# Star Wars question: What kind of alien/creature is Yoda? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 15, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967 "2003-06-15T05:18:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/1 "2003-06-15T05:18:16Z")
I’m not a real big Star Wars geek, so this may have been answered in one of the movies and I just don’t remember it. What is the name of Yoda’s species or race or whatever? Is his species from that swamp planet or does Yoda just live there? Why don’t we ever see any other Yoda type creatures? Does Yoda have a family? My wife and I just started wondering this stuff as we were watching AOTC on HBO tonight. Thanks in advance for any answers. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/2 "2003-06-15T05:34:38Z")
I don’t think there is an answer. When I looked in the Star Wars dictionary or whatever it was a few weeks ago it just said “unknown.” Wouldn’t even say what planet he came from. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/3 "2003-06-15T05:48:52Z")
[smartass] He’s a “muppet”. [/smartass] ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/4 "2003-06-15T05:51:54Z")
A rather nimble overstuffed circumlocutous bipedal marmot. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/5 "2003-06-15T06:15:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diogenes the Cynic \* > What is the name of Yoda’s species or race or whatever? Is his species from that swamp planet or does Yoda just live there? Why don’t we ever see any other Yoda type creatures? Does Yoda have a family? I always assumed that that pink critter we see at the end of _The Phantom Menace_ was another of whatever Yoda is, but that was just an assumption. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/6 "2003-06-15T13:05:03Z")
My character guide says “unknown”, but then it also says that Obi-Wan had been Yoda’s final student and that Yoda trained all his students on Dagobah. Obviously, some things were revised in Episodes I and II. ---
**Author:** ![hebesphenomegacorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@hebesphenomegacorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hebesphenomegacorona)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/7 "2003-06-15T13:42:14Z")
I know it starts with “E”… ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/8 "2003-06-15T14:45:31Z")
I found an [interview](http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=starwars/article/sw20020926chat) with some developers of a sourcebook for the Star Wars RPG dated August 23, 2002: > [@](#): > > **stereotype\_wizard** : Do you know what race Yoda belongs to? Don’t you think Yoda might be size Tiny instead of Small? > > **owenstephens** : I really wanted to do Yoda’s race, and I had it in the original outline we submitted. It was even approved! However, since I knew no one else had ever been allowed to go into detail about Yoda’s race, I double-checked. Of course, the answer was “well, no, not Yoda’s race . . .” Ultimately, there’s not much to suggest that it’s Yoda’s race that’s important. It’s Yoda that’s important. If you want to have his race have some special place in your games, do it. Actually, it may be better this way, because by now no two fans are going to agree what Yoda’s race should be like, and George Lucas isn’t saying. As for Yoda’s size: the rulebook defines Tiny creatures about the size of a cat. Yoda is way bigger than a cat. Thus, he’s Small. > > **gstom** : I think that Mr. Lucas is waiting until Episode III comes out to give details about him. > > **jdwiker** : Could be, which makes it important that we don’t step on George Lucas’s toes and tell everyone that Yoda is some race he isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/9 "2003-06-15T15:14:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > \*\*A rather nimble overstuffed circumlocutous bipedal marmot. \*\* Maybe he’s a hamster? Or our hamster? After eating so many posts, he would be highly knowledgeable. Also, explain his lack of proper grammar, this would. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/10 "2003-06-15T15:44:41Z")
No one knows, although there is speculation that his species is called Wills-from the novels which mentioned a Journal of the Wills. BTW, there is a female of Yoda’s species in the prequels-Yaddle. Speak like Yoda also she does! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/11 "2003-06-15T16:23:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Speak like Yoda also she does! Sexual tension in the Force do I sense. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/12 "2003-06-16T03:05:46Z")
Thanks for all the answers, especially to **Ino** and to **Guin**. I guess Lucas just never has clarified Yoda’s race then. Bummer. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/13 "2003-06-16T05:12:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*BTW, there is a female of Yoda’s species in the prequels-Yaddle. Speak like Yoda also she does! 😉 \*\* When/where? ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/14 "2003-06-16T05:29:30Z")
> [@](#): > > BTW, there is a female of Yoda’s species in the prequels-Yaddle. She’s in a pretty cool story in one of those Dark Horse Star Wars Tales comics. I thought it was cool to see another member of Yoda’s species since we so often see only one of any given Star Wars alien. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/15 "2003-06-16T07:10:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > \*\*Sexual tension in the Force do I sense. \*\* Kinda gives “Judge me by my size, do you?” a whole new meaning… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/16 "2003-06-16T09:50:27Z")
**Troy McClure SF** , she is in the Jedi Council. [Here’s some info](http://www.starwars.com/databank/character/yaddle/). ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/17 "2003-06-16T10:16:36Z")
In the left-hand photo on that page, she looks mighty surprised. “AAAACK! Take my picture you will not!” ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/18 "2003-06-16T14:05:12Z")
Maybe he’s a Skrull. He does sorta have the look, although he’s very un-warlike. If so, maybe the Skywalker family are Kree. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/19 "2003-06-16T20:49:58Z")
Wow… can;t beleive I never noticed that. Thanks, **Priceguy** and **Guin**. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967/20 "2003-06-16T20:59:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > Sexual tension in the Force do I sense. I thought Jedi were not allowed to marry (among other stuff)? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-question-what-kind-of-alien-creature-is-yoda/181967.md?page=2)