The first few LEGO Star Wars specials weren't labeled as "The Yoda Chronicles" but seemingly are part of the series as they keep some continuity among each other. "The Empire Strikes Out" is a little more ambiguous, although it obviously takes place during the New Yoda Chronicles' time frame.
Tropes:
- Academy of Evil: Count Dooku sets up one on Mustafar to train a legion of Badawans to become the new Sith army.
- Actually Pretty Funny:
- After Jabba's sail barge is destroyed and he Face Plants, Salacious B. Crumb laughs at him. When the same thing happens to Crumb moments later, Jabba finds it hilarious.
- Commander Cody finds Ian/ Han making fun of Yoda's speech pretty funny as well.
- Adaptational Badass: Zig-Zagged and Played for Laughs with C-3PO in "Escape from the Jedi Temple". Bail Organa accidentaly turns C-3PO into a more aggressive, Hot-Blooded, feisty version of him that can take down many Stormtroopers while wiping his mind. It is not until Darth Vader points out that he is a protocol droid that C-3PO reverts to his old self.
- All-CGI Cartoon: Like most LEGO cartoons.
- Are We There Yet?: In Clash of the Skywalkers from The New Yoda Chronicles, Emperor Palpatine asks this several times of one of his red guards as his shuttle travels through hyperspace.
- The Bad Guy Wins: In Clash of the Skywalkers, the Grand Finale of the show, Luke tricks Vader into waking the Exogorth, and the Sith lord is about to be swallowed whole...only for Vader to reveal that The Exogorth is his friend. The slug then proceeds to eat Luke and R2-D2,though they manage to escape. And then we cut to the Imperials celebrating their victory . The end.
- Batman Can Breathe in Space: Which is only natural, since they're made out of plastic.
- Berserk Button: In The Empire Strikes Out, Vader hates it when Maul calls him "Pleather Pants". Gets a Call-Back in The New Yoda Chronicles.
- Beyond the Impossible: Luke and Leia try to do a Jedi Mind Trick on Watto together, whose race is notoriously known to be immune of. Not only did they succeed but they also somehow caused Threepio to fall under the influence as well, despite him being a droid.
- Bring My Brown Pants: C-3PO says he "oiled himself" after one scary scene.
- Built with LEGO: Mainly the vehicles. Some backgrounds are still depicted like their "normal" movie versions.
- Butt-Monkey: Nearly every character in the series is one at some point. The most notable are:
- C-3PO doesn't seem to catch a break. In the first episode, he had to deal with rebellious Padawans as a substitute teacher, then get his head cut off by Grievous, then gets caught up in a bus transport which causes the him and his class to be stranded on Tatooine, and finally is forced to read a script by the Padawans which causes him to be chased by Jabba's Rancor. In the next episode, he tries to transfer to the cafeteria staff only to get in trouble with the bounty hunters, and then get crushed by a falling Artoo in the Kitchen before returning back to his role as a Padawan substitute teacher covered in bandages. And the rest of the episodes are just as kind to him.
- Palpatine/Darth Sidious, ironically enough, is one in the series. Most of his plans backfire completely due to his double life as Chancellor/Sith Lord, the incompetence of the Separatists (and later Empire) faction, and Jek-14. Some of his misfortune include Threepio burying him under a pile of bricks, forcibly listening to the Ewok's "Yub Nub" song, getting caught in a whirl storm from the destruction of the Holocrons and later having his underwear exposed, and fleeing from a small Rebel ship while he's on a Star Destroyer.
- Darth Vader goes back and forth on this trope. He suffers a lot of humiliations, but there are points when he still demonstrates why he is the Dark Lord of the Sith.
- Canon Immigrant: Jek-14 appears in LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, which probably means he now exists in the post-Disney Star Wars Expanded Universe.
- Cassandra Truth: Artoo is the only character who manages to figure out that Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith Lord Sidious. Unfortunately, Mace Windu and Yoda believe that Artoo is suggesting to them that they should ask the Chancellor of who the Sith Lord is.
- Continuity Nod: Several across the episodes between the prequel-era and classic-era, there are. There's also nods to the LEGO Star Wars movies, The Padawan Menace and The Empire Strikes Out, such as Han and Yoda recognizing each other as Ian and Yoyo, the Rebels hiding out in Naboo and Senator Yawn of Beaurocrotis, suggesting that they too are part of the Yoda Chronicles continuity.
- Cool Car: Both Vader's podracer and Luke's Landspeeder re-appear when searching for the holocrons, but Luke and Vader each begin driving the vehicle identified with the other. They agree to change them mid-fight.
- Detachable Lower Half: A Running Gag is Darth Maul becoming separated from his robot legs and running around chasing after them.
- Creator In-Joke: When Obi-Wan and Yoda accidentally summon ghost Qui-Gon, not wanting to admit they don't want to see him, they say they need his help opening a jar of pickles. Qui-Gon, played by Liam Neeson in the movies, says that opening things is his specialty (a reference to the badass way he opened a door with his lightsaber in The Phantom Menace) and that he has a very particular set of skills.
- Do Not Call Me "Paul": Darth Vader hates it when Maul calls him "Pleather Pants" and "Wheezy". He also hates the time when Maul flings his childhood nickname of Ani ('Annie') at him.
- Dramatic Irony: This series exaggerates the trope even more so than the Prequel trilogy.
- The scenes involving both Luke and Vader are rifled with them, such as switching their vehicles or doing tricks that associated with the other. Luke is completely oblivious to fact that Darth Vader is his father despite several hints dropped here and there.
- It's outright lampshaded in "The Empire Strikes Out", with Vader trying to tell Luke outright, but getting repeatedly interrupted and failing to get the whole Wham Line out. Of course, it doesn't help that Vader takes forever trying to set up the reveal.
- After failing to Jedi Mind Trick Watto into giving him the podracer, Luke proclaims that Leia is a Jedi too and asks her to pretend to do the Jedi Mind Trick along with him. Of course, both don't know that Leia doesn't really need to pretend to have Force powers.
- The holocron with Anakin Skywalker's adventures has Obi-Wan saying that Anakin will be the death of him someday, Anakin saying it's going to burn him up, and Mace saying that he'll be thrown across at high speed with one of his hands cut off if they don't stop their bantering. This is not lost on Vader.
- Yoda saying he could live on Dagobah one day.
- Genre Blind: The Jedi Order are ignorant to the fact that Darth Sidious and Palpatine are the same person despite several hints and coincidences pointing towards it. When debating of the Sith's secret identity, they use the names of other Jedi Masters before Artoo suggests Palpatine to them (and even then, they simply think Artoo means they should ask the Chancellor about the matter). Even when Darth Sidious is clearly using a ship owned by Chancellor Palpatine, Yoda and Obi-Wan dismiss it as Sidious simply stealing a ship from the chancellor instead of him being the Chancellor. This is Lampshaded by Maul, who then quickly shuts up when the Jedi get on to him.
- Goofy Print Underwear: Palpatine has boxers with hearts on them when he gets stuck hanging from one of the spires of his headquarters.
- Groin Attack: On one of the scenes in Hoth, C-3PO slides down a snowy slope, goes airborne, and lands astride a tauntaun. He then says in a pained voice "Right in my servers...", making it obvious what's being implied.
- Groupie Brigade: The fangirls chasing Luke in "The Empire Strikes Out". Threepio eventually sets them on Vader by showing them a picture of Hayden Christensen from Attack of the Clones and saying that he looks like that under the armor. But when Vader complies with the girls' begging to show his face, they see his later, scarred appearance, decide he's ugly, and then start chasing after Maul.
- Heel–Face Turn: Jek. He fights for the Sith at first, then Yoda tells him he can also choose the light side, as he was made from Jedi crystals. Although he initially chooses neither and really wants to be neutral, he does keep helping the good guys.
- Horrible Judge of Character: At the end of the third episode, Anakin states to Palpatine that he thinks of him as a great person and great Chancellor. Palpatine merely replies that he's "an excellent judge of character."
- I Shall Taunt You: Threepio reads insults off a cue card to taunt Jabba when the padawans are trying to draw him out so they can get their crystals back. He says something about Jabba being an overgrown slug who smells like a tauntaun's laundry basket.
- Multiple Endings: There are two versions of "Clash Of The Skywalkers"; One where Vader wins, and one where Luke wins.note
- My Grandma Can Do Better Than You: A computer version. In The Empire Strikes Out, while Chewie's flying the Falcon on the way to Naboo:
- C-3PO: My motherboard and my grandmotherboard could be a better pilot than you!
- No OSHA Compliance: In "The Empire Strikes Out," an Imperial trooper runs onto the bridge in a panic to say that Vader is coming, then falls into one of the crewpits. Captain Piett lampshades this by saying "We really need a railing in here." The Emperor then says this in "Clash Of The Skywalkers", with Piett saying "That's what I said!".
- Only Sane Man: R2-D2 and Jek 14 tend to be more level headed and reasonable than most of the heroes, including Master Yoda himself.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: The Emperor switching from the persona of Palpatine to Sidious by pulling his hood up is greatly exaggerated here, as Palpatine is frequently caught in Sidious guise by the Jedi and clone troopers, which is only alleviated when he pulls down the hood and no one suspects the wiser (except R2-D2 and occasionally the Separatists). Amusingly, pulling up his hood actually changes his face and skin tone, which makes this disguise quite effective if not for the obvious black Sith robes that Palpatine wears as Chancellor.
- Also C-3PO trying to use a hood to sneak into the Mos Eisley Cantina. It should still be obvious he's a droid, but it isn't.
- Luke's Vader costume in "The Empire Strikes Out". It should be easy to see that the mask is just held on with a rubber band, but...
- Parody Sue: Jek-14, a Force-sensitive Sith clone of a basic clone trooper who's better than everyone at everything, making most of the main characters jealous. Not helping matters is when he defects to join the side of good.
- Person as Verb: Vader, when Luke uses one of his moves from the Holocron. "He pulled an Anakin on me!"
- Posthumous Character: Qui-Gon Jinn and later Obi-Wan appear as Force Ghosts.
- Punctuated Pounding: Jek. "BEING BAD!! *blast* IS NOT!!! *blast* GOOD!!!" *blast* Also counts as Punctuated! For! Emphasis!
- Rule of Two: Count Dooku concluded that this Sith rule is not working after a series of Separatist defeats and sets to change it with the new Sith Academy on Mustafar.
- Running Gag:
- Darth Maul losing and chasing after his robot legs.
- Jabba's sail barge getting plowed into and destroyed by the heroes and whatever bad guys are chasing them.
- In "The Padawan Menace", Darth Vader trying to get into the scenes, even though he isn't supposed to be in the movie.
- It gets a callback in "The Empire Strikes Out", when after the doors to the Executor's bridge open, someone from off set shouts, "Now! This is the scene you're in!" Cue Vader running in while straightening his helmet.
- The Human Traffic Jam of Palpatine stopping suddenly when he hears bad news while doing the conga line with the Stormtroopers. The Stormtroopers plow into him from behind when he stops suddenly.
- Whoever's being chased hiding in the Asteroid Thicket to escape their pursuers.
- The droid that keeps annoying everyone who touches the holocrons at the temple.
- Shout-Out: When Han shoots a Stormtrooper, C-3PO says "My goodness, Han shot first!" and Han replies "Of course I did, it was him or me! Why wouldn't I?" in reference to the "Han shot first" meme.
- Anytime the characters fall into a trap, Admiral Ackbar will appear in some way or another.
- Spared by the Adaptation: A number of padawans, including Bene, who was shown to have died by Vader's hand in Revenge of the Sith, survive at the very least long enough to help Yoda and Obi-Wan hide the holocrons from the Emperor.
- Tempting Fate: In "The Empire Strikes Out", after Vader is captured by Jawas and awakens upside-down, he ponders about how it could possibly get any worse. Cue a Jawa spraying his helmet with white paint.
- The Exit Is That Way: Vader, after saying he's going to go catch Luke himself. He walks through a door, then comes back into the room, saying it was a closet.
- Tongue on the Flagpole: Variation with Han and C3-PO. Threepio is sulking because he didn't get recognition for helping get the landing lights up for the rebel ships in time. Han decides to kiss him on the neck.Threepio: I wouldn't do that if I were you!Han: *muffled* My lips are stuck!
- The episode ends with Jek using his crystal arm as a heater to try and get Han loose.
- Unfortunate Names: The Badawans undermine Count Dooku's intimidation and authority over the class by pointing out that the name "Dooku" sounds similar to "Doo-doo".
- You Have Failed Me:
- Played for Laughs in "The Empire Strikes Out."
Darth Vader: (to Admiral Ozzel) I'll spare your life, Admiral, but you have failed me for the last time.Captain Piett: You know, if you let him live, he could fail you again.Admiral Ozzel: Be quiet!Captain Piett: You be quiet!- Also, Played for Laughs in "Raid on Coruscant."
Emperor Palpatine: Lord Vader, You have failed me for the...second...or, was it the third time? No biggie, you've got a few more times before I really get mad!
