Will Yoda Appear in Star Wars: The Last Jedi? Signs Point to Yes

According to new reports, Frank Oz’s unwillingness to comment is basically a sign of omission when it comes to Star Wars: The Last Jedi rumors.

The last time we saw Yoda (based on the chronological order of the films, not their release), he was avoiding Luke Skywalker’s questions, taking an eternal nap and joining the Force along with his good pal, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and lesser good friend, the hot version of Anakin Skywalker, depending, of course, on which cut of the film you’re watching. If you like discourse as much as I do, then the Blu-ray edition with Hayden Christensen inexplicably digitally added to the end of Return of the Jedi is the only version worth watching.

But I digress.

Now, there’s plenty to unpack here. But let’s start at the beginning. On Sunday, Frank Oz sat down with Variety to talk about The Muppets. Not Star Wars, specifically. But any media outlet who sits with someone as close to the Star Wars world as the guy who brings Yoda to life needs to ask at least one question. Especially when we’re in the middle of a Star Wars Renaissance of sorts.

Here’s exactly what he said:

"There are reports that you might reprise Yoda in the new “Star Wars.”I feel like I’m a prisoner at war here, and I can only give you my name, rank and serial number. To be true to the people who asked me, and they are kind of my family, I have to say I’ve been asked not to talk about it. I love Yoda. I would be happy to talk to you about it at the time they let me."

Allow me to translate this for you into a language we can all understand: “It’s true. All of it.”

That’s as close to a yes as possible for someone who just got asked point-blank about his involvement in the film. “To be true to the people who asked me,” would obviously be Lucasfilm. So, Lucasfilm asked him to stay mum. But why would they need him to be quiet about something if he wasn’t involved? Alright. Next. Oz also says, “… talk to you about it at the time they let me”. He has something new to talk about. When they lift the red tape, he can talk about it.

He’s in the film. I said so. It’s done.

So, let’s explore what his role would be in context. We know as of The Force Awakens, Luke Skywalker left in search of the first Jedi temple. In the original trilogy, the most training he received came from Yoda. So we can easily assume that, in his absence, Luke contacted Yoda at some point. As one of, sorry in advance for this, the last Jedi, if Luke needs to discuss something with someone, there’s no one better or more qualified than Yoda. Or rather, Yoda’s Force ghost.

All that being said, we wouldn’t be scrapping for information if Lucasfilm didn’t have a long history of being obnoxiously secretive. In fact, I like the way io9 puts it best:

"Either way, these are the kind of mysteries we can look forward to from everyone within sneezing distance of The Last Jedi. It’s going to be a delightful six months or so."

That’s right. We have six months of going after every single sneeze in the galaxy until Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters on Dec. 15.

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