George Lucas finally explains why Yoda speaks backwards and it makes perfect sense: “I had to figure out a way”
Other members of Yoda’s species speak conventionally, but the Jedi Master’s speech pattern had a deliberate purpose.
Yoda’s peculiar speech, rearranging grammar and placing words in an unusual order, has been a defining trait of the character since his debut in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’. While ‘Star Wars’ never provided an in-universe explanation, George Lucas recently revealed the real reason behind it at the TCM Classic Film Festival, during a special screening celebrating the film’s 45th anniversary.
According to Lucas, Yoda’s speech was designed to make audiences pay attention:
“Because if you speak regular English, people won’t listen that much,” Lucas said. “But if he had an accent, or it’s really hard to understand what he’s saying, they focus on what he’s saying,” Lucas explained.
“He was basically the philosopher of the movie, I had to figure out a way to get people to actually listen — especially 12-year-olds.”
Frank Oz’s contribution to Yoda’s speech
Frank Oz, the legendary puppeteer and voice actor behind Yoda, also played a role in shaping the character’s speech. He once revealed that he suggested the idea of making Yoda’s syntax distinct, and Lucas approved the change.
Is Yoda the only one who speaks this way?
Despite Yoda’s unique speech pattern, other characters of his mysterious species do not share this trait.
- Yaddle, another Jedi Master of Yoda’s race, speaks in normal sentence structure.
- Grogu, the beloved character from ‘The Mandalorian’, has yet to speak, leaving fans curious about whether he will follow Yoda’s style or Yaddle’s.
Interestingly, the name of Yoda’s species remains unknown, a mystery that has surrounded ‘Star Wars’ since the original trilogy.
What’s new in ‘Star Wars’
- ‘Star Wars: Andor’ released episodes 4-6 of its second season this week.
- ‘Tales of the Underworld’ is set to premiere on May 4.
You can read more about Lucas’s explanation in Variety.
Follow MeriStation USA on X (formerly known as Twitter). Your video game and entertainment website for all the news, updates, and breaking news from the world of video games, movies, series, manga, and anime. Previews, reviews, interviews, trailers, gameplay, podcasts and more! Follow us now!