It is still a child. I don’t think it translates
1:1 with human aging, but this species has a particularly long infancy-early childhood stage.There might be something unique to the Yoda species regarding Force sensitivity, but it’s already been established in canon that Force-sensitive babies in general have a predisposition to using the Force, regardless of species. The idea being, I’m assuming, that babies and young children lack some of the qualities that adults have that can hold back their ability to use the Force (like doubt or disbelief). And it is possible that the time he spends in this young childhood stage plays a part in why he can lift a mudhorn vs a toy ball.
This exactly. There’s a lot of evidence from the movies (especially the prequels) which points to early training as extremely important in developing skill in the Force, and I think you’re right that it has to do with the lack of a rigid experiential framework present in adults. So if the Yoda species has this super long developmental period, it stands to reason that most of the members of this species would gain some Force abilities. I imagine it could be something like 50% or more of the species would have this ability into adulthood, while for humans that percentage would be far less because of how rapidly they progress through infancy. Of course, I doubt that baby Yoda could really control the Force or plan to use it in advance.
There’s also the angle of hereditary Force sensitivity, and it may be that Yoda’s species is essentially just one family, that is if their method of reproduction is different enough to avoid the effects of inbreeding.
It’s an interesting question.
It really is! I think it highlights the uniqueness of the Force as a “magic system”. Yoda’s ESB philosophy that stresses faith and belief clearly has a fantasy leaning, but the idea of the Force “being strong” in a family has a more scientific, genetic angle.
I definitely like the idea that a baby might be especially sensitive because they are free of inhibitions. A lot of people complain but it makes sense that the Jedi would snap up babies for training (and why it would be hard for someone’s Luke’s age to learn). It’s like learning a language.
That’s a great comparison actually! At an old job my boss told me sometimes it is easier to train a new person than a person with experience, because the person with experience will have their own certain way of doing things that might be hard for them to unlearn. Which is exactly what Yoda says to Luke, “You must unlearn what you have learned.”
Personally, the speculation is all well and good but I hope they don’t try to explain it too much. The Force works in mysterious ways and always should.
Although, the power of a bloodline is a mythic trope as well. I know there is a lot of examples in legends, but are there many examples in canon where we see Force-sensitive bloodlines? I believe the protagonist in the new novel Force Collector has a grandfather who was a Jedi, but that is all I can think of currently. Could the connection between Force powers and bloodline be less common than we think?
Well if you think about it, the Jedi are supposed to be celibate so hypothetically the bloodline thing shouldn’t really be much of a thing in the universe.
I totally agree. I don’t want it to be explained, but I do want it to be explored. I want Jedi and Sith to have contradictory views on the Force. I would like to see the Force treated like real religions with various interpretations, without one necessarily being singled out as “the right one”.
There could be a lot of reasons why the Jedi practice celibacy. The main reason being attachment. It’s possible that the child of a Jedi isn’t necessarily any more likely to also be a Jedi (or more gifted) than a normal child. I could also see there being a fear of dynasty, whether that has to do with literal power regarding their bloodline, or just the consolidation of power under a family name and the attachment that comes with having power and a family. I could see their being an interesting Old Republic story that deals with the implications of a Jedi dynasty.