Move over, Baby Yoda. 700-year-old Yoda is here
In the Star Wars: The High Republic comic series, Yoda is a "journeyman" teaching young Padawans while they travel the galaxy.
Star Wars has released concept art of Yoda the slightly younger from its upcoming print series Star Wars: The High Republic, set almost two centuries before Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Yoda was 900 when he passed away during Return of the Jedi, at which point he'd been training Jedi for 800 years. We've also met a 50-year-old version of the species, who appeared as The Child, aka the beloved Baby Yoda, in Disney Plus series The Mandalorian. Now, we're meeting 700-year-old Yoda.
The High Republic will be released through comics, children's books and young adult novels, with Yoda to be featured mainly in Daniel José Older's Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures comic. It will be released in January.
"The High Republic Yoda is a journeyman out in the galaxy," Older said Tuesday. At 700 years old, Yoda is already a member of the Jedi Council, but is featured in the series as teaching a group of young Padawans while they travel the galaxy. "The Force study abroad program, basically," Older said.
Lucasfilm said it wanted to stay true to the design of Yoda in the original Star Wars trilogy while also updating his clothing and look. His costume takes design cues from old Jedi temples.
"We thought that with it being hundreds of years earlier, he would definitely have a different outfit, maybe even more than one," said Troy Alders, Lucasfilm art director. "The way that his hair and face look is maybe just slightly younger, but fairly close to his look in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace."
We'll also get to see Baby Yoda again soon, with Disney Plus this week announcing The Mandalorian season 2 kicks off on Oct. 30.