By Chris Snellgrove | Published
Rightfully so, George Lucas is one of the most controversial figures in Star Wars history, with some fans praising him for creating the galaxy far, far away and some fans saying he got off track after the end of the Original Trilogy. Love him or hate him, however, he made the most important story decision that has managed to continue the franchise’s latest season. That is, George Lucas actively involved other creators in exploring the origin of Yoda, a decision that continued in various films and shows of Disney.
The Origin of Yoda
It’s interesting that George Lucas’s decision to keep Yoda mysterious is one that many make decades before Disney acquired Star Wars. While the man seems to be planning many aspects of this franchise long before filming, he made an exception for Luke Skywalker’s second Jedi Master. Dating so far The Empire Strikes BackLucas refused to develop any real backstory for Yoda, insisting that it was important for him to be “mysterious” and serve as the “magical character” that lives in the franchise.
When the Prequel Trilogy went into production, George Lucas apparently relaxed about Yoda, but he still exercised certain restrictions that Disney apparently still maintains to this day (more on this soon). For example, he introduced Yaddle as an alternative Jedi Master to the Yoda-types he regularly worked with, and allowed other writers to develop their own Yoda-like creatures. However, we never got any sort of Yoda origin story, and we only learned Yaddle’s fate. Namely, that he was killed by Count Dooku as part of his initiation into the blood of the Sith.
Obviously, George Lucas was very valuable in keeping Yoda’s backstory back when he was in charge of the franchise, but what’s more interesting is how little Disney has done with the character since acquiring the rights to Star Wars. Generally speaking, House of Mouse can do whatever they want with any of the characters, but there was no attempt to flesh out Yoda’s backstory or define his type. The last part is especially interesting when you consider that The Mandalorian Highlights include Grogu, a member of Yoda’s clan who serves as Din Djarin’s foster child.
George Lucas’s Yoda rule has not changed
The only real explanation for this is that George Lucas’ old rules about Yoda still stand, at least in the eyes of modern Disney creators like Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni. That may be why The Mandalorian never got into Grogu’s connection to Yoda despite fans asking what that connection might be since the first episode. Interestingly, Lucas actually visited the set early to help Favreau celebrate his birthday, a visit that sparked persistent rumors that the new “Baby Yoda” actor has the Star Wars creator’s full blessings.
Long story short, George Lucas is the only reason we don’t have a terrible Yoda story series on Disney+. He designed the Jedi Master talking back to be the biggest mystery of the franchise and once even destroyed all copies of a trading card offering a variety of versions of Yoda (it showed a Yoda-like creature worshiping something that looked like a lot like Yoghurt from Space balls). Now, even if Disney owns the franchise, they have continued to respect the Creator’s wishes, and by looking for a middle ground. The Book of Boba Fett finally, we are eternally grateful that Lucas has saved us another series of solos.
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