Original artwork, not a still
Do, or do not. There is no try.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Yoda's lesson to Luke in the swamp of Dagobah, as Luke fails to raise his sunken X-wing out of the bog and says he will try. The little green master turns his plain doubt into a rule: an attempt that already expects to fail is not an attempt at all. It travels well beyond the film, quoted by coaches, in classrooms and on office walls, and nearly everyone who uses it forgets that Yoda says it to a student who has just said 'I'll try'.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes BackShow the scene
On Dagobah, Luke's X-wing has sunk almost out of sight in the swamp, and he protests that moving stones with the Force is one thing but this is totally different. Yoda tells him he must unlearn what he has learned; Luke says all right, he'll give it a try, and this is Yoda's correction. Luke tries, fails and declares the ship too big, which earns him "Size matters not", and then Yoda lifts the X-wing out himself.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: The Empire Strikes BackDialogue section, Dagobah swampReference checked
- Wookieepedia: Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes BackPlot summaryReference checked
Context reviewed
