Yoda’s Jedi Master from Legends, N’Kata Del Gormo, has officially been brought back intoStar Warscanon. Introduced inThe Empire Strikes Backas Luke Skywalker’s enigmatic teacher, Yoda has always been something of a mystery. The oldStar WarsExpanded Universeshone a little light on his history, revealing he was mentored by several ancient Jedi Masters centuries before the Skywalker saga. Those stories aren’t considered canon anymore - but now, one of Yoda’s Legends mentors has indeed been restored.
As noted byStar Wars Explained, Steven Barnes’The Glass Abyssname-drops Yoda’s old mentor, a Hysalrian named N’Kata Del Gormo. The book is told from the perspective of Mace Windu, and he reveals N’Kata Del Gormo is rumored to have been one of Yoda’s mentors; it’s interesting to note that Windu isn’t sure, but at the very least, it seems N’Kata Del Gormo was a Jedi Master of some repute. The name-drop is a delightful one, revealingYoda’s Jedi Master is canon once again.
Everything You Need To Know About N’Kata Del Gormo
N’Kata Del Gormo was created by aStar Warsfan named Chuck Hamilton as part of a “design an alien” competition in theStar Wars Galaxy Magazine. Lucasfilm liked the idea of a serpentine, four-armed Jedi Master, and they wove the character intoStar Warslore as theJedi who taught Master Yoda.Even in Legends, though, N’Kata Del Gormo was a mythical figure.
George Lucas had always intended some species to be unusually sensitive to the Force. He noted this when discussingmidi-chlorians all the way back in 1977; “It is said that certain creatures are born with a higher awareness of the Force than humans,” he wrote. “Their brains are different; they have more midi-chlorians in their cells.” Yoda’s mysterious race all appear to be Force-sensitives, and it is possible the Hysalrian are similar. According to the EU, Yoda met N’Kata Del Gormo on a swampworld very similar to Dagobah.
Will We Ever See Yoda’s Early Years As A Jedi?
Star Warshas always tended to hop around the timeline, so it’s entirely possible Yoda’s early career as a Jedi will eventually be revealed.Young Jedi AdventuressawYoda present his first training lightsaberto a Youngling, and it was presumably given to him by N’Kata Del Gormo. It’s possible some of the lessons contained in Adam Giowitz’sSo You Want To Be A Jedi?- a fun retelling ofThe Empire Strikes Back- were also conveyed to Yoda by N’Kata Del Gormo.
Still, whether Yoda’s early years as a Jedi are ever told or not,the Easter egg inThe Glass Abyssis a delightful one. Many of the old Expanded Universe stories have been mentioned as in-universe “legends,” and N’Kata Del Gormo - a character created by a fan, no less - is now officially one of them. That’s true, whether the rumors he trained Yoda are accurate inStar Warscanon or not.
Source:Star Wars Explained
Yoda
The aged Jedi Master had trained Jedi for 800 years by the time he met Luke Skywalker on the planet Dagobah. One of the most famed and revered Jedi, Yoda served as Grand Master of the Jedi Order for centuries; he was powerful enough to duel Darth Sidious himself, although he was defeated. Yoda exiled himself to Dagobah, where he learned how to become a Force Ghost and offered guidance to Luke Skywalker.
