Yoda has a reputation as the wisest Jedi in Star Wars, and that wisdom is demonstrated in these fan-made memes. As the oldest member of the Jedi Council, Yoda oversaw the training of just about all the Jedi in the franchise and was first introduced to Luke as one of Obi-Wan’s teachers. Grandmaster Yoda is one of the most recognizable Jedi of them all, as much because of his green alien-like appearance as his complicated speech pattern.
Covering all kinds of wisdom, these memes present the kind of authority that Yoda displays throughout the Star Wars franchise. Some have a bit of humor to them, using Yoda’s telltale backward way of talking as part of the joke, while some of them have more focus on the wisdom of Yoda’s comments. All in all, each of them perfectly sums up Yoda’s status as a wise leader, even if there’s a joke hidden behind the message.
15 Yoda’s Warnings About The Path To The Dark Side
Fear not...
One of Yoda’s more poignant quotes in Star Wars comes from his warning that unchecked fear can eventually lead a Jedi to the dark side of the Force. Even to ordinary humans, this reminder that fear can inspire a domino effect of negative emotions is a valuable thing to keep in mind. To confront fear is the destiny of a Jedi, and everyone must ultimately face it as well.
14 Yoda Might Actually Know The Rules Of Grammar
Why talk like that?
Despite his iconic way of twisting his sentences and verbs around, this meme uses Yoda to teach a certain element of grammar, reminding the reader that quotation marks belong on the outside of a sentence’s punctuation marks. This seems like a funny lesson to come from Yoda; he apparently speaks an archaic form of Basic in Star Wars, explaining his odd wording. Still, it certainly makes the lesson stick.
13 Yoda Knows The Importance of Love
Yoda's career as a pop star
Yoda’s iconic speech pattern is unique to his character, and it’s almost impossible to reference him without acknowledging the way Yoda switches up the order of his sentences. This meme posted to Quora by Arijit Banerjee places Yoda among The Beatles as they sing the chorus to their song All You Need Is Love. The last line changes the order of the words, ending with “Love is all you need,” which becomes a punchline when the lyric is paired with a photo of Yoda.
12 Don’t Judge Someone’s Wisdom By Appearances Alone
"Yoda, you seek Yoda!"
Even though he’s one of the wisest Star Wars characters of all, Yoda was first introduced to Luke as a seemingly random and silly creature living in the swamps of Dagobah. Eventually, Luke realizes just how valuable Yoda’s wisdom is, and he begins his official Jedi training with him. This meme states that message explicitly, saying “Wisdom sometimes comes in unexpected packages,” alongside a picture of Yoda, the most appropriate example of that in film history.
11 Yoda’s Expectation VS Reality
Welcome Baby Yoda!
It’s no secret that things on Instagram are often a little more polished than they actually are in real life. This meme pairs a photo of Yoda, the “reality” of things, with a photo of Grogu, who symbolizes the way things tend to look on Instagram. Grogu’s status as the beloved “Baby Yoda” set him up as the cute and tiny version of Yoda, making the polarity between the two perfect for the point that the meme is making.
10 Be A Generous Teacher
A teacher all his life
Yoda is known as a wise teacher, and he never hoards that knowledge for himself if it can be of some help to others. As the oldest living Jedi, he is always willing to impart the wisdom that he has accumulated over the centuries to the many Jedi that studied in the temple during that time. This includes Yoda's former Padawan, Count Dooku.
9 Yoda Knows The Danger Of The Dark Side
Don't look into the abyss
This meme pairs a photo of Yoda, looking powerful and intense against a dark swampy backdrop, with one of his most famous quotes. “When you look at the dark side, careful you must be. The dark side looks back.” These wise words of warning serve as a reminder that temptations can lurk anywhere, even when you don’t expect it.
8 Yoda’s Advice For A Stress-Free Life
Ignorance and stress
This quote points out that stress is born from a place of misunderstanding one’s situation. If something is going wrong, the only option is to choose the best action that is within your power. Collect all the necessary information, and don’t take action or worry when there is simply nothing to be done.
7 Yoda Knows The Value Of Childlike Wonder
Yoda loves children
When Obi-Wan comes to Yoda for help locating the missing planet of Kamino, Yoda is training with younglings. Yoda engages them in their conundrum, and the children are able to help the Jedi Masters find their answer. This quote was Yoda’s response to the situation, and it holds true, as children are often able to look at things in a different way to adults, which comes in handy as the young Padawans train to become future Jedi Knights.
6 Yoda Knows The Path To Peace
Words of wisdom
This meme pairs a picture of Yoda in his exile with the quote "You will know good from bad when you are at peace and passive." This advice is from his training with Luke, and comes from a place of experience. Yoda's exile has allowed him to examine the state of the galaxy and guide Luke in the way he needs to go.
5 Do, Don't Try
The most famous maxim
Perhaps Yoda's most famous quote, this line speaks to the idea that trying is useless unless it is paired with the effort required for success. Yoda says this not to diminish Luke's attempts to grow as a Jedi, but to remind him that that growth needs to come from the belief that success is not only possible but that it is inevitable. When faced with tasks that might be intimidating, Yoda's quote points out that commitment is the most important ingredient for success.
4 Yoda Knows True Greatness
Ironic given the title of Star Wars
This meme places Yoda above one of his lesser-known but still powerful quotes from The Empire Strikes Back, “Wars not make one great.” Yoda says this when Luke points out that he was expecting Yoda to be a great warrior as opposed to the foolish and goofy alien that he meets in the swamps of Dagobah. This line is especially powerful when framed against Yoda's history in the Clone Wars.
3 Trust The Way Of The Force
Full of faith to the end
This meme posted to Reddit exemplifies the peace that Yoda has with the complicated aspects of life. Even when faced with the end of his life, Yoda has full faith in the Force and that it will always guide living things in the direction that they need to go. This is a remarkable amount of faith for a Jedi Master who had seen his entire order fall.
2 Watch Out For The Dark Side
A challenge lifelong
One of Yoda's most famous lines warns of fear turning to anger, then to hate and suffering, and ultimately to the dark side. This meme highlights a different side of that danger: here, Yoda acknowledges that fear is an inescapable part of life. It's impossible to avoid fear altogether, but by preventing it from being corrupted into anger, one can keep from being pulled into the dark side.
1 Failure Doesn't Mean You've Failed
A vital truth
Yoda failed to ready the Jedi for Palpatine's attack, which launched the galaxy into a period of darkness it hadn't experienced in thousands of years. Yet because of that failure, Yoda was able to take a step back and acknowledge his own shortcomings. This allowed him to be available to train Luke and prepare him to become the Jedi he needed to be in order to take down the Empire in the main Star Wars saga.
