Yoda's old Master

This article is about Yoda's Jedi Master. You may be looking for Garro, who taught Yoda in the ways of stonepower.

The title of this article is conjectural.

Although this article is based on canonical information, the actual name of this subject is pure conjecture.

"To live without spears. Without war. For man and mountain. This I can teach you. As my Master once taught me."

―Yoda^[2]

A member of the Jedi Order took on Yoda as a Padawan when Yoda was young,^[1] more than eight hundred years before the reign of the Galactic Empire. At some point, Yoda's teacher told their apprentice an insightful story about two Jedi named K'ungfu and Chuang,^[3] and taught him how to live in peace.^[2] While Yoda eventually became arguably the greatest Jedi Grand Master in history, the information on his Master's identity was lost.^[4]

During a mission to the planet^[2] Vagadarr Prime around the year 40 BBY,^[5] Yoda swore to pass on his Master's teachings and end the war between local human tribes and giants of living stone. When Yoda had become the last Jedi Master in existence, he told his Master's story about K'ungfu and Chuang to Luke Skywalker during the latter's Jedi training on the planet Dagobah^[3] in 3 ABY.^[5]

Behind the scenes[]

"Frank Oz told me once that Yoda speaks that way specifically in honor of his own master. That was what he had thought about it."

―Dave Filoni^[6]

GormoTrainingYoda — Jedi Master N'Kata Del Gormo training his apprentice, Yoda

Yoda's old Master was first mentioned, albeit unnamed, in the current Star Wars canon in The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to Be a Jedi?, a young-readers book which retells the events of^[3] the 1980 film^[7] Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. The book was written by Adam Gidwitz and published in 2015.^[3]

Within the Star Wars Legends continuity, Yoda's Jedi instructor was N'Kata Del Gormo, a Hysalrian Jedi Master,^[8] according to an in-universe legend.^[9] The character was created by Chuck Hamilton, a Star Wars fan, for the backstory of his Hysalrian entry in the "Design An Alien" contest held in the Star Wars Galaxy Magazine. Hamilton's entry was given an honorable mention in the ninth issue of the magazine,^[8] released on October 1, 1996.^[10]

According to Star Wars veteran Dave Filoni, Frank Oz,^[6] who provided both the voice and puppet work for Yoda in the Star Wars saga,^[7] believed that the character famously spoke in an unusual, backward manner in honor of his Master.^[6]