Yoda’s Design Was Based On One Of The Greatest Minds Of All Time

In one of those random facts of the day that you can share over pints this weekend, Star Wars artist Stuart Freeborn has admitted that he based Yoda on Albert Einstein. The small Jedi Master, who has long won popularity for his signature language as well as his starring role in the Star Wars franchise, was actually largely influenced by one of the best known academics in history. According to Mental Floss, special effects artist and Star Wars Stuart Freeborn revealed he was inspired by a poster of Albert Einstein that was hanging in his office. Basing the character’s design on Einstein’s face, Freeborn said he used the eyes and wrinkles to create Yoda’s final look. Speaking to CineSecrets, artist Nick Maley explained: “...A picture of Einstein ended up on the wall behind the Yoda sculptures and the wrinkles around Einstein's eyes somehow got worked into the Yoda design. Over the course of this evolutionary process Yoda slowly changed from a comparatively spritely [sic], tall, skinny, grasshopper kind of character into the old wise spirited gnome that we all know today. The final step in that transformation was Franks [Oz, sic] insistence that the puppet should have no jaw fitted. That allowed him more freedom for expression as a puppeteer but it also meant that the skin hung loosely below the cheeks and that gave Yoda an older, rather chinless look that is quite different to the drawings Ralph [McQuarrie] did." We knew there was wisdom behind those eyes. Just one more way Einstein made his mark on the world…