Yoda first appeared in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, performed and voiced by Frank Oz as the ancient Jedi Master who trains Luke Skywalker. His unusual speech and expressive laughs made short clips of the character easy to isolate and share. As meme culture grew on YouTube and soundboards, brief reactions like this laugh were clipped for quick emotional punctuation. It remains popular because the voice is unmistakable even without video, letting creators signal amusement and agreement in just two seconds.