10 Movie Characters Killed Early In The Sequel
2. Yoda - Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi
Yoda is one of the most instantly recognisable characters in the history of film, and is universally known whether you are a Star Wars or not. Amazingly, through the original trilogy, Yoda achieves this while accumulating less than 20 minutes of screen time, not appearing in A New Hope at all.
The Jedi Master made such an impact in Empire Strikes Back as Luke Skywalker's mentor, but dies relatively early on in Return of the Jedi. As with Odin's death, this signifies Luke having to go on alone, without the guidance or help of his teacher. It all came down to just Luke and Vader. Yoda would only return as a force ghost years later in The Last Jedi.
The movie also uses Yoda on his death bed to tell Luke about another Skywalker, but cannot elaborate before passing on. This could have added another layer of mystery to the movie, but just moments later Obi Wan appears to explain what Yoda could not.