Old and wise Jedi Masters are a staple of Star Wars, and none embody this better than Yoda. This little green hermit was arguably the best teacher of them all, with an age that certainly gave him plenty of experience. However, with Yoda passing away in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, it raises a question: Exactly how old was he throughout The Skywalker Saga?
As Luke goes to visit Yoda for one last time, the old master says, "When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not." This is the first time Yoda mentions his age. And he's not rounding up or down with that number, as he is exactly 900 years when he passes into the Force, making the calculations to figure out his age throughout the saga far easier.
Yoda's Birth and Joining the Jedi Order
Yoda was born in 896 BBY, which means 896 years before the Battle of Yavin from Star Wars: A New Hope. To this day, fans don't know the name of his home planet and species. However, what is known is that he was taught by the Jedi Order from a young age. In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda mentions, "For 800 years have I trained Jedi," which means he became a Jedi Master within his first 100 years. That's impressive, considering Grogu, who was 50 when he debuted on The Mandalorian, demonstrates the species age incredibly slowly.
Within those 800 years, Yoda worked his way up to become the sole Grand Master of the Jedi Order, as is seen in The Phantom Menace. At that time, Yoda is 864 years old, but his appearance and movement throughout the prequels make him seem far younger. That is especially the case during his acrobatic duel with Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith, during which Yoda is 877.
How Old Was Yoda When He Died?
Yoda is 896 years old when the original trilogy begins and 899 when he begins training Luke Skywalker. And the gap between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi is only a year. Therefore, Yoda is at the ripe old age of 900 when he fades away into the Force. That said, death is only the beginning of another life for Jedi, as he lived on through the Force.
His next film appearance is 30 years later, in Star Wars: The Last Jedi when Yoda gives Luke one more lesson as a Force ghost. With it being exactly 30 years, Yoda's age here is 930, even if he's technically not alive. And finally, his voice can be heard one year later when speaking to Rey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, at the final age of 931.
Even when excluding his years as a ghost, Yoda is still easily among the oldest characters in Star Wars. His age far exceeds any main character, and the only one with notable screen time that exceeds him is Maz Kanata from the sequel trilogy, who has Yoda beat by a century. But still, 900 is an impressive feat and explains why Yoda really is the wisest of them all.