Over the years I’ve heard rumors that the Star Wars character, Yoda, was patterned after the LDS prophet, Spencer W Kimball. For those of you who are not familiar with Spencer Kimball, here is a picture of him:
Compare that picture with Yoda and you can see a slight resemblance (minus the green face!):
Recently, we took my niece, who is a huge Star Wars fan to the local Art Museum for a Star Wars Exhibit. I learned there that this myth was false and that Yoda was actually patterned after Einstein as shown in the picture I took at the exhibit:
So next time you hear that rumor floating around, now you know the true story!
Hmmm, those of us who know Pres. Kimball think he seemed way more like Kimball than Einstein. Not only was it looks, but there was a kind, gentleness plus strength going on. And he was short. Especially when Kimball was really old the similarity was striking.
Head shape, facial features seem all wrong for Einstein.
Hi JKS,
I don’t know if that’s a compliment or not to be compared to looking like Yoda! : )…One thing is for sure…neither Kimball nor Einstein were green!
This is another example of the Mormon tendency to think that everything is about them.
We are a rather small religion that most of the U.S. and world really doesn’t care much about. I doubt that anyone around Star Wars had the foggiest idea who the elderly LDS prophet was or what he looked like.
Even today, President Monson is virtually unknown outside LDS circles.
Unless one can prove that the person who crafted the character was LDS, which no one ever has, then this is in the category of an urban myth.
Hi Steve,
Exactly my point!
Wikipedia: “he battled recurring throat cancer. This led to one and a half vocal cords being removed in 1957; as a result, he was thereafter barely able to speak above a hoarse whisper.”: Yoda’s voice.
Kimball was prophet from ’73 through ’85, i.e. during the years in which the Star Wars characters were likely being formulated.
Though previous prophets are unknown outside LDS circles, it’s not too far-fetched to believe that a philosophically oriented person like Lukas knew something of the LDS church and of the prophet at the time. If Kimball was the charismatic, short, wise, friendly ‘Yoda’ to the world that so many sources suggest, the fact that he is otherwise an unknown figure (outside LDS) makes him an ideal inspiration.
There may never be ‘proof’, but ‘reading between the lines’, this hypothesis appears acceptable. Reading Wikipedia on Yoda, i found a reference to Kimball missing but reading Wiki on Kimball, all i found were MORE references that suggest the Yoda connection.
I’m not LDS (but was once).
clue1: Kimball was prophet from ’73-’85, the very years Lucas was developing the characters for his movies;
clue2: Wikipedia on Kimball: “he battled recurring throat cancer. This led to one and a half vocal cords being removed in 1957; as a result, he was thereafter barely able to speak above a hoarse whisper.”, i.e. a clear reference to Yoda’s voice;
clue3: the fact that Kimball is not well-known outside LDS makes him a good source of inspiration. The fact that he was prophet of LDS, makes it plausible that he was known by a man like Lucas, a person clearly interested in spiritual and social developments;
the other clues: short, known to be wise, easy-going, old, and frail.
I’m not even LDS and i think it’s plausible. Wikipedia would probably not accept adding the reference but reading between the lines, it seems wholy acceptable.
Teotwawkisos,
I can see why you think that and why many people think Yoda is patterned after Kimball. I’m just saying that officially, no one claims it and Lucas hasn’t publicly stated that either, so theories are just hearsay
In 1939 there was no PROOF that Hitler was going to murder 11,500,000 of his own people… yet thousands who read between the lines got the hell out of town!
What has been “publicly stated” or ‘proven’ isn’t necessarily superior to what data, logic, and common sense will get you. Actually, it’s usually quite inferior to it. No authority figure needs to verify for me what is staring me in the face.
I guess only George Lucas will truly know and until he makes some sort of statement on that we’ll never truly know.
I’m with Steve on this. Why fight about it? It’s not like it’s doctrine or anything. And it really rubs me the wrong way when Hitler comparisons are made. Not the same thing at all.
Karenwindness,
Amen to all you said!
who’s fighting? And WW II just serves as a clear example of how relative demand for ‘proof’ are. I can’t speak for anyone else but as far as i’m concerned, it’s just a friendly harmless debate. No one was making more of it than that so far. Do i have to justify having an opinion and voicing it best as i can now? NOW it’s starting to sound like fighting…