kill their Jedi generals. Through the Force, Yoda feels the deaths of each of the Jedi as they are betrayed by their own troops. After killing the clone troopers instructed to assassinate him, he escapes with the Wookiee leaders Tarfful and Chewbacca to Coruscant, where he and Obi-Wan fight their way into the Jedi Temple. They discover that all the Jedi inside have been slaughtered, including the children. Yoda and Obi-Wan find a recording revealing that Anakin—now known as Darth Vader—was the assassin. Yoda decides to face Sidious, and sends Obi-Wan to kill Vader. When Obi-Wan protests, Yoda tells him that the Anakin he knew no longer exists. Yoda battles Sidious in a lightsaber duel in the Senate. In the end, neither is able to overcome the other and Yoda is forced to retreat. After Padmé dies in childbirth, Yoda recommends that her infant twins Luke and Leia be hidden from Vader and Sidious; he sends Leia to Alderaan and Luke to Tatooine. At the end of the film, it is revealed that Yoda has been learning the secret of immortality from Qui-Gon's spirit and passing it on to Obi-Wan.

{{Main articles|Star Wars sequel trilogy}}

Oz reprises the Yoda role in the sequel trilogy, both as a puppeteer and as a voice actor.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:
{{cite news |last=Bryant |first=Jacob |date=December 21, 2015 |title=Obi-Wan, Yoda Secretly in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' |url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/star-wars-the-force-awakens-obi-wan-yoda-1201666121/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203231442/http://variety.com/2015/film/news/star-wars-the-force-awakens-obi-wan-yoda-1201666121/ |archive-date=December 3, 2017 |access-date=November 8, 2016 |work=Variety}}{{Cite web |last=Crislip |first=Anthony |date=2024-01-27 |title=Star Wars: The Last Jedi's Yoda Backlash Never Made Sense To Frank Oz |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1493188/star-wars-the-last-jedi-frank-oz-never-understood-yoda-backlash/ |access-date=2024-07-04 |website=SlashFilm |language=en-US |archive-date=May 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520161239/https://www.slashfilm.com/1493188/star-wars-the-last-jedi-frank-oz-never-understood-yoda-backlash/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Britt |first=Ryan |date=2019-12-20 |title=All the Easter Eggs and Hidden References in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker |url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/12/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-easter-eggs-and-references.html |access-date=2024-07-04 |website=Vulture |language=en |archive-date=January 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200108045602/https://www.vulture.com/2019/12/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-easter-eggs-and-references.html |url-status=live }}}} The first film of the trilogy, The Force Awakens (2015), takes place thirty years after Yoda's death in Return of the Jedi.{{Cite web |last=Travis |first=Ben |date=June 12, 2024 |title=Star Wars Timeline: Every Movie, Series And More |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/star-wars-timeline-chronological-order/ |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=Empire |language=en |archive-date=March 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240323122442/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/star-wars-timeline-chronological-order/ |url-status=live }} When the scavenger Rey has a Force vision and discovers Luke's lightsaber, she hears Yoda's voice. 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.

Yoda appears in the 2008 animated film The Clone Wars and the television series of the same name. He is voiced by Tom Kane in both productions.{{Cite web |title=Tom Kane (visual voices guide) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Tom-Kane/ |access-date=May 7, 2024 |website=Behind the Voice Actors |archive-date=July 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709155958/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Tom-Kane/ |url-status=live }} In the film, he assigns Anakin an apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, believing the responsibility will help him grow as a Jedi and mature as a person. Throughout most of the series, Yoda is 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, pleased that they are both maturing with each other's influence. In season five, Ahsoka is framed for a crime she did not commit, and Yoda and the Jedi Council turn her over to the Republic military. Before a verdict is read in Ahsoka's trial, Anakin reveals the true culprit, the fallen Jedi Barriss Offee. Yoda, Anakin, and the Council then invite Ahsoka to rejoin the Order, but she refuses.

In the sixth season, Yoda hears the voice of the deceased Qui-Gon Jinn. He travels to Dagobah to find answers. He sees cryptic visions of the fall of the Jedi, and learns that he has been chosen to manifest his consciousness after death as a Force spirit. A group of spirit priestesses then gives him various tests, including facing an illusion of the ancient Sith Lord Darth Bane. His final challenge is to resist an attempt by Sidious and Dooku to lure him to the dark side. Yoda engages in a metaphysical battle with Sidious and seemingly sacrifices himself to save Anakin, only to awaken and discover that the battle was merely a vision, and that he passed the test. The priestesses inform Yoda that his training will resume in time.

Yoda returns in the animated series Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018).{{cite web |date=December 15, 2014 |title=Exclusive: Yoda Returns for Star Wars Rebels |url=http://www.tvguide.com/News/Yoda-Return-Star-Wars-Rebel-1090906.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216015611/http://www.tvguide.com/news/yoda-return-star-wars-rebel-1090906.aspx |archive-date=December 16, 2014 |access-date=January 4, 2017 |work=TV Guide}} In the season one episode "Path of the Jedi", he telepathically communicates with the Jedi apprentice Ezra Bridger and his master Kanan Jarrus, helping the pair to understand their true motivations.{{cite web |last=Sands |first=Rich |date=December 15, 2014 |title=Exclusive: Yoda Returns for Star Wars Rebels |url=http://www.tvguide.com/News/Yoda-Return-Star-Wars-Rebel-1090906.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216015611/http://www.tvguide.com/news/yoda-return-star-wars-rebel-1090906.aspx |archive-date=December 16, 2014 |access-date=January 4, 2017 |work=TV Guide}} In the season two episode "Shroud of Darkness", Yoda appears to Ezra in a vision.

Yoda appears in two episodes of Tales of the Jedi (2022), although he has no dialogue. In the third episode, he attends the funeral of Jedi Master Katri, and in the fifth episode he observes the training of Ahsoka.

Yoda is voiced by John Lithgow in the radio dramatizations of The Empire Strikes Back (1983) and Return of the Jedi (1996).{{Cite web |last=Bilodeau |first=Matthew |date=2022-07-21 |title=Did You Know John Lithgow Voiced Yoda In The Star Wars Radio Dramas? |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/935096/did-you-know-john-lithgow-voiced-yoda-in-the-star-wars-radio-dramas/ |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=SlashFilm |language=en-US |archive-date=May 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240513185007/https://www.slashfilm.com/935096/did-you-know-john-lithgow-voiced-yoda-in-the-star-wars-radio-dramas/ |url-status=live }} He is featured in the audio drama Dooku: Jedi Lost and the novel Master and Apprentice, both released in 2019.{{cite web |last1=Liptak |first1=Andrew |date=20 July 2018 |title=The next Star Wars novels will flesh out the prequel era |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/20/17596512/star-wars-novels-padme-obi-wan-qui-gon-claudia-gray-ek-johnston-san-diego-comic-con-2018 |access-date=25 July 2018 |website=The Verge |archive-date=October 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019130109/https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/20/17596512/star-wars-novels-padme-obi-wan-qui-gon-claudia-gray-ek-johnston-san-diego-comic-con-2018 |url-status=live }} He appears in the web series Forces of Destiny (2017–2018),{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVVa2g4X4MU&list=PLR4qvTE1cSnoICGM_gfSedDPp18c3FluC&index=1 |title=Star Wars Forces of Destiny |date= |last=Disney |access-date=2024-06-20 |via=YouTube |archive-date=June 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240622003857/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVVa2g4X4MU&list=PLR4qvTE1cSnoICGM_gfSedDPp18c3FluC&index=1 |url-status=live }} the children's television series Young Jedi Adventures (2023–present){{Cite web |date=February 9, 2023 |title=Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Will Premiere May the Fourth |url=https://gizmodo.com/disney-star-wars-young-jedi-adventures-may-4-premiere-1850095740 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212231957/https://gizmodo.com/disney-star-wars-young-jedi-adventures-may-4-premiere-1850095740 |archive-date=February 12, 2023 |access-date=February 17, 2023 |website=Gizmodo |language=en}} and the 2021 comic The High Republic Adventures, which takes place 200 years before the prequel trilogy.{{Cite web |last=Brooks |first=Dan |date=September 1, 2020 |title=Inside Star Wars: The High Republic: Meet Yoda |url=https://www.starwars.com/news/inside-star-wars-the-high-republic-meet-yoda |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904085651/https://www.starwars.com/news/inside-star-wars-the-high-republic-meet-yoda |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |access-date=September 5, 2020 |website=StarWars.com |language=en-US}} He also makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the final episode of the television series The Acolyte (2024).{{Cite web |last=Declan |first=Liz |date=July 17, 2024 |title=The Acolyte's Surprise Cameo Fixes A 25-Year-Old Phantom Menace Problem |url=https://screenrant.com/star-wars-the-acolyte-yoda-cameo-explained/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240717113541/https://screenrant.com/star-wars-the-acolyte-yoda-cameo-explained/ |archive-date=July 17, 2024 |access-date=July 17, 2024 |website=Screen Rant}} In 2012, Yoda was featured in a series of Vodafone commercials, which were broadcast in the United Kingdom.{{cite web |last=Laughlin |first=Andrew |date=January 19, 2012 |title=Yodafone: Jedi Master signs up for Vodafone TV ad campaign - video |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tech/a360813/yodafone-jedi-master-signs-up-for-vodafone-tv-ad-campaign-video/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416170812/https://www.digitalspy.com/tech/a360813/yodafone-jedi-master-signs-up-for-vodafone-tv-ad-campaign-video/ |archive-date=April 16, 2023 |accessdate=April 16, 2023 |publisher=DigitalSpy}}{{cite web |last=Nissim |first=Mayer |date=July 30, 2012 |title=Yoda Strikes Back: Star Wars returns in new Vodafone ad - video |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/fun/a395970/yoda-strikes-back-star-wars-returns-in-new-vodafone-ad-video/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416170802/https://www.digitalspy.com/fun/a395970/yoda-strikes-back-star-wars-returns-in-new-vodafone-ad-video/ |archive-date=April 16, 2023 |accessdate=April 16, 2023 |publisher=DigitalSpy}}

{{See also|Star Wars in other media}}Following the acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Company in 2012, most of the licensed Star Wars novels and comics produced between 1977 and 2014 were rebranded as Star Wars Legends and declared non-canon to the franchise. The Legends works comprise a separate narrative universe.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:
{{cite news |last=McMilian |first=Graeme |date=April 25, 2014 |title=Lucasfilm Unveils New Plans for Star Wars Expanded Universe |url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/lucasfilm-unveils-new-plans-star-698973 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429022447/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/lucasfilm-unveils-new-plans-star-698973 |archive-date=April 29, 2016 |access-date=May 26, 2016 |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter}}{{cite web |date=April 25, 2014 |title=The Legendary Star Wars Expanded Universe Turns a New Page |url=https://www.starwars.com/news/the-legendary-star-wars-expanded-universe-turns-a-new-page |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910044317/http://www.starwars.com/news/the-legendary-star-wars-expanded-universe-turns-a-new-page |archive-date=September 10, 2016 |access-date=May 26, 2016 |website=StarWars.com}}{{cite web |date=April 25, 2014 |title=Disney and Random House announce relaunch of Star Wars Adult Fiction line |url=https://www.starwars.com/news/disney-publishing-worldwide-and-random-house-announce-relaunch-of-star-wars-adult-fiction-line |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514073722/http://www.starwars.com/news/disney-publishing-worldwide-and-random-house-announce-relaunch-of-star-wars-adult-fiction-line |archive-date=May 14, 2016 |access-date=May 26, 2016 |publisher=StarWars.com}}{{Cite web |last=Dinsdale |first=Ryan |date=2023-05-04 |title=The Star Wars Canon: The Definitive Guide |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/the-star-wars-canon-the-definitive-guide |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=IGN |language=en |archive-date=May 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240503204025/https://www.ign.com/articles/the-star-wars-canon-the-definitive-guide |url-status=live }}}}

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.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z_sOi8od9pMC |title=Yoda: Dark Rendezvous: Star Wars Legends |date=December 6, 2005 |publisher=Random House Worlds |isbn=978-0-345-49269-2 |access-date=May 13, 2024}} He is also a character in the comic series Star Wars: Republic.{{Cite web |title=Dark Horse Comics Republic Series |url=https://youtini.com/series/dark-horse-comics-republic-series-35969e8516 |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Youtini |language=en |archive-date=June 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620033833/https://youtini.com/series/dark-horse-comics-republic-series-35969e8516 |url-status=live }}

Yoda is voiced by Tom Kane in the animated television series Clone Wars, which aired on Cartoon Network from 2003 to 2005. In the series, Yoda becomes a general during the Clone Wars. While escorting Padmé on a journey, he senses a Force disturbance on the planet Ilum. After using a Jedi mind trick to convince Captain Typho to take them there, Yoda saves the lives of two Jedi. In the final episode of the series, Yoda fights alongside Mace Windu to defend Coruscant, which is under attack from the Separatists. The two Jedi Masters realize too late that the battle was intended to distract them from the kidnapping of Palpatine by the Separatist leader General Grievous. Clone Wars was removed from the official canon in 2014 and placed in the Legends universe.

• Yoda – a parody song by "Weird Al" Yankovic
• Yoda conditions – a style of writing conditionals in computer programming languages

{{notelist}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{Cite book |last=Rinzler |first=J.W. |title=The Making of the Empire Strikes Back |publisher=Del Rey |year=2010 |isbn=9780345543363 |edition=eBook v3.1 |location=London}}

• {{Cite book |url=https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/31149/637514.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |title=Star Wars and the History of Transmedia Storytelling |publisher=Amsterdam University Press |year=2018 |isbn=9789462986213 |editor-last=Guynes |editor-first=Sean |format=PDF |access-date=April 18, 2024 |editor-last2=Hassler-Forest |editor-first2=Dan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304164951/https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/31149/637514.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |archive-format=PDF |archive-date=March 4, 2023 |url-status=live}}
• {{Cite web |title=Frank Oz: In Confidence (Season 1, Episode 4) |url=https://www.nowtv.com/watch/frank-oz-in-confidence/iYEQYZHWrEf34G79rRpiS1/seasons/1/episodes/4/A5EK4nmp9qb2Vxwdxvf5G |url-access=subscription |access-date=April 19, 2024 |website=NOW}}

[https://www.starwars.com/databank/yoda Yoda] in the StarWars.com Databank{{commons category|position=left}}{{Star Wars Trilogy}}

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