Star Wars is, without a doubt, one of the most immersive sci-fi worlds ever created, and that’s largely due to the incredible characters within it. The trials and tribulations these characters go through — despite some of them being all-powerful Jedis, aliens, galactic royalty, or what have you — feel relatable on some level, and, in turn, deeply impactful. The series isn’t perfect by any means, but neither is life, and we still consistently find the good in that, even if it takes us reading some inspiring quotes to do it.
Someone with no shortage of inspiring quotes is Master Yoda, who bestows his wisdom upon many Star Wars characters throughout the series. In this article, I’ve compiled eight of my favorite Yoda quotes so that you, and I, can return to this list whenever we need a bit of a pick-me-up, no matter how big or how small.
Why You Should Trust Me: As a feature writer at MovieWeb, I’ve covered a variety of topics across the sphere of fantasy/sci-fi, including Star Wars. Beyond just involving myself in it for work, I’m highly familiar with the world of Star Wars, as I’ve been an avid fan of the franchise for as long as I can remember. As always, I’m excited to take on an article that discusses something I love.
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Honorable Mentions
Both of these quotes appear outside the Star Wars film franchise, but I wanted to show them some love regardless. They showcase Yoda’s character well, despite not being the most well known entries. If you haven’t read Yoda: Dark Rendezvous and you’re interested in learning more about Yoda, I would highly recommend it.
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“Named must your fear be before banish it you can.”
- Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novelization
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Dooku: “Why not do it the easy way, Master?” Yoda: “Because it is easy.”
- Yoda: Dark Rendezvous: Star Wars Legends book
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“Truly Wonderful, the Mind of a Child Is.”
‘Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones’
When Obi-Wan approaches Yoda for help with finding a “missing” planet, he interrupts a youngling training session. To continue their training, Yoda asks the younglings to clear their minds and asses what could have happened to the planet Obi-Wan is looking for. Shortly after, one of the younglings speaks up and suggests the planet isn’t actually missing from the galaxy, it’s just missing from Obi-Wan’s map. Yoda confirms the youngling is correct, and praises their ingenuity.
This quote is not only perfect for this quick scene, but it’s perfect when applied to children in general. Much of the time, children have a view of the world that’s far different from those older than them, which forces a new perspective that might not have been visible before. Their innocence and inexperience should not be taken for weakness. Sometimes, it can be the best problem solver.
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“Always in Motion Is the Future.”
‘Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back’
While training with Yoda on Dagobah, Luke sees a vision in which Han and Leia are in imminent danger. Luke tells Yoda about the vision, to which Yoda replies, “It is the future you see.” Upon being asked if Han and Leia will die, Yoda simply states that it’s “difficult to see,” reminding Luke that, despite a Jedi’s immense abilities, the future is still impossible to pin down
The stress of always worrying about the future can be suffocating, especially when you have reason to fear the worst about a future situation/outcome. In this quote, Yoda reminds us that, while the future is in our control in some ways, it’s completely out of our control in others. We can’t spend all of our time worrying about how every small detail will affect the bigger picture of our lives. We have to keep moving forward despite the future being unknown. Every choice we make will lead us down the path we’re destined to be on.
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“If So Powerful You Are, Why Leave?”
‘Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith’
After surviving Order 66, Yoda instructs Obi-Wan to find and confront Darth Vader as he faces Darth Sidious on Coruscant. Shortly after arriving, Yoda is attacked by Sidious, which leads him to return fire. Sidious, seemingly surprised by Yoda’s strength and determination to take him down, attempts to escape, only to be blocked by Yoda. Yoda then showcases why he’s deemed the legend of all legends as he unwaveringly criticizes Sidious’ ego and draws his lightsaber, prepared to fight.
I’m fully aware that this quote is a bit of a random one when compared to the others on this list, but I love it for two reasons. One, it can be related to real lif: too often a rude person’s bark is bigger than their bite and, when confronted, they can’t hold their ground. Two, it showcases that, while Yoda is an unfathomably intelligent being who believes that peace is greater than all else, he will do whatever needs to be done in order to protect it — including utilizing his untouchable Jedi skills.
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“You Must Unlearn What You Have Learned.”
‘Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back’
The scenes of Luke training with Yoda on Dagobah are some of Yoda’s best scenes in the entire Star Wars franchise, and it’s not hard to see why. After Luke dismisses the thought of being able to lift his crashed X-wing from the swamp, stating that it’s “totally different” from the smaller tasks he’s been trained to do, Yoda objects. He assures him that the only difference is the weight he’s attributing to the task in his mind. Luke then reflects on this and agrees to try.
Seconds after this quote, another quote is said by Yoda that’s typically viewed as his most iconic ever, so I think this one gets forgotten even though it’s similarly impactful. So often, people defend their ignorance or their unwillingness to grow and change by falling back on the notion that “that’s the way I was taught; I never learned any other way.” This doesn’t give people the right to remain ignorant or never learn again, though. We should always be curious, and we should always be pushing forward.
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“Fear Is the Path to the Dark Side. Fear Leads to Anger, Anger Leads to Hate, Hate Leads to Suffering.”
‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace’
When speaking with young Anakin after he arrives on Coruscant, Yoda and the Jedi Masters ask him a few questions about how he’s feeling about his mother, whom he was forced to leave behind on Tatooine. Despite Anakin’s response that he’s not afraid, the Jedi Masters reveal that they can sense he’s lying, and that they can see he has a great deal of fear within him. Anakin asks why that matters, to which Yoda replies that fear can lead a Jedi to a very dark place — a place in which they are forbidden to go.
In this one quote, Yoda manages to perfectly encapsulate the timeline of Anakin’s fall to the dark side, which is what makes it such a powerful one. The fear he feels as a child develops into anger as a teenager when he realizes that he wasn’t there to protect his mother when she needed it, leading to her death, and the murder of everyone who Anakin believed to be the cause. This anger then evolves into hate as Anakin is denied the ability to become a Jedi Master, and begins to have visions of his wife, Padmé, dying in childbirth with no ability to help her. As he’s coaxed into joining the dark side, and begins to lose everything important to him, Anakin’s hate turns to suffering, fully completing the cycle of Yoda’s warning.
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“Train Yourself to Let Go of Everything You Fear to Lose.”
‘Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith’
After Anakin begins having premonitions of losing Padmé, he approaches Yoda for guidance, telling him that he’s seeing visions of someone close to him in pain, and that he won’t let them come true. In response, Yoda tells Anakin that “fearing loss is a path to the dark side,” and that death should be viewed as a beautiful part of life rather than a hindrance to emotional well-being. Anakin then asks what he should do, and Yoda, as a being who values wisdom and logic above all else, advises him to simply let go of what he feels is holding him back.
I love this quote, but not for the reason you might expect. On the surface, this advice from Yoda is quite simple and matter of fact; in order to be a Jedi, you are forever expected to block out all possibilities that could lead you down a path of darkness. However, it’s anything but simple for Anakin. Because of that, he twists the advice completely upside down. When applied to real life even, this quote can be great advice in a “release your inhibitions and just go for it, regardless of the fear in your way” kind of way. For Anakin, however, this was one of the worst things he could have been told at that moment, and it impacted him in the worst possible way. I love the dichotomy of this quote for that reason.
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“The Greatest Teacher, Failure Is.”
‘Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi’
As Luke struggles with his self-imposed exile on Ahch-To, he decides that if he really wants the Jedi to end, he must destroy the Jedi library. On his way to burn it down, Luke encounters the spirit of Yoda but continues toward his goal regardless. Once he comes face to face with the library, he hesitates, so Yoda takes it upon himself to set it ablaze. Luke is shocked and confused as Yoda tells him that the library is nothing more than a pile of books. He notes that Luke is more than just his failures, and that failure is just as important as strength and mastery.
There are many versions of this advice out there, and all of them are impactful — but, for me, none of them hit quite as hard as this line from Yoda. Even when you feel like all hope is gone, and like you’ve already failed, it’s important to take the opportunity to get up, dust yourself off, and do it again.
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“Try Not. Do or Do Not. There Is No Try.”
‘Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back’
Moments after Yoda tells Luke that he “must unlearn what he has learned,” and Luke tells Yoda that he will try, Yoda speaks again. He states that there’s no room for trying; he’ll either do it, or he won’t. Luke considers what Yoda says before nodding his head and beginning to lift his X-wing out of the swamp. Though he fails and stomps away, Yoda’s words stick with him, and prove their impact as Yoda lifts the X-wing from the swamp in one simple swoop.
In my opinion, this quote is Yoda’s most iconic in the franchise. It embodies what being a Jedi is perfectly, but it also reflects on what it means to be human in the real world. In a society where the act of simply trying something new is often laughed at or looked down upon, stepping out of your comfort zone can feel impossible. Which is why removing the idea of trying and replacing it with simply doing is so powerful.
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