The Yoda Problem: What It Reveals About Everything That Went Wrong in the Star Wars Saga

With the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu, the famous “Baby Yoda” has finally been given a formal name on the big screen. If, for Disney, that translates into extra toy sales, it’s also a reminder that the original Yoda wasn’t merely a pretext for making figures.

Yoda is dead. Long live Yoda. On two occasions, we have celebrated the rebirth of the Jedi Master. The first with the prequel trilogy and the second, more radical, with the series The Mandalorian, which began in 2019. In the latter, Grogu, a small creature with long ears and a singular bond to the Force, quickly captivated audiences. And this, notably thanks to a double serving of fan service, since he is both an endearing mascot and a reminder of one of the franchise’s most iconic characters.

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Of course, Grogu isn’t Yoda. But it’s hard not to feel the aura of the Jedi Master living through Din Djarin’s ward. His unofficial nickname – “Baby Yoda” –, which Disney has never stopped promoting, has contributed to this explicit lineage. Thus, one of the saga’s mythical figures now serves as a springboard for a charming little creature endlessly monetizable. An evolution some will call inevitable. And yet, in 1980, Yoda wasn’t meant to be a mascot or a toy. Originally, the character was conceived without cynicism, by artists who were passionate about creating a character with many facets.

The Sage with a Thousand and One Faces

In The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi, Yoda is Luke Skywalker’s master after the death of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He appears first as an eccentric hermit who hardly inspires confidence. This Master Yoda is small, grotesque, irritating; one might even call him ridiculous. He pokes around Luke’s affairs, speaks oddly, behaves like a crazy old man living in his swamp in his own way. Then, fairly quickly, he reveals himself as a capable, but elusive, teacher. A being external to conflicts and to immeasurable power.