Here’s why George Lucas won’t allow Star Wars to divulge the origin and name of Yoda’s species. There isn’t much mystery left in the Star Wars universe after 45 years of investigating the property through movies, TV episodes, and novels. With as many liberties as Star Wars takes in increasing our understanding of historical individuals, events, and locales, George Lucas has one specific unrevealed fact that no future endeavors will be able to touch.
Despite the fact that Yoda has become one of the most well-known pop culture icons since his appearance in the 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars has yet to divulge the character’s background or species information prior to the prequel era. When The Mandalorian introduced Grogu, one of the most popular characters in the current age of the franchise, the mystery of Yoda’s species name and origin became a concern. Grogu’s official title in the series was “The Child” for season 1, with the young force-sensitive character generally nicknamed “Baby Yoda” because his name wasn’t disclosed until The Mandalorian season 2.
We’re Still Yet To Learn More About Yoda
The Mandalorian’s inclusion of Baby Yoda reignited the debate over Yoda’s unusual species, despite the fact that the characters’ histories were given very little attention. Because Grogu and Yoda are likely to have known one another; Master Yoda is frequently involved with educating Jedi younglings, and Grogu was a youngling at the time of Order 66; the links between the two and their origins have only grown more intriguing. George Lucas, on the other hand, will never allow Star Wars to reveal the characters’ origins or their species’ true names, leaving two of the franchise’s most adored characters permanently a mystery.
Since the arrival of Master Yoda on Dagobah in 1980, very little about his species has been disclosed in canon. According to Star Wars, Yoda’s species is green, ages far more slowly than humans with a considerably longer lifetime, is Force-sensitive, and is a very little creature. Master Yoda in the original/prequel trilogies; Yaddle of the Jedi Council in the prequels, and Jedi youngling Grogu in The Mandalorian are the only characters of Yoda’s species to appear in Star Wars films and television programmes.
All three characters have a similar appearance, with Yaddle being the only female Yoda’s species character seen thus far. Because every member of Yoda’s race has been linked to the Jedi as a Force-sensitive entity, it’s interesting to learn about their origins, how many there are, what planet they come from, and why they have such high midi-chlorian levels.
How Do They Age?
Yoda’s race has always been regarded as one of Star Wars’ greatest mysteries; with Lucasfilm deliberately forbidding anyone from delving into Yoda’s past, let alone his origins. They even went so far as to destroy the entire print run of a trading card depicting a bunch of Yoda-like aliens worshipping an idol in the 1990s; ostensibly at George Lucas’ request. After Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, which featured Yaddle, another member of Yoda’s race who served on the Jedi Council, the rules were relaxed.
It’s worth noting that Baby Yoda may not have matured properly throughout the years. In season 2 of The Mandalorian; Ahsoka revealed that he was one of the Jedi Temple’s Younglings, and that he was rescued from Order 66. Grogu, a powerful Force-sensitive; would have no doubt noticed the death and destruction around him, and according to Ahsoka; he retreated inside himself, even closing himself off from the Force, which explains why no one could detect his presence over the decades.
An unknown crew of mercenaries guard Baby Yoda during the Dark Times; He doesn’t appear to have had any social interaction since the destruction of the Jedi Order; implying that his social skills are severely limited. If Yoda’s species indeed age at this pace, it’s possible that Yaddle is still alive. Yaddle would not have been in her 50s by the time of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace; despite being born 509 years before the Battle of Yavin. She left the Jedi Council for unclear reasons; and she appears to have left the Jedi Order altogether because she did not participate in the Clone Wars.
George Lucas Stands To Guard His Secrets…
Despite the fact that Yoda’s species has appeared in every aspect of the Star Wars universe; George Lucas is insistent about keeping the species’ name and origin a secret. After deciding to kill Obi-Wan Kenobi, Lucas confessed that he had no idea where Yoda came from or even if his species had a name when he initially created him. Rather than developing a backstory for Yoda; Lucas chose to preserve him as a “mystery” and “magical character,” keeping him a key secret and subversive figure in the Star Wars universe.
As a result, it’s not that Lucas doesn’t know what Yoda’s species is and refuses to reveal it to the public; rather, he just wants to leave this fascinating, powerful, and weird creature as an enigma. Any more information about the species from Yaddle and The Mandalorian’s Grogu would thus deflate Yoda’s excitement; hence Lucas’ rule remains that the species’ real nature is never revealed.
Star Wars frequently feels compelled to provide answers to every aspect of every character or circumstance it introduces; making the vast universe appear much smaller once all is revealed. Yoda, on the other hand, has been a mystery since the beginning of the franchise, and with the franchise’s ongoing evolution; the mystery of his species stays a constant, which is desperately needed in Star Wars’ ever-changing environment. In actuality, revealing Yoda and Grogu’s species adds nothing to the tale; which is why Lucas’ decision to keep it a mystery is far more compelling. Furthermore, keeping Yoda’s species a secret is true to the character, who left much of his counsel and actions enigmatic.
…And So Does Lucasfilm
Star Wars is unlikely to reveal the species as long as George Lucas is alive and retains the belief that Jedi Master Yoda must remain a secret. When Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau first presented Baby Yoda in The Mandalorian; they knew they had to tread carefully to honor Lucas’ intentions for Yoda’s species to remain unknown. Grogu would have already had Jedi training; which was a critical factor in maintaining the species’ mystery in terms of Force sensitivity, according to Lucas. While Grogu’s background remains one of the most intriguing aspects of The Mandalorian; it appears that the series will only go as far as his time at the Jedi Temple with the character.
Disney May Have To Honor It
With Disney’s acquisition of the Star Wars franchise; the vast world has shrunk even further, revealing the backstories, futures, and previously unknown experiences of iconic characters. After Return of the Jedi, it was unclear what Luke Skywalker did before starting his Jedi Temple; Obi-Wan Kenobi’s 19-year stay on Tatooine after Revenge of the Sith was a fascinating unsolved storyline; Ahsoka’s mysterious future after Star Wars: The Clone Wars was an intriguing unsolved storyline; and Boba Fett was revealed to have survived the Sarlacc pit 37 years after viewers first saw Han Solo knock him into the beast’s mouth While Disney’s Star Wars has been a fantastic opportunity to rekindle interest in the property; explore new stories, and experience the universe in a whole new light; it has also removed a lot of the franchise’s mystery.
Despite the fact that George Lucas no longer has final control over what occurs in the Star Wars universe; his opinion on the one secret he’s always been adamant about protecting should be respectable. It would be a mistake for Disney to spoil the franchise’s best-kept secret over the past four to five decades by exposing Yoda’s species; even if it would add to the tale in a big way in the case of Grogu’s genuine origins.
The Force was once one of the most perplexing aspects of Star Wars; but the magical energy has progressively unravelled over time; losing much of the strength that came with its initial mystique. Because Yoda is still one of the most popular and important figures in the Star Wars universe; Disney should recreate similar situations with Grogu’s ambiguity rather than using the new; beloved character to detract from the great Jedi Master’s 40-year mystique.
