Overview

• George Lucas clarified at the 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival that Yoda's reversed speech was a deliberate choice to make audiences focus on his philosophical dialogue.
• Lucas explained that the distinctive syntax was aimed at capturing the attention of younger viewers, especially 12-year-olds, to ensure they absorbed Yoda's teachings on the Force and Jedi philosophy.
• Yoda's role as the 'philosopher' of the Star Wars saga influenced the decision to give him a unique speaking style to emphasize his wisdom and mentorship.
• Frank Oz, who voiced and puppeteered Yoda, suggested making the character's speech consistently unusual after noticing mixed syntax in the original script, an idea Lucas approved.
• Lucas also reflected on the initial challenges of introducing Yoda as a puppet character, which ultimately became one of the franchise's most iconic elements.