Most of the characters in the Star Wars universe turn to Yoda for advice and wisdom — after all, the legendary Jedi Master may be small in stature, but he has the kindest heart and deepest insights that could fill up even the largest men.
It’s only fitting that his words of wisdom are uttered even up to this day. Here are the best Yoda quotes to live by.
40 Yoda Quotes You’ll Never Forget
1. “No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.”
One of the best Yoda quotes we live by is this one that tackles the concept of trying. When you stop to think about it, there is no such thing as “trying” — it’s either you do it or you don’t. And when it comes down to it, you’ll be happy you did it.
2. “A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.”
Yoda reiterates the truth of what it means to be a Jedi throughout the movies. First and foremost, a Jedi should use the Force for defense and never inflict pain on another person.
Read: Cool Baby Yoda Gifts For Adults
3. “You must unlearn what you have learned.”
It’s completely normal to develop unpleasant habits — but knowing how to unlearn them is important. [1]
4. “Wars not make one great.”
Some of the biggest names in history are known for the wars they started. Yoda is right — however famous they may be, they are not great because inflicting pain on others is never good.
5. “Train yourself to let go of everything you are afraid to lose.”
This is one of the best Yoda quotes (and one that we apply to our daily lives). Only when we fully accept that we are bound to lose everything important to us can we have the courage to try everything important to us.
6. “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”
Yoda tells us that fear is the root cause of all negativity. If we stay brave in the face of fear, we have a better chance of surviving this world. [2]
7. “Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they.”
There should be no place for negative feelings in our lives.
8. “Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed, that is.”
Here, Yoda tells us that we should do our best to avoid feeling jealous, as it is the closest thing to being greedy.
9. “The greatest teacher failure is.”
Failure is definitely the greatest teacher. It is only through failing that we gain immense insight that we never would’ve had if we’d never tried in the first place.
10. “In a dark place we find ourselves, and a little more knowledge lights our way.”
Here, Yoda reminds us that if you find yourself in a dark place, knowing everything about the situation is the best chance you have of getting yourself out.
11. “Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not.”
This may be slightly morbid, but we think death is a natural phase of life. Be happy for people who have moved on to the next stage of life.
12. “Powerful you have become. The dark side I sense in you.”
The more power someone has, the more they are inclined to do evil things. We need to remember to stay humble amid all our blessings.
13. “Truly wonderful the mind of a child is.”
A child's mind is truly wonderful — so curious and full of life. This is Yoda reminding us that it’s not wrong to go through life with a child’s eyes once in a while. [3]
14. “You will find only what you bring in.”
What you put out to the world is exactly what comes back to you.
15. “To be Jedi is to face the truth and choose. Give off light, or darkness, Padawan. Be a candle, or the night.”
Yoda reminds his beloved Jedis to always stay on the side of the light and be a beacon of hope to everyone around them.
16. “Control, control, you must learn control!”
This is what we tell ourselves when we want to buy unnecessary things from Amazon — it definitely pays to stay in control (and not just financially).
17. “On many long journeys have I gone. And waited, too, for others to return from journeys of their own. Some return; some are broken; some come back so different only their names remain.”
Our personal journeys change us — it's normal and inevitable. What’s important is that we remember to change for the better.
18. “Pass on what you have learned.”
The best way to use what you have learned is to pass your knowledge on to others so they may learn from you.
19. “In the end, cowards are those who follow the dark side.”
Only cowards follow the dark road because they fear others being stronger than them. It’s important to remember always to be brave.
20. “Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future.”
We might not understand anything now, but whatever we’re doing today lays the groundwork for our future.
21. “To answer power with power, the Jedi way this is not. In this war, a danger there is, of losing who we are.”
Strength and power are not the most important things in the world. We must make it a point to be compassionate and kind towards others.
22. “Clear, your mind must be, if you are to discover the real villains behind this plot.”
Whenever we’re confused, we rush into decisions or do things we don’t normally do. It pays to keep a clear head and stay calm amidst nerve-wracking situations.
23. “Hard to see the dark side is.”
It’s always hard to see things clearly when we’re experiencing dark and negative emotions. When things get too difficult, stepping back for a bit and recalibrating your position is okay.
24. “Smaller in number are we, but larger in mind.”
The phrase “no man is an island” comes to mind with this quote. It’s always better to have company, especially during hard times.
25. “Your path you must decide.”
Only we ourselves have complete control over our destiny.
26. “If no mistake you have made, losing you are. A different game you should play.”
People who have never made a mistake in their lives are people who don’t have enough experience and knowledge.
27. “Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.”
Staying away from dark emotions is key to living a fulfilling life. Otherwise, you could end up somewhere you never thought you’d be.
28. "Named must be your fear before banish it you can."
We can only challenge and take on our demons head-on when we acknowledge they’re there.
29. "That is why you fail."
When Luke declares that he doesn’t believe in the Force, Yoda tells him that that is precisely why he fails. We must trust and have faith in our own skills and capabilities to succeed.
30. "Of the moment, be. In the moment, live. The art of remaining in the present, learn. Neither the past nor the future exists."
Yoda teaches us that the only moment that matters is now, so we must never forget to live life to the fullest.
31. “Many of the truths that we cling to depend on our point of view.”
Many truths we believe in are strongly tied to our biased point of view. It’s important to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and understand things from their viewpoint.
32. "Make the decision, make another. Remake one past, you cannot."
Once you decide, you can never remake it to change the past. It’s important to live with and learn from the decisions you make.
33. "A decision is yours alone to make. Yet remember you should that you make it also for the silent ones who stand at your shoulder."
And to piggyback from the point above, although every decision is yours to make, it should be done for the betterment of everyone else around you.
34. "So great life is, to finish it no way there is. The more you would enter into it, the vaster would be the possibilities that open their doors."
Life is an oyster, so go out there and see the wonders it has in store!
35. "To live halfheartedly, this is the most stupid thing in life. Forever gone is the moment that is gone."
Living halfheartedly is the worst way you can go about life. Live life to the fullest and savor every moment.
36. "Age more than a count of heartbeats is. Age is how many mistakes you have made."
Here, Yoda tells us that age is more than how old you are — it’s about the knowledge and experience you’ve gathered. And just because someone’s young doesn’t mean they don’t have anything wise to say.
37. "Delicate flower truth is, but also the most precious treasure in life - because liberation it brings, freedom it brings."
There is always beauty in being truthful. It might be a hard pill to swallow at times, but it’s always the most liberating option.
Read: Our Favorite Darth Vader Quotes
38. "Understanding is bliss, the cause of misery is misunderstanding."
Have you ever wondered why you find yourself upset with someone else? Most of the time, this stems from misunderstanding. Have more compassion and understanding for others, and you will be happier.
39. "To your misery never pay too much attention, because if you pay attention, feeding it you are. Attention is food."
Yoda is telling us that our attention should go to things that make us happy — not those that make us miserable.
40. “May the Force be with you.”
We couldn’t leave this iconic line out of the list! The Force is often referred to as everything unseen in the universe, and if we are one with it, it’s possible to have everything we desire.
FAQs
What was Yoda's last quote?
Yoda’s last quote before he died was, “When gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be.”
What is Yoda's failure quote?
Yoda’s failure quote goes: “Pass on what you have learned. Strength, mastery, hmm… but weakness, folly, failure, also. Yes, failure, most of all. The greatest teacher, failure is.”
What does Yoda say about the future?
Yoda’s quote about the future is: “Always in motion is the future.”
What is Yoda's first line?
One of Yoda’s first lines is, “Wars not make one great.”
Key Takeaways
Yoda is one of the wisest characters in the Star Wars franchise, and plenty of people apply his quotes and teachings to enrich their everyday lives.
Yoda has plenty of quotes regarding sorrow, misery, loss, hope, and strength — strong emotions humans are familiar with all too well. When the going gets tough, and you don’t know who (or what) to turn to, rewatching Star Wars and listening closely to what Yoda has to say might give you massive insight into what you are going through.
Here is a link to our Star Wars collection for those interested in expressing their love for Yoda.
References:
- https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2012/01/breaking-bad-habits
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/terinaallen/2019/10/23/3-fears-you-need-to-overcome-if-you-want-to-be-successful/
- https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/6-surprising-reasons-why-thinking-like-a-child-makes-you-a-better-leader.html
