Did You Know that Master Yoda Was Almost Played by a Monkey?

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As a lifelong Star Wars enthusiast and someone who’s grown up with the wise words of Yoda guiding me through many a tough moment, I can confidently say that he is undeniably one of the greatest fictional characters ever created. His journey from an unassuming mentor in The Empire Strikes Back to the powerful Jedi Master we see in the Prequel Trilogy has been nothing short of captivating.

As a dedicated gamer, I can’t help but acknowledge that among the countless fictional characters out there, none have left an indelible mark quite like the one and only Jedi Master Yoda from Star Wars. His debut was indeed groundbreaking, but it was his actions in the Prequel Trilogy that truly solidified him as a legendary figure, a testament to his greatness that stands undisputed. It’s not just something I believe; it’s an unarguable fact.

Initially, Yoda made his debut in the 1980 film “The Empire Strikes Back,” a sequel to George Lucas’ Original Trilogy. In this movie, he assumed the role of a wise guide for Luke Skywalker following the demise of Ben Kenobi. Although we were aware of his immense power, it wasn’t until the Prequel Trilogy that we truly grasped the full extent of Yoda’s powerful abilities.

As a dedicated Star Wars fan, I’ve always cherished the iconic role of Yoda, the wise Jedi Master. While today’s versions of Yoda are breathtakingly crafted with CGI, it was Frank Oz’s 1980 puppet that first captured our hearts in the original movies. For many, the image of Yoda as anything else is unthinkable. But here’s an interesting tidbit: You might not know this, but Yoda almost looked completely different! Various concepts were tossed around before the final decision was made to go with the puppet. This piece will delve into that fascinating tale.

Without a doubt, Master Yoda is recognized as one of the most iconic fictional characters ever created and undeniably among the most beloved characters in the Star Wars universe. First appearing as an aged but wise and formidable Jedi Master during the Empire, he was later revealed to have been the most powerful Jedi of the Republic and one of the strongest Force-users in history.

As an avid Star Wars fan, I can’t help but feel excited about the potential insights ‘The Mandalorian’ might offer regarding Yoda’s mysterious species. Though we’ve encountered other beings resembling him, their identity remains a mystery – no name, no backstory. They are small, green-skinned creatures with pointed ears and three digits on all limbs. It’s unclear if they possess a unique bond with the Force, but every character from Yoda’s species we’ve seen in canon is an impressive Force user.

The iconic look we’re familiar with has been added to the annals of cinematic history, but creating it was a challenging process. Specifically, the visual effects art director for the movie, Joe Johnston, drew hundreds of unique Yoda sketches. Later on, as detailed in Rinzler’s book The Making of The Empire Strikes Back, he mentioned that the design George Lucas eventually chose looked like a mix of a leprechaun, a troll, and a gnome, which sounds quite intriguing.

Regarding Yoda’s distinctive speech, it was Lucas himself who chose this pattern to give Yoda a unique touch, which turned out to be quite effective with the iconic puppet. Interestingly, before settling on the puppet, there were some extremely unusual concepts for his portrayal floating around.

One of the ideas was to get a child or a dwarf to play Yoda in a costume; this was abandoned, although actor Deep Roy was in Yoda’s costume during the several wide shots that show Yoda moving in the movie. Another idea was to use stop-motion animation, which would have been interesting, but the craziest idea of them all was to use – a monkey! Yes, someone wanted to put a trained monkey in the costume, give it a cane, and then have it walk around. We’re lucky that they picked the puppet, eh?

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2024-10-25 19:44