Star Wars Releases Pre-Phantom Menace Designs of Yoda for The High Republic

Star Wars fans have only ever seen the iconic Jedi master Yoda depicted in canon as an older being, but that’s going to change in 2021. Star Wars: The High Republic is a venture that will take place across several mediums and introduce fans to a new era of the franchise that has never been explored, about 200 years before the events of the prequels. While most characters we know and love from the series won’t be alive during The High Republic, Yoda will actually be much closer to his prime. This version of Yoda will be about 700 years old, as opposed to the 900-year-old Yoda we meet in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

On Tuesday morning, StarWars.com released the first concept art images of Yoda in The High Republic. Concept artist Iain McCaig designed this new look for Yoda, which is meant to make him look significantly younger. There will be several projects that launch as a part of The High Republic, but Yoda will be featured mainly in Daniel José Older’s Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures comic, which is being published by IDW.

As many know, Yoda spent the better part of 800 years training Jedi, so this younger version of the character will still be taking on the role of a teacher when we’re introduced to him.

“It’s especially exciting to be able to introduce him in the era of the High Republic. The High Republic Yoda is a journeyman out in the galaxy,” Older told StarWars.com. “While he’s already a respected member of the Jedi Council at this point, we meet Yoda in IDW’s The High Republic Adventures series doing what he loves best: looking out for the young folks — in this case, a group of Padawans traveling around the galaxy to learn the ways of the Jedi with a hands-on approach. The Force study abroad program, basically.”

“The only reason writing Yoda wasn’t on my Star Wars writing bucket list is because I didn’t think it would ever be possible!” he added. “It’s an incredible honor to give words to one of my all-time favorite Star Wars characters.”

“The goal was to update Yoda, but to be careful and be true to the Yoda that we all know and love,” said Troy Alders, Lucasfilm art director. “Also, to really make sure that the new look was believable, as this is really the first time that there has been an opportunity to update his look and his clothing. It felt like a daunting and enormous responsibility to embark on and get right.”

What do you think of Yoda’s new look? Let us know in the comments!