Yoda's early behavior in ESB

I never liked how Lucas had him act when he first met Luke. It differs so much compared to how he was in the PT. He acts really loopy, laughing alot and trying to scam food off of Luke. Also, what kind of Jedi Master uses a dumb little twig to fend off a droid?

Don't get me wrong, I like Yoda, but it's almost is if Lucas decided to change the character to a much more reserved and prestigious Master when he made the PT then how he had him portayed in the CT.

 

You refer to the way Yoda "acts"...

...which is exactly what he was doing - ACTING.

Yoda chose not to reveal his identity immediately, and he behaved the way he did to throw Luke off-track.

Note that in both the PT and the OT, Yoda demonstrates that he has a sense of humor.

 

I disagree.

The way Yoda was in ESB was perfect to connect with Luke on a level that would ultimately show Luke not to underestimate anyone.

It also meant Luke didn't fear Yoda which you'd assume is a good start for Jedi Training. It would be quite the opposite with the Sith teaching methods.

Personally I find that scene when Yoda barges in and acts like a 231 year old - my favourite scene of Yoda in the entire saga.

Luke needed a mentor not a master in my opinion at the stage he was in ESB and that's my theory behind the reason Yoda was so childlike - it got Luke relaxed and open minded from the get go. Had he just waltzed in and said 'I am Yoda - listen to me now'... well I don't think Luke would've been quite as willing a student - or at the very least it would've been difficult for him to ask questions and run around with this all powerful being on your back knowing one false step and you kill each other. Pressure baby!

 

Yea. but if i was Yoda and i haven't seen R2-D2 in a looooong time i would have shown some affection for the driod! I mean come on, That would have been cool if they showed Yoda and Chewbacca meet, but o well, Yoda does act weird in the begining of ESB

 

I thought it was perfect how George Lucas portrayed Yoda during ESB. Like Leias_love_slave said...it was all an act. He chose not to reveal himself immediately because it was all a test of Luke's patience as well as many other things...and Luke failed the majority of the time. Besides, look at how he acts as soon as Luke realizes who it is. He is calm and serene and is very...very serious; acting much like he did in the Prequels.

 

maybe he's loopy bc he hasnt talked to anyone in 20 years.

 

Really? I liked that scene a lot. They made him act like that in Dark Rendezvous (clone war book if you didn't know), which I thought was quite hilarious.

 

It was an act but that craziness came from somewhere. I don't think it was all to hard for him to act like that after 20 years on Dagobah....alone.

 

Yoda acted the way he did to try Luke's patience! Patience is a virtue some other Skywalker didn't have! *cough* ANAKIN *cough*

 

Also note...he pretty much turns back to his "PT" self once he reveals who he is to Luke and becomes much more serious.

 

Yodas behaviour in ESB when he first meets Luke on Dagobah is great, he goes from one of the funniest characters in the entire saga along with Chewwie and C-3PO to a serious Jedi Master. I laugh every time I see Yoda in ESB, when he is hitting R2 with his stick and laughing like a little nutcase.

It's the classical fairytale situation were the important things are hidden or disguised at first.


"awww... can't get your ship out"

 

Of course Yoda is acting! This is a very good part (Not sure If I can credit Lucas as he neither wrote the screenplay or directed)

As has been said, Yoda is testing Luke's patience and perceptions. Are there really still people who watch these classic movies and not understand what they are seeing?!?

If anything, Yoda was ruined in the PT. Not only was he prone to poor decisions but was also very violent and combat orientated. The Yoda in ESB who dismissed weapons and using Force for attack would never be doing somersaulting decapitations.


ESB Yoda is a beautifully developed character IMO.

 

I know I cannot bring anything new to the discussion, just wanted to say that I also think that Yoda was acting in ESB.

And you're right, Mandalorian, Yoda's character was ruined in the prequels. The only thing they left from the OT Yoda was grammar.

 

And they even went too far with that! Yoda's speech was never as messed up as it is in the prequels! He spoke normally a lot in the OT.


"Around the survivors, a perimeter create"

"I hope right, you are"

etc...

Its a parody of Yoda. No thought was put into the speech, just mixing up the words.

 

My personal favourite:

"To recalibrate the code, the clones, a long time it will take".

Could you imagine ESB Yoda taking his speech to extremes like this?

"Surrounds it, life does. Grow, makes it".

"Train him, I cannot. No patience, the boy has".

We've all heard people impersonating Yoda for a joke. They tend to go overboard with the "backwards speaking". Well, that's exactly what he sounded like in the PT.

 

"Beings luminous we are, this crude matter not"

"All that they have thought and suffered, destroy you will"

 

Yoda is simply trying to find out where Luke is as a man. Remember he had delt with his Father and that didn't turn out all that well. So I think he was checking to see if Luke was a chip-off-the-block.

 

I agree that ESB is the best Yoda. And I can see your point there MANDALORIAN. But you forget one key point. The OT comes after the PT. So it can be said that YODA learned his lesson about the use of weapons, and his combat oriented ways. And for the grammer, maybe Tarfull and Chewie gave Yoda a guide to grammer usage. And Luke came in before Yoda mastered it.
And as to the comical way he acts when Luke arrives. While the EU established that Yoda was waiting for him and was ready. I believe that the whole crazy act was because Yoda had to test Luke to make sure he was Luke. And not an Imperial Plant of some sort. Yoda never saw Luke after he was born. And I am sure that Obi-wan did not send Yoda updated snap shots. Also the act gave Yoda the chance to test Luke's patience too. That I think was secondary to Yodas' not revealing himself to soon for safety reasons.
And to those who suggest that Yoda wanted to put Luke at ease. That is a great theory. And I can see that as a reason. But not as much as the others.

 

I like the prequels, but I have to say that the point you're making wasn't lost on me.

I found Yoda's PT dialogue grating at times. I just try to overlook it because I don't want it to ruin my enjoyment of the PT.

 

Yoda confronted Luke with a test. Luke obviously failed.

The simple and comical character that Yoda presented himself as in ESB, was not unlike the introduction of Jar Jar in TPM.

The same kind of thoughtless prejudice that Luke initially demonstrated against Yoda, Obi-Wan demonstrated against Jar Jar (and later on towards Anakin) yet his more knowledgable and understanding master, Qui-Gon, quickly acted and reacted differently.

 

Yoda: "Ready you are? Know you what of ready? Trained Jedi have I for years eight hundred. On who is to be trained, keep will I my own counsel. Have the deepest commitment must a Jedi, the mind most serious. This one a long time have I watched. Looked away to the future, to the horizon has he all his life. Where he was, never his mind was on. Hmm? What doing was he. Hmph. Adventure. Heh. Excitement. Heh. These things not does a Jedi crave. Reckless you are."

Luke: "You had me at 'ready'."

 

I think my brain just exploded.

 

I dunno about that. I like to think that Yoda learned most of what he did before the PT? I mean if his most important lessons were learned in the 20 or so years between ROTS and ESB and not the 800 years before, then I think that considerably diminishes his credibility to the audience.

As for making sure he was Luke....yeah....I'm pretty sure Yoda can sense him? Vader says "the Force is strong in this one" so I'm pretty certain he didn't have to resort to dragging the explanation out of Luke with the act.

 

'i hope right, you are'

he said this?! which film?

 

ROTS.




Emporer Gerner Dark Lord of the Sith