Out of all the characters from the Star Wars franchise, none is as iconic as Yoda. The Jedi master gave us numerous inspiration insights into the worlds of Star Wars and ours. People have continuously quoted these insights since the original film releases back in the 1970s.
Yoda as a life coach? Better Choice than you would think.
Inspiration can come from anywhere. It does not have to come from real people. We can learn a lot through of favorite characters like
The 900-year-old Grand Jedi Master sits among the Patheon of other fictional characters who transcended into the cloud cities from their fictional worlds to ours to bestow us with their valuable lessons about the world and the meaning of life. Many have found guidance in his soothing, kind, and trustworthy voice.
Some of the wisdom you can gain from Yoda include but are not limited to:
- Stop predicting the results of your actions
- Concentrate and be aware of your surroundings
- Get your head out of the clouds
- Stop being negative
- Let go of your past
- Control your impulses
- Patience is a virtue
The 13 Best Yoda Quotes and Their Wisdom
There is no definitive list of Yoda quotes. Everyone has their list of favorite quotes. We can only give you the most common and our interpretations. However, we believe we collected the best quotes from the Grand Jedi Master to date.
That does not mean they will present more in the future if Disney decides to make more Star Wars films and television series. We just think these 30 quotes are all we need to stay on the Light Side of the Force.
These timeless lines of dialogue transcended the Star Wars franchise and fandom to become popular even among the general public. Many of these quotes apply in most situations as well.
13. “When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not.” – Return of the Jedi
Death arrives for us all eventually. We should not burden ourselves with the loss of loved ones. One of yoda’s final lines in the series, this statement shows us that the master has a playful side to go with his stern and strict methods of teaching.
12. “Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is.”- Attack of the Clones
Children have an interesting take on life, which is not censored by the rules of adulthood. Yoda’s message here calls us to heed the raw thoughts of the little ones as they may provide insights that we may not otherwise perceive.
Even if what a child says seems obvious, we should at least listen to it. We should never exclude them or their opinions because of their age and lack of experience. Teachers can learn a lot from their students.
11. “That is why you fail.” – The Empire Strikes Back
Sometimes the truth hits like a blunt weapon. This line declares the truth Luke who failed to lift the X-wing from the swamp, but we can use it any time the truth is hard to swallow. It especially holds weight when there years of experience behind it.
10. “You will know (the good from the bad) when you are calm, at peace. Passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.” -The Empire Strikes Back
Yoda’s key teaching on the Jedi philosophy allies to life in general. Presented symbolically with Luke no killing his father in “Return of the Jedi”, this quote asks us to use our talents to gain wisdom and to protect others.
9. “A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away… to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph. Adventure. Excitement. A Jedi craves not these things.” – The Empire Strikes Back
Going with the same theme, this line notes that the journey we take through life may not have the excitement and spectacle we imagine it would. We must understand the weight of what we do and why we do it to achieve our goals.
The wisdom goes beyond us as well. Just as Yoda was testing Luke when they first met, we must evaluate the people around us to the same Jedi standards. We should interact with them according to their and our true identities.
8. “Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.” – The Empire Strikes Back
A rephrasing of “Never judge a book by its cover“, this quote reminds us that size and what we look like matter little to the Force and our lives. It asks us to make no excuses for others and trust the lessons we can gain from them.
7. “Unlearn what you have learned” – The Empire Strikes Back
This quote continues the lesson. We come into every situation carrying biases based on what we thought we knew. However, we must accept that we do not know everything. However, we must learn to drop our biases when present with the truth. In the end. no idea or plan is too big to change.
6. “Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering.” — The Phantom Menace
The shortened version of this quote pops up everywhere in media these days, and it is easy to understand why it is. Yoda’s description of the Dark Side holds for all of its forms, both real and fictional. The world would be a much better place if more people listen to the wisdom of this quote.
5. “Wars not make one great.” – The Empire Strikes Back
From SW Episode V, Violence and aggression do not make you strong. This truth works equality well for Jedi as it does for being a person. This quote was Yoda’s response to Luke’s “I’m looking for a great warrior,” reminding us to look for the truly great people in our life.
4. “Named must be your fear before banishing it you can.”
We all have fears, and we should never be ashamed of them. Our fears guide us along the safe paths. However, sometimes they can go overboard, and make us so things we do not want or fail to do the things we do. We must overcome our fears during these moments to improve ourselves and grow.
That is when we must heed this fine Yoda quote. We can get stuck in traps and pitfalls if we let our fears rule us. With this quote, Yoda asks us to stop avoiding our true fears and think about why we have them.
Yoda’s remark reveals a truth most people overlook. If you want to overcome your fears, you must know what fears you have. Only when we have a grasp of what frightens us can we begin the process of tackling them head-on.
The power behind this quote goes without saying. You only have to apply it to your biggest fear. Once you conquer it, all your other fears may shrink to disappear entirely. In the end, you may find your fears were nothing you should fear, making you even stronger and more confident.
3. “You will find only what you bring in.” – The Empire Strikes Back
Yoda reveals this truth just as Luke enters the Dark Side cave on Yoda’s home planet. The cave is a place for one’s demons, such as Luke’s illusion of
As the old saying goes, we are our own worst enemy, and this quote is Yoda’s way of revealing this harsh truth to us. Every time we venture into the dark cave of our psyche, we face the darkness which could bring us to the Dark Side if we let it.
Our dark side acts like a filter obscuring the true reality from us, leaving us with a limited perspective of the world filled with our biases and the lies which we tell ourselves.
Luckily, we can gain wisdom by observing the world around us. Equipped with this wisdom, we can then improve who we are as people and take advantage of every opportunity for growth, which comes our way.
2. “Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship.” – The Empire Strikes Back
This line forms the central piece of the message behind the entire Star Wars franchise. As the underlying difference between the Jedi and Sith, this quote asks us to accept that death is a part of life and not fear it. While a Sith will do anything to stay alive, Jedi accept their mortality and grows stronger from it.
Yoda calls us all to be selfless through understanding how the force binds all, life and creation, together.
1. “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” The Empire Strikes Back
The ultimate Yoda quote is also the ultimate Star Wars quote. Everyone knows and uses this phrase. It is the source of countless memes and memorable pop-cultural references throughout media. Even people who never seen Star Wars know about this phrase. It is that memorable.
The line comes from the end of the Dagobah scene in “The Empire Strikes Back.” Yoda ordered Luke to raise his X-Wing out of the swamp using the Force. Luke already failed a few attempts and was giving up, noting that he was “trying” to raise the fighter. In this example this is the moment when Yoda replies with this quote.
It directly orders Luke to choose a more serious mindset and focus on the present. Yoda was telling Luke to grow up, but these words have a much deeper meaning.
Given to Luke just before he raises his fighter out of the water, Yoda’s remark applies to everything we want to do. We all must grow up. We all must live in the present and not let the past and future distract us from our goals. We must commit ourselves to our goals completely, win or lose.
Honorable Mentions – Great Yoda Quotes That Did Not Make the Cut
No “best” list is definitive. While some quotes are technically better than others, their utility varies from one person to the next. Thus, we may all have different ideas about what we should claim as the best Yoda quotes from the Star Wars franchise.
The above quotes offer enough wisdom on their own that we felt that they deserved separate sections by themselves, earning their right to be considered the best of the best. However, they are not the only great quotes to come from Yoda or Star Wars.
The following list contains everything that made the film series great and then some. Some of these quotes remain popular to this day. Others fell off the radar for most people only to be rediscovered when they watch the films again.
Either way, we include them here to foster the discourse into their meanings.
Quotes About Choice and Learning
Many Yoda quotes deal with becoming and living as a Jedi. These lines of dialog show us how we should approach education and learning. They then offer advice on how we should apply that knowledge to our lives.
- “Patience you must have, my young padawan.”
- “Clear your mind must be if you are to find the villains behind this plot.”
- “To answer power with power, the Jedi way this is not.”
- “Always pass on what you have learned.”
- “Mind what you have learned. Save you it can.”
- “So certain were you. Go back and closer you must look.”
- “Control, control, you must learn control!”
- “If no mistake has you made, yet losing you are… a different game you should play.”
- “You will know (the good from the bad) when you are calm, at peace. Passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.”
- “If you end your training now — if you choose the quick and easy path as Vader did — you will become an agent of evil.”
- “Many of the truths that we cling to depend on our point of view.”
- “Through the Force, things you will see. Other places. The future…the past. Old friends long gone.”
- “Ready are you? What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained.”
- “Strong is Vader. Mind what you have learned. Save you it can.”
- “To be Jedi is to face the truth, and choose. Give off light, or darkness, Padawan. Be a candle or the night.”
- “Much to learn you still have my old Padawan. This is just the beginning.”
- “I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience.”
Quotes About Fear and the Dark Side
The Dark Side of the Force is always near, tempting us with its tainted fruits. These Yoda quotes offer ways we can deal with our fears and resist the call of the Dark Side. Hopefully, by heading these words, we can stay in the Light Side as a true Jedi Masters.
- “Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will.”
- “Always two there are, no more, no less. A master and an apprentice.”
- “Attachment leads to jealously. The shadow of greed, that is.”
- “In this war, a danger there is, of losing who we are.”
- “Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.”
- “In the end, cowards are those who follow the dark side.”
- “When you look at the dark side, careful you must be. For the dark side looks back”
- “Powerful you have become, the dark side I sense in you.”
- “The fear of loss is a path to the Dark Side.”
- “Decide you must, how to serve them best. If you leave now, help them you could; but you would destroy all for which they have fought, and suffered.”
- “Remember, a Jedi’s strength flows from the Force. But beware. Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Luke… Luke… do not… do not underestimate the powers of the Emperor or suffer your father’s fate you will. Luke, when gone am I… the last of the Jedi will you be. Luke, the Force runs strong in your family. Pass on what you have learned, Luke. There is… another… Sky… walker.”
Inspiring Quotes from Yoda
When not discussing the Dark Side or trying to get Luke to see the truth, Yoda offers some inspirational speeches. These quotes can lift your mood and give you a newfound strength to help you through your day.
While they offer no wisdom themselves, these lines of dialogue can open up our hearts and minds to the lessons Yoda wishes to teach us. Therefore, if the Dark Side is making you weary, you might find that one of these quotes will lift you so you can get back in the game.
- “In a dark place we find ourselves, and a little more knowledge lights our way.”
- “Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future…”
- “Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not. Attachment leads to jealously. The shadow of greed, that is.”
- “Feel the force!”
- “Secret, shall I tell you? Grand Master of Jedi Order am I. Won this job in a raffle I did, think you? How did you know, how did you know, Master Yoda?’ Master Yoda knows these things. His job is.”
- “Looking? Found someone you have, eh?”
- “If into the security recordings you go, only pain will you find.”
- “Soon will I rest, yes, forever sleep. Earned it I have. Twilight is upon me, soon night must fall.”
- “Do not assume anything Obi-Wan. Clear your mind must be if you are to discover the real villains behind this plot. “
- “Your weapons, you will not need them.”
- “I was not strong enough to defeat him. Like his master before him, be destroyed, he must.”
- “And as the heat of war grows, so, too, grows the prowess of one most gifted student of the Force.”
- “On many long journeys have I gone. And waited, too, for others to return from journeys of their own. Some return; some are broken; some come back so different only their names remain.
- “May the force be with you.”
- “Smaller in number are we, but larger in mind.”
The Wisdom of Yoda
Gaining wisdom from fictional sources seem seems strange at first. The lessons only become visible until you stand back and take a broader look. Despite the space setting, Star Wars is no different, bringing many conflicts between fans of the film franchise and Sci-Fi haters.
Learning Determination from Fiction
Some people write off everything from Star Wars as nothing more than just pop mainstream science fiction gibberish. To them, you cannot learn or gain wisdom from the franchise, as there is nothing to learn from them. To these people, the films just exist to sell movie tickets and merchandise. However, as I mentioned before, wisdom is wisdom.
All works of fiction draw inspiration from somewhere. George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, got his inspiration from mythology and religious texts from around the world, including biblical passages, ancient texts, and ideals people held since the beginning of time.
The Wisdom in Star Wars Quotes
In this light, we can treat the Force as a metaphor for love, spirit, light, consciousness, or even God. It is something we can all access, and we do not even have to be Jedi to do it. You can just be you, as it is your birthright. You just have to claim and rediscover it for yourself.
To achieve those goals, we can learn from lots from master teacher such as Yoda. Yoda’s dialogue throughout the movies served as avenues for Lucas and his writing staff to deliver lessons on how one should live their lives with courage, as presented through the Jedi Order.
While simple to describe, understanding, and extracting the wisdom from Yoda’s lines of dialog can fill a full college course. You cannot make any strides with just a short article such as this one, but we can get you started.
Most of the wisdom is hidden using the Force and the Jedi order as metaphors. So, most of the time Star Wars philosophical discourse tends to revolve around how we get caught up in our “crude matter,” and this is where you should start as well.
Living as a Jedi
Star Wars’ famous little green dude is one of the oldest characters in the franchise and among the most powerful known Jedi Masters out there. Thus, to learn wisdom from the quotes provided in this article and elsewhere, you must understand who Grand Jedi Master Yoda and the Jedi are as characters.
Jedi are knights who use mystical energy called the Force to understand themselves and the unversed. Once they achieve mastery and an innate understanding of the Force, a Jedi may receive the title of Jedi Master, the highest formal rank in the order.
In practice, Jedi try to achieve a balance between their desires and the needs of others and the world around them through the Light Side of the Force. The Light Side represents all that is good in the world, both in the Star Wars universe and ours.
Their antithesis is the Sith and the Dark Side. The Dark Side represents evil in all forms, of which the Sith are the prime practitioners and advocates. Everyone has the protentional to follow both sides of the Force, and this is the main lesson of the Star Wars franchise.
Thus, Yoda’s wisdom is tips and advice for staying in the Light side, and that is all you need to know to understand how we can use that wisdom in our own lives, regardless if you are a Star Wars fan or not.
Without an understanding of our pitfalls and distractions, we can never overcome our fears and sufferings. However, with a good grasp of our strengths and weaknesses can lead us to make better, kind, and noble actions, choices, thoughts, and intentions. We must all work to improve ourselves.
Once you achieve this enlightenment, you can call yourself a Jedi Master, and help you own padawan along the path to the Light Side of the Force. Then, you can make the world best Yoda quotes your own.
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