In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker spends considerable time in the murky wetlands of Dagobah, learning from Yoda during The Empire Strikes Back. Yet, his tutelage appears to be over too quickly for Yoda’s liking. Yoda cautions Luke that leaving before finishing his teaching will prove disastrous for him as a Jedi, but if he stays put, it could lead to catastrophe for those close to him.

The Predicted Timeline

What is seen in The Empire Strikes Back is a detailed sequence of Yoda’s teaching. There is no indication of how much time has elapsed during the movie. No changes in seasons are visible. Fans of the franchise have tried to determine how much facial hair Luke could grow while he stayed on Dagobah. Some say months; others say days.

While it’s not confirmed in Star Wars canon, it looks like Luke spent at least a month with Yoda on Dagobah. In the book «From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back», Yoda mentions that Luke had been on Dagobah for «a few weeks.» During this time, Yoda gave him a boot camp on Jedi skills to get Luke Jedi-ready as quickly as possible.

Another Clue to Consider

The Empire Strikes Back may leave the impression that Luke’s training on Dagobah was much briefer than it was. While there were only a few scenes featuring him with Yoda, Luke was likely in the Dagobah cave for weeks, if not months. This is due to Han and co.’s extended journey to Bespin, during which they drifted through space without a working hyperdrive. The Falcon had two months of supplies on board when they escaped from Hoth until they arrived at Bespin, so their voyage would have taken that long, giving Luke plenty of time to train with Yoda. Approx. 2 Months.

Luke Had Limited Training

Luke’s experience as a Jedi trainee was also limited due to his age. In Star Wars canon, an age limit lowers the time needed for a Padawan to learn and master the ways of the Jedi. As such, Yoda had to compress Luke’s training, though his long experience in teaching during the Clone Wars allowed him to pass on all he deemed necessary while they were together.

Regardless of the timeframe, since Yoda is one of the most powerful Jedi masters in Star Wars canon, he indeed trained Luke effectively.