Easily one of the most iconic characters on the screen, Yoda has captivated audiences since his introductory appearance in The Empire Strikes Back. Earlier this year, the movie celebrated its 40th anniversary, marking how long this small green creature has had a place in history.
His sage wisdom and advice has inspired many, but has also launched a thousand memes. Prequel memers in particular have paid homage to the pop culture icon with their vast library of Yoda meme creations. Whether it's using an exact movie quote or a facial expression, any occasion can be elevated by a Yoda prequel meme.
Movie Order Explained
While most movies come out in chronological order, Star Wars continues to baffle newcomers to the franchise with how to view them for the first time. There are a variety of options from watching in release order to chronological order to hybrids like the Machete Order. But none of these explain why four through six came out before one through three... until this brilliant meme offered the perfect explanation. Since Yoda always speaks backwards, he would have planned out the movies the same way.
Better Recognize
When C-3PO cuts the tension between Han and Leia reuniting in The Force Awakens by saying Han probably doesn't recognize him because of the red arm, the audience can't help but laugh out loud. Of course Han can tell it's the otherwise golden protocol droid despite the color of his recently added appendage, which is why the same principle applies to the Count Dooku and Yoda moment so well. When Dooku left the Jedi Order, his lightsaber was the same blue color it was while he was Yoda's apprentice, but when he faces his former master as a Sith, it's now red.
Pooh Bear Disguise
During Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan and Yoda must sneak back onto Coruscant in order to reach the Jedi Temple. However, the way they did this was never shown, leaving it open to fan interpretation.
Imagining Obi-Wan disguised as Christopher Robin while Yoda is in a Winnie the Pooh costume seems like the Ewan McGregor movie crossover the world needs. Not to mention, Pooh has appeared in several other Star Wars memes with variations of him greeting General Kenobi, so this fits right in.
Trying Revelation
One of the most well-known quotes in the Star Wars saga is when Yoda says, "Do or do not, there is no try" to Luke in The Empire Strikes Back. The deeper meaning has messages about believing in one's self and accomplishing goals, but this meme shows a comical take on the reason Yoda adopted this philosophy. If Anakin had heeded Obi-Wan's warning while his former master had the high ground in Revenge of the Sith, Skywalker wouldn't have lost his limbs, caught fire, and become a blackened crisp.
Thanos Logic
After Avengers: Infinity Wars, fans created a series of memes using this Thanos quote. He's referring to the knife he hands Gamora, but also to life in the galaxy itself.
Balance is a common theme in Star Wars as well, especially in relation to the prophecy of the Chosen One, who is said to be destined to bring balance to the force. The running joke among fans is that the Old Republic had a lot more Jedi than Sith, so ironically Anakin did bring balance, just not the kind Jedi like Yoda thought he would.
High Ground
No Star Wars meme collection is complete without a mention of having the high ground. Obi-Wan's infamous line has framed all Star Wars battles since, as well as an endless number of jokes in the fandom. While it might have been a psychological trick to defeat Anakin, it could also be a reference to Obi-Wan's position of having the moral high ground over Anakin. Whatever the case, Yoda was destined to admit defeat against Sidious the moment he lost the high ground according to this meme pondering what might have been.
Don't Do Drugs
If this PSA doesn't make you want to go home and rethink your life, nothing will. The difference between the CGI Yoda and puppet Yoda in The Phantom Menace startled fans when the Blu-Ray came out with the digitized version. Though Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith both feature the CGI version, Episode I was originally the same puppet everyone was used to seeing in the original trilogy. This joke is pushed further by the fact that the CGI Yoda was made to appear younger than the puppet, making the contrast truly seem like a case of a few very rough years.
Rank of Master
There are several prequel memes dedicated to the scene in which Anakin is outraged by the Jedi council's decision not to make him a Jedi Master after placing him on the council with them.
Mace Windu and Yoda are particularly unimpressed by Anakin's reaction, and Obi-Wan tries to calm him down with a stern look, making this moment perfect for the screaming woman at the cat eating a salad meme. Yoda has never been a huge Anakin fan from the moment he met him and hasn't been afraid to speak up about it.
Clone Conundrum
The animated series, Clone Wars, revealed that the clones all have an inhibitor chip in their brains with Order 66 programmed in them. While Ahsoka receives this information, it's never shown that Yoda knows about it. Of course for the meme, viewers assume that Yoda did know and has no qualms about killing the clones in order to protect himself and other Jedi. So is it part of his character to defend without question or does he believe the clones have truly turned against him? Either way, Yoda is a force to be reckoned with.
The Child... Support
Since the appearance of Baby Yoda, who has now been revealed to be called Grogu, plenty of original trilogy memes with older Yoda have come out showing the two together. Fans are now speculating that Grogu is the son of Yoda and Yaddle, another member of the Jedi Council and the same species as Yoda. With that theory in mind, this prequel meme takes a dark humor turn and shows Yoda running off to Dagobah as a result of the knowledge he's fathered a child.