When it comes to the ever-expansive Star Wars universe, Master Yoda is certainly known for being one of the most iconic characters in the franchise. For years, the wise Jedi Master has shared knowledge with younglings and seasoned Jedi Knights alike, and many details about Yoda have been shrouded in mystery, including what type of species he is. Yoda was first introduced to fans in The Empire Strikes Back, where he is best known for his rigorous training of Luke Skywalker.
With famous words of wisdom like, “Do or do not, there is no try,” and “Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter,” Yoda is a beloved Jedi who is often well-remembered from the original Star Wars films. In Return of the Jedi, Master Yoda departed the physical realm, but returned to connect with Luke as a Force Ghost. Decades later, in The Last Jedi, actor Frank Oz reprised his role as Yoda and reunited with Mark Hamill on screen, all while passing on gems of wisdom. In the 2000’s, Yoda was reintroduced to fans on screen with the prequel films Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and for many years, fans have often wondered what Yoda might have been up to after the closing scenes of Revenge of the Sith. Sure, we know that Yoda headed to Dagobah to hideout from the Empire, but there are other details that have surfaced over the years. Here are 19 Wild Things Fans Had No Idea Yoda Did Between Episode 3 and 4:
He was excited at the idea of training Leia, not Luke
According to a short story entitled, “There is Another” from the book, A Certain Point of View, Yoda wasn’t on board to train Luke, especially in the beginning. In the story, Yoda was hesitant to even consider training Luke as he felt that he would end up following in the footsteps of his father, Anakin.
In the story, Yoda is living on Dagobah, and he communicates with Obi-Wan through the Force. Kenobi says to Yoda that he should prepare to train a “young Skywalker,” which Yoda is excited for. However, Obi-Wan was actually referring to Luke, but Yoda felt that Leia had more potential.
His cane was a joke
Although the short story, “There is Another” may have only been a brief glimpse at Yoda’s life on Dagobah, it allowed for some interesting revelations from Yoda’s perspective. In A Certain Point of View, Yoda amusingly noted to himself that his cane was actually a joke.
Earlier, in the prequels, Yoda is often shown walking with a slight limp and is also shown using his cane frequently in the animated series, The Clone Wars. However, as fans might remember, Yoda was quick to toss his staff aside when taking on Count Dooku and Emperor Palpatine. In the story, Yoda reveals: “His cane, begun as a joke really, to convince the young Padawans that he was only an old and feeble Jedi. He would hobble to the class and they would make way for their limping Master. Then, he would cast his cane aside and slice open the air with his lightsaber…”
He had physical reminders of his emotional attachments
In the prequels, original films, and animated shows like The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, Yoda constantly expresses the importance for Jedi to not have emotional attachments. Ironically, it was recently revealed that Yoda himself was a little bit of a hypocrite.
In “There is Another,” Yoda was described as having a blanket in his hut on Dagobah. Interestingly enough, although Yoda often gave Anakin a hard time about having emotional attachments, he himself had a blanket made from Qui-Gon Jinn’s cloak. Also, in the kitchen, Yoda had a metal pot that used to belong to Obi-Wan. Sentimental, he is!
He envisioned giving his lightsaber to Leia
Earlier, we mentioned that the “There is Another” short story had revealed a major new development with Yoda’s mysterious past. Fans soon learned that Yoda had wanted to teach Leia the ways of the Force, not Luke, and upon reading the story further, he even had bigger plans towards her progress.
In the short story, he mentioned how he had envisioned gifting his lightsaber to Leia, and seeing her face brighten with delight. Yoda is well-known for being a wise leader in the Jedi Order, and he has always shared his knowledge with younglings.
He Guides Ezra in Star Wars Rebels, “Path of the Jedi”
Years after The Clone Wars made its final farewell, Star Wars Rebels took fans back to the animated world of the Star Wars Universe. Season one introduced fans to young Lothal rebel, Ezra Bridger, as well as the beloved ragtag group of Rebels of the Ghost Crew.
In season one, episode 9, “Path of the Jedi,” Yoda made his first appearance during the animated series: “Big fears have you faced, young one,” Yoda says to Ezra. “Your path you must decide.” In the episode, Yoda guided Ezra towards the true purpose of wanting to become a future Jedi.
He Speaks with Kanan in Star Wars Rebels
In a similar vein, Yoda also shared some pearls of wisdom with Kanan Jarrus. In the series, Kanan is a bit insecure and is unsure of his true path of being a Jedi. When he meets Ezra, he notices promise in the young hopeful Jedi and takes him under his wing.
In the episode “Path of the Jedi,” Kanan also receives guidance from Yoda, who helps encourage Kanan towards his path as a Jedi Master. At the end, Yoda bestows his blessing to Kanan to begin to teach Ezra as his Padawan.
Ezra hears Yoda’s voice in Star Wars Rebels
In Star Wars Rebels, young Ezra Bridge continuously becomes tested with different temptations from the Dark Side of the Force. In the opening sequence of season four, episode 13, “A World Between Worlds,” Ezra hears Yoda’s voice through the Force.
Interestingly enough, Ezra also hears the voices of other Jedi during this sequence, like Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Ezra also hears short quotes from Maz Kanata and Rey from The Force Awakens. Ezra, who has shown a strong affinity for the dark side, also maintains his struggle toward the light. Throughout the series, Ezra continues to vacillate between the light and the dark side, but during this episode, he stays true by following Yoda’s guidance.
He Guides Ezra in his journey being a Padawan
In season two, episode 16, “Shroud of Darkness,” Ezra tells Ahsoka he heard Master Yoda’s voice through a dream, and later, Kanan, Ezra, and Ahsoka head to Lothal where they enter a Jedi Temple together. Once there, Ezra asks Yoda for help against Vader and his Inquisitors, to which Yoda reveals that elements of the dark side — fear, anger, hate — consumed the Jedi and that they were too quick to fight.
Although Ezra was surprised, Yoda admits that he was afraid, telling him, “A lifelong challenge it is, not to bend fear into anger.” Before the temple becomes destroyed by the Inquisitors, Yoda tells Ezra to find Malachor.
Listed as a priority target After surviving Order 66
In a similar vein, Yoda’s lightsaber wasn’t the only mention of the esteemed Jedi Master. In fact, in another panel from Darth Vader #7, Yoda was listed as a priority target for the Empire, and also included in the list of survivors from the infamous Order 66.
At first, there was speculation over the exact translation of the characters, but on Twitter, a Star Wars editor confirmed that Yoda was mentioned in the list. In a tweet, a photo included a brief rundown of the list, including Kayce Beradun, Quinlan Vos, Kirak Infil'a, Jocasta Nu, Ahsoka Tano, Kule Xandar, Naia Taver, and sealing the deal that Yoda was clearly marked on the list.
He Lends wisdom to Kanan
In “Shroud of Darkness,” Kanan faces off against a Jedi Temple guard while on Lothal, one that expresses all of Kanan’s worst fears — the demise of his loved ones, Ezra turning to the dark side, and the fall of the Rebellion. The pair continue to face off in combat, using their lightsabers, and the guard taunts Kanan for being weak.
The Jedi Temple guard also tells Kanan that he will never be strong enough to save his pupil. After Kanan admits that he can’t save Ezra from the dark side forever, he then becomes knighted by the Jedi Temple guard.
Escaped to Dagobah in an E3-Standard Lifeboat
As expressed in the Ultimate Star Wars book, towards the end of Revenge of the Sith, Yoda took an E3- standard lifeboat and headed towards Dagobah. However, during The Clone Wars, showrunner Dave Filoni explored an elaborate backstory with the episode “Voices,” touching on why Yoda was guided toward the swamp planet.
After communicating with Qui-Gon Jinn, Yoda is forced to face his worst fears. After passing test after test, he is told to go to Dagobah, where he will further learn about learning to preserve his essence as a Force Ghost. While we count down until December, it remains to be seen if director J.J. Abrams will explore this idea in Episode IX.
He Waves to Ahsoka
In “Shroud of Darkness,” Ezra asks Ahsoka about Yoda. She called him wise and kind, but mentioned that when she was younger, the Jedi Master seemed happier. Also, Ahsoka shared that as the Clone Wars continued, she felt that Yoda carried a great burden.
As Ahsoka meditates in the Jedi temple, she begins to hear Anakin’s voice asking why she left and abandoned him. When the Jedi Temple becomes under attack by the Inquisitors, Ezra, Kanan, and Ahsoka run towards their ship. As the Temple crumbles around them, Ahsoka sees a glimpse of Yoda in the distance, who smiles and waves at her. The moment might be brief, but it did allow for some symbolic closure to their fallout when Ahsoka left the Jedi Order during The Clone Wars series.
His lightsaber was destroyed by the Empire after RotS
In Marvel’s Darth Vader: Lord of the Sith #1 comic entitled “The Chosen One, Part I,” Emperor Palpatine mentions that Darth Vader should start to create a lightsaber of his own. As part of a grand demonstration, Palpatine and Vader watch as the Empire begins to destroy some of the last physical remainders of the Jedi order.
While it happens, Vader watches silently as Palpatine gives him new instructions for forging his own lightsaber. In an attempt to show off the power of the Empire, a heap of lightsabers are thrown into an open fire, including Yoda’s own.
He Lived off root leaf stew and yarum seeds
While many fans know that Yoda ended up on the planet Dagobah after Revenge of the Sith, some of the more casual Star Wars enthusiasts might not know exactly how he survived. According to the Ultimate Star Wars book from 2015, while living on the swamp world of Dagobah, Yoda primarily lived off of eating rootleaf stew.
The Jedi Master also gathered yarum seeds off the pathway near his home on the swamp planet. When Luke meets with Master Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, he is invited inside to share a warm meal.
Sensed loneliness in Obi-Wan and Anakin
In “There is Another,” Yoda revealed another aspect of his life on Dagobah. After Revenge of the Sith, Yoda frequently contacted Obi-Wan Kenobi through the Force, and during these times of connection, Yoda could sense a strong feeling of loneliness from his old friend.
In another instance, Yoda reached out and felt a saddening sting of loneliness and immense sense of pain from Anakin. Toward the end of the story, Yoda also admits to himself that he too feels loneliness and often feels like a failure.
Lived out of the ship and used it for electricity
For fans of a certain galaxy far, far, away, the Ultimate Star Wars book is an absolute must-read. According to the text, while on Dagobah, Yoda lived out of the very same E3-standard lifeboat that he arrived in. After all, as many fans know from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the mysterious planet is known for having a swampy layout.
Over time, Yoda decided to use the ship to help generate electricity for him to live. He even used it to create a small kitchen space, along with a storage area. Sounds like the epitome of hygge, Yoda! Although, we’re not sure if Marie Kondo would approve.
Built a hut at the base of the trees
After arriving on Dagobah, Yoda started to use the lifeboat as a home, such as using the ship for shelter and as a base camp. However, the planetary environment on Dagobah presented quite the challenge for Master Yoda, and sadly, most of the E3-standard starship lifeboat began to degrade due to the weather conditions.
According to the Ultimate Star Wars reference book, after a while, Yoda was able to salvage some scraps from the lifeboat to fashion it into a home.
Communicated with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon through the Force
In “There is Another,” fans were able to learn more information about Yoda’s personal journey while on Dagobah. In fact, they even learned how Yoda was able to communicate with Qui-Gon Jinn through the Force, as explored further in the animated series, The Clone Wars.
Earlier, we mentioned that Obi-Wan had envisioned training Luke, whereas Yoda had high hopes for training Leia as a Jedi. In the end, the story fades out on a hopeful note, with Yoda feeling more optimistic about the future.
Fought off multiple droids from the Empire while on Dagobah
During the early prequels and during the Clone Wars, Master Yoda was known for being a powerful warrior. However, while on Dagobah, things changed, and Yoda mostly focused on learning to become one with the Force.
In the comics, fans learned that Yoda was listed as a priority target from Order 66, yet, as far as new canon is concerned, there were no major events that occurred on Dagobah. In “There is Another,” it is revealed that several probe droids sent by the Empire also included Dagobah in their scans, but Yoda manages to deactivate one and reveals to fans that it wasn’t the first.
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Is there any other Yoda trivia that happened between Episode 3 and 4? Let us know in the comments!
