Yoda

The Jedi Master known as Yoda (896 BBY–4 ABY), voiced by Frank Oz, is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He appears in all of the franchise's installments except for '. Like many names in Star Wars, the name "Yoda" may be etymologically derived from the Sanskrit yoddha ("warrior") and/or the Hebrew yodea ("one who knows"). Yoda's character is believed by some to have been inspired by the title character in the 1975 Russian-Japanese film Dersu Uzala directed by Akira Kurosawa.

Bringing the character to life

Yoda's appearance was originally designed by British makeup artist Stuart Freeborn, who based Yoda's face partly on his own and partly on Albert Einstein's, as his eyes are supposedly inspired by the latter. Yoda is voiced by Frank Oz. In the original Star Wars trilogy, he is realized as a puppet (controlled by Oz).

Related Topics:
British - Stuart Freeborn - Albert Einstein - Frank Oz - Puppet

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In ', he was redesigned to look younger. He was computer-generated for two distant shots, but remained mostly a puppet.

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Rendered with computer animation in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, Yoda appeared in ways not previously possible, including his participation in elaborate fight scenes. In Revenge of the Sith his face appears in several big close-ups, demanding highly detailed CGI work. Despite the use of advanced technology, his performance was deliberately intended to match the puppet version, with some "mistakes" made, such as the occasional ear-jiggling.

Related Topics:
Computer animation - Attack of the Clones - Revenge of the Sith

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