Overview

• George Lucas explained that Yoda’s backward speech was intentionally designed to make audiences, particularly younger viewers, focus on his philosophical dialogue.
• The revelation was made during the 45th anniversary screening of 'The Empire Strikes Back' at the 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival.
• Lucas described Yoda as the 'philosopher' of the Star Wars saga, emphasizing his role in conveying key Jedi and Force concepts.
• Yoda was created to replace Obi-Wan Kenobi as Luke’s mentor, with Lucas initially fearing the puppet would fail but later calling its on-screen presence 'magic.'
• At Star Wars Celebration in Japan, it was announced that Shawn Levy will direct the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter film, starring Ryan Gosling and set for release on May 28, 2027.