Summary
Yoda’s speech patterns have always been unusual inStar Wars, and the franchise has struggled to settle on a definite reason why. When Yoda first made his debut in 1980’sThe Empire Strikes Back, viewers were captivated by theJedi Grandmaster. George Lucas designed Yoda to be an unlikely master, deliberately forcing audiences (and Luke Skywalker) to look beyond the surface appearance. “Judge me by my size, do you,” Yoda asked - a comment that didn’t only showcase his size, but also pointed to his weird syntactic patterns.
Star Warshas subsequently introduced several members ofYoda’s species- most prominently Jedi Master Yaddle, who made her first appearance inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. The odd thing is, though, thatno other member of Yoda’s race shares his speech pattern. Why does Yoda speak so strangely?
George Lucas Wanted To Emphasize Yoda’s Alien Nature - Without Subtitles
From an out-of-universe perspective, the answer can be found in Paul Duncan’sThe Star Wars Archives: 1977-1983. This includes an interview with George Lucas, in which he provides a simple answer: “I had to come up with a language that was alien but still understandable, so I reversed everything around,” he explained. It clearly worked, becauseYoda became one ofStar Wars' most-quotedcharacters.
Lucas was particularly concerned with avoiding the need for subtitles. He wanted Yoda to sound alien but understandable, so viewers had a strong sense of what was going on in each scene. In Lucas' view, subtitles would have distracted from the flow of the story (they’d also have been a little odd, given there’s no reason Luke Skywalker would have known a random alien language).
Star Wars Movies In Order: How To Watch Release Order, Chronologically & With The TV Shows
What’s the best way to watch Star Wars? Here’s everything you need to know to watch in release or timeline order, and how to include the TV shows.
Yoda Is So Old, Language Has Evolved Around Him
InStar Warscanon, the reason is tied toYoda’s age. The Jedi Grandmaster was almost 900 years old when he first met Luke, and language had evolved around him - with Yoda not bothering to keep up. The main galactic language inStar Warsis called “Basic,” andYoda speaks an antiquated version that’s several centuries old.
“Frank Oz told me once that Yoda speaks that way specifically in honor of his own master.”
Speaking toNerdist, George Lucas' protege Dave Filoni shared a story he was told by Yoda voice-actor Frank Oz. “Frank Oz told me once that Yoda speaks that way specifically in honor of his own master,” he recalled. This would fit with the idea Yoda speaks an older version of Basic; he would have learned Basic from his master over 850 years before the mainStar Warssaga.
Yoda’s Speech May Also Demonstrate His Sense Of Humor
There is one other possibility though; Yoda’s sense of humor. The Jedi Grandmaster is noted for his mischievousness, and he may well find it entertaining to speak in such a confused way. Indeed, his famous comment - “Judge me by my size, do you?” - shows a great deal of joy in being underestimated. A short stature and strange way of speaking would lead many to underestimate him, and they’d only learn their follow when Yoda unleashed his full power.
Hilariously, there’s actually been one occasion whereYoda’s speech patterns saved a planet. In John Jackson Miller’sThe Living Force, pirates planted explosives around a major Jedi Council event - one where they knew the Council would tell the planet’s populace, “The Jedi will stand with you.” The Council learned the bombs would be triggered by a precise word combination, and in a delightful moment they simply asked Yoda to make the speech; “Stand with you, the Jedi will,” he declared, which didn’t set off the bombs.The pirates launched their attack anyway, and the chaos was exquisite.
Buy The Living Force from Amazon
Why Yaddle Doesn’t Speak Like Yoda (& Grogu Won’t Either)
At just 477 years old at the time of her death inTales of the Jediseason 1, Yadle was half Yoda’s age - which explains why she didn’t have the same strange speech patterns. Moving ahead toThe Mandalorian, Grogu will pick up his adopted father’s speech patterns too. That means this will remain something that is unique to Yoda inStar Warslore.
Yoda
The aged Jedi Master had trained Jedi for 800 years by the time he met Luke Skywalker on the planet Dagobah. One of the most famed and revered Jedi, Yoda served as Grand Master of the Jedi Order for centuries; he was powerful enough to duel Darth Sidious himself, although he was defeated. Yoda exiled himself to Dagobah, where he learned how to become a Force Ghost and offered guidance to Luke Skywalker.
