George Lucas Reveals Why Yoda Talks Backwards in Star Wars

More than four decades after introducing Yoda in the Star Wars franchise through The Empire Strikes Back, George Lucas has finally revealed why the legendary Jedi Master speaks backwards. Yoda, voiced by the renowned puppeteer Frank Oz in Episode V (1980), proved to be a hit among fans due to his unique character design, captivating origin story, as well as peculiar manner of talking. Years later, Star Wars enthusiasts have finally received the reasoning behind Yoda’s odd diction, straight from the franchise’s creator.

Yoda speaks backwards to make people and Star Wars fans ‘focus’

In a recent discussion, the Indiana Jones co-creator George Lucas opened up about why he made Yoda speak backwards in the Star Wars movies. In a surprising turn of events, Lucas had a much simpler rationale behind the creative decision than many fans expected.

Lucas touched down on the topic at the 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival’s opening night, during a 45th anniversary screening of The Empire Strikes Back. While speaking with event host Ben Mankiewicz, the visionary filmmaker disclosed why exactly does Yoda speaks backwards, noting, “Because if you speak regular English, people won’t listen that much. But if he had an accent, or it’s really hard to understand what he’s saying, they focus on what he’s saying,” (via Variety)

The Lucasfilm founder further explained his choice for Yoda’s unusual articulation, stating, “He was basically the philosopher of the movie. I had to figure out a way to get people to actually listen — especially 12-year-olds.”

In addition to clarifying why Yoda speaks backwards, Lucas also divulged that he had a tough time convincing Twentieth Century Fox about the potential of Star Wars. “I said, ‘I’ll do it for $50,000, to write and direct and produce… But I do want the sequels.’ And I wanted the rights because I’m going to make those movies no matter what happens to this one,” he stated.

Nevertheless, George Lucas was ultimately able to fulfill his vision for Star Wars, which has since gone on to become a cultural phenomenon, spanning countless spin-offs and follow-up installments, all the while serving as an inspiration for a generation of filmmakers.

Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi on SuperHeroHype.

Source: Comingsoon.net