in:Legends articles,Articles that are known by a nickname,Articles needing citation,

and2 more

Yoda's species

<Yoda's species

Edit

This article details a subject that falls under the Legends continuity.

Click here for Wookieepedia's article on the Canon version of this subject.

This article covers the Legends version of this subject.

The title of this article is a nickname, call sign, or alias.

This article is about a subject that has not been identified with an official name and is known only by a nickname, call sign, or alias.

Help me,Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope.

This article is in need of referencing per Wookieepedia'ssourcing guidelines.

This article needs appropriate citations. Help usimprove this article by referencing valid resource material. Remove this notice when finished.

"Yoda's species"

Biological classification

Designation

Sentient

Physical characteristics

Average height

0.7meters

Skin color

Green
Brown

Hair color

Brown
White(with age)

Eye color

Brown
Green

Distinctions

Long, pointed ears
Tridactyl hands
Anisodactyl feet

Average lifespan

Unknown (up to 900Standard years)

Sociocultural characteristics

Diet

Carnivorous

Language

Galactic Basic Standard

"They have Master Yoda's species listed as Lannik, and his midi-chlorian count at 4 million. That's just ridiculous!"

―Coleman Trebor^[1]

TheJedi Master Yoda was the best-known member of aspecies whose true name is not recorded. Known in some sources simply asYoda's species, this species of small carnivoroushumanoids produced several well-known members of theJedi Order during the time of theGalactic Republic.

Biology and appearance[]

"Apleasure to meet you, it is."
"There is something about you that is…familiar. I had anold friend who spoke in thesame way."

―A disguised Yoda and Dooku^[2]

Members of the species worshiping an idol

The name and homeworld of this species were unknown.

Members of the species were much shorter than an averageHuman, most standing below 70 centimeters, with lifespans of many hundreds of years (though their average lifespan is unknown because all known members of the species wereJedi, who generally lived longer than ordinary members of a species). Adults of the species were characterized by sharp, elfin ears, ridges on their foreheads, tridactyl hands and (most commonly) anisodactyl feet. Their leathery skin and blood were both light green. Their sharp teeth suggested a carnivorous diet. The diet of the most famous member of the species, Jedi Master Yoda, consisted of nutrients most other beings considered disgusting.

This species resembled theLannik species, both having a short stature, large pointed ears, and, in some cases, a topknot of hair. Whether this species was related to the Lannik is uncertain, though Yoda was at least once mistaken for a Lannik. A genetic connection between the two species was unlikely, though, because Lannik were much morehumanoid and appeared to have evolved from simians, while the unknown tridactyl species had features that suggested an amphibian or reptilian ancestry.

All known members were very wise and had extraordinaryForce potential. Most of them, though not all, spoke an idiosyncratic dialect ofGalactic Basic Standard, utilizing nonstandard grammar and formalized sentence construction. Members of this elusive species were rarely seen inthe known galaxy.^[3]

Known members[]

Yoda – The most famous member of this species, Yoda was the JediGrand Master during the time of theGalactic Republic for over two centuries and one of the most powerful Jedi in the history of the Order. Master Yoda died from natural causes at the age of 900 standard years.^[4]
Yaddle – A powerful Jedi master who sat on theJedi Council onCoruscant.^[5]
Vandar Tokare – A powerful Jedi master who sat on theJedi Council onDantooine.^[6]
Oteg – A Jedi Master who served during theCold War.^[7]
Minch – A Jedi Knight who served the Jedi Order^[8] around700 BBY. Although little is known about him, he proved himself quite able in the ways of the Force when he single-handedly defeated aDark Jedi Master incombat. In contrast to the other four masters, who had all shown exceptional calmness and self-control at all times, Minch had a slightly more fiery temperament and was known to have once lost his cool when subjected toDun Möch.^[9]
Unnamed Jedi – A statue of a Jedi of this species was inside theValley of the Jedi onRuusan.^[10]

Behind the scenes[]

"I never really figured out where he came from, what his species is called… he's a mystery character. He's a magical character. He has no background. He comes and he goes. He's the subversive secret mysterious stranger that enters the film and then exits at the end."

―George Lucas, on Yoda^[11]

George Lucas maintained a strict policy of keeping the history, name, origin, and whereabouts of this species unknown. When asked what species Yoda is, Lucas has only joked, "He's a frog." In the documentary "From Puppets to Pixels," he joked that Yoda is "the illegitimate child ofKermit the Frog andMiss Piggy."^[12]

Donald F. Glut'snovelization ofStar Wars: Episode VThe Empire Strikes Back referred to Yoda as anelf.^[13]

Prior to the creation ofYaddle forThe Phantom Menace,Lucasfilm actively discouraged licensees from exploring Yoda's species, wishing to avoid confirming that an entire species of Yoda-like individuals even necessarily existed. Lines cut fromRevenge of the Sith simply refer to the species as "Yoda's species."

Lucas's policy has resulted in certainStar Wars publications being canceled. A significant example was when Lucasfilm (likely at the direction of George Lucas) ordered the pulping of the entire print run of a yet-to-be-releasedStar Wars trading card depicting a group of the unknown tridactyl species worshiping a larger-than-life statue of one of their number, led in prayer by an individual who may have been intended to be Yoda.

The Essential Guide to Characters listed Yoda's homeworld asDagobah.^[14] However, newer material states that Yoda was not born there.^[15]

Santa Claus appears to be a member of Yoda's species (as shown inStar Wars Adventure Journal 8), though this is anEaster egg and therefore is non-canon inLegends.^[16] InStar Wars: X-Wing, which also includes a cameo of Santa Claus,what appears to be a member of this species can be seen on the deck of a hangar of thestarship Independence.^[17]

Because of their three fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot, some have called Yoda's species a "tridactyl."

Many fans have speculated that this unknown species is theWhills (as in theJournal of the Whills), butPablo Hidalgo has denied this.^[18] A misconception that Yoda is a Whill from the planet "Grentarik" originated on thefan-fiction site run by "SuperShadow."

Number of toes[]

The number of toes that members of this species possess has been inconsistently portrayed over the course of theStar Wars franchise, including in the films. A tridactyl foot would only have three toes, but this version has only appeared once, inThe Phantom Menace, whereas the puppet used inThe Empire Strikes Back andReturn of the Jedi, as well as the digital model fromRevenge of the Sith, all have four toes.

In theEmpire Strikes Back shot of Yoda rummaging throughLuke's supplies, Yoda's soles are visible. Although there are definitely three forward-facing toes, an additional digit protruding in the opposite direction is ambiguously either a fourth toe or a prehensile heel of some kind (if such a thing is anatomically possible). The clear presence or absence of a fourth toenail would settle the matter, but the angle of the shot makes it impossible to see whether one is there. If the fourth, rear-facing digitis a toe, then Yoda's species haveanisodactyl feet.

InThe Phantom Menace, the puppets of both Yoda and Yaddle feature three forward-facing toes and a blunted Human-like heel instead of the original puppet's anisodactyl arrangement, thus having truly tridactyl feet.Attack of the Clones has a fully digital Yoda but contains no close-ups adequate to discern the toe arrangement.

The digital Yoda inRevenge of the Sith returns to theoriginal trilogy puppet's anisodactyl design, as seen in shots of Yoda plummeting to the Senate Rotunda floor at the conclusion of his battle withDarth Sidious, and when jumping down intoBail Organa's speeder shortly afterward. One earlier shot of Yoda lying momentarily stunned on a senate pod during the battle also seems to display a rearward fourth toenail, indicating that the fourth digit is indeed a toe, but the shot is not adequately clear at DVD resolution.

Likely as a result of the above inconsistency, variousHasbro action figures of Yoda produced sinceReturn of the Jedi have featured three, four or five toes in a variety of arrangements. None of these precisely matched his anisodactyl feet inThe Empire Strikes Back untilRevenge of the Sith figures molded a toenail onto the ambiguous rear-facing fourth digit of theEmpire Strikes Back design, definitively making the digit a toe. Whether Hasbro based this on aRevenge of the Sith digital model or access to the original trilogy's puppet, or if this was speculation on their part, is unknown.

The 2006 reference bookThe New Essential Guide to Alien Species, on page 216, states that Yoda's species had "five-toed feet, with three toes in front and two toes in back."^[19] However, the five-toed arrangement is not visible in any film, so this statement contradicts the more common anisodactyl version featured in the majority of the films (which naturally possess a higher level of canon). This five-toed version remains the least used in any incarnation ofStar Wars media.

The 2008 animated film and television seriesThe Clone Wars uses a CGI model of Yoda that matches the one-off tridactyl arrangement fromThe Phantom Menace, with three forward-facing toes and a blunted heel. The episode "Ambush" has shots of Yoda's feet showing three forward toes and a pointed heel in back.^[20]

In the "Ask Lobot" feature ofStar Wars Insider 122, released inDecember 2010,Holocron continuity database keeperLeland Chee stated that Yoda has four toes: three in the front and one in the back.^[21]