Time is Funny: A Deeper Look at Luke's Time With Yoda
Think you know everything about Star Wars? Then you've gotta rethink your favorite scenes. There's a good reason that Luke Skywalker was so much stronger by the end of Empire Strikes Back after all, and that reason involves how time operates on a tiny planet with big connections to the Force. While most people believe that Luke's training with Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back takes a brief time, there's actually a hint in the series canon that this Jedi master spent longer on that little swampy world than what audiences have assumed. Think "time distortion." It's the ultimate way to fast-track training when you have someone like Darth Vader as your enemy, no time to wait.
While this little planet may have looked sleepy and full of frogs to everyone else, dagobah was a place for serious Jedi business. We see it all in empire strikes back, and with its mystical vibe, it has that feeling of ancient magic that makes this little planet a place that’s out of the time continuum of everyone else's reality. Think of Mortis – those strange beings living out the force, they experienced months on a weird time scale, but the rest of the world continued like normal. Turns out, Dagobah has its own set of bizarre rules.
The Long Days of Jedi Training
Before the dark side started dominating the universe, Padawans were always taught how to master the force with an intense jedi training for 20-plus years before becoming knights. But Luke seemed like a super force-wielding dude after spending less than a couple of weeks on dagobah – which makes no sense given he also has a super-serious enemy, Vader, who wants to dominate everyone. Now, we're hearing that the series suggests this was a whole lot more than what appeared in the film. With the knowledge of Mortis and that "time warp" quality, this might make the story feel a whole lot more believable.
The timeline also suggests that when Luke leaves to help his friends, he's only been on the planet for a handful of days. Now with the implication of time distortion on Dagobah, it’s a much easier explanation that Luke wasn’t training for just a few weeks. Luke could’ve been on Dagobah for a good few months, which explains how a jedi Knight was born so quickly!
How Does a Planet Break Time?
Imagine your most chill place on Earth. Where do you think of to zone out and meditate on your super chill feelings? This might make more sense if you consider what a Jedi does: meditation. The fact that Yoda chose a place like Dagobah for his exile wasn't a random choice. Dagobah’s swampy vibes, being basically unpopulated, made for the ideal time warp Jedi spot, a mystical escape where a Force Master like yoda could feel the strength of the Force better than in the rest of the universe.
Remember that trip to the Mortis planet in Clone Wars, where a Jedi, a Sith, and a force-user got caught in this time-warp zone? Think of Dagobah as having that vibe but less creepy and more like nature’s best jedi retreat! Time warps, super ancient planets, they're all so out there – it really just goes to show, even the most advanced force user can get stuck with time.
Time Distortions, Star Wars' Greatest Mystery?
Those Movies that showed time warps and strange mystical places, they actually do offer some really fun explanations about the nature of the force. The Force connects to planets, people, events – if that makes sense. There’s a really great explanation in the series for why some places or characters just move on a different track, because this “force connection" to a specific planet, even in ways that seem almost impossible!
You gotta give it up for Star Wars! They can't explain it all in a movie because people are all trying to figure out, 'what was happening back then, what happens to the Jedi in these situations?' Time is complicated and you could probably write a whole lot about time travel in the series! For now, just know that this kind of planet might just make for an epic, epic story! That tiny little planet on a distant planet is way more important than just another Jedi location. You might wanna dig a little deeper when watching your favorite star wars moments. It just goes to show – you might just be missing some really crazy mysteries.
