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Straight to the point.

Was Yoda expecting Luke on Dagobah? Did Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi work with Yoda to get Luke to Dagobah? Or did Ben simply assume that Luke would show up and Yoda would know how to take it from there?

Longer explanation with my bad attempt at Yoda-speak below.

Pay attention you will! Something noticed in The Empire Strikes Back I have! Say to Luke Skywalker on Hoth did Ben:

You will go to the Dagobah system. […] There you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me.

Show up on Dagobah Luke does. Bumped into Luke during nice quiet walk Yoda has… But expecting Luke on Dagobah Yoda was? Unexpected maybe he is? How involved in getting Luke to Dagobah Yoda was? Ahead of time Yoda knew?

  • Luke Expected: Tell Yoda Luke was coming, did Ben? To get Luke, a big plan Yoda and Ben did make? Who Yoda is, a true surprise to Luke it was? For Luke, special rootleaf I cook?

  • Luke Unexpected: Tell Luke about Yoda, Ben did, but tell Yoda he did not; show up unexpectedly Luke did? Assume Yoda knew what to do, did Ben? A big surprise to Yoda, this was?

  • Something Else: ???

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2 Answers 2

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According to the factbook "Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know", Yoda spent his time on Dagobah meditating, communing with Force Spirits, using Force Visions to watch over the remaining Jedi (including young Luke) and specifically he was...

Prepar[ing] to train an apprentice who may be a new hope for the doomed galaxy

So yes. Expecting a visitor, he was.

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Leaving aside (for Richard) new post-Lucas Disney canon, the answer is STILL yes.

Lucas Disney canon:

Yes.

Yoda told Obi-Wan that he won't begin Luke's training immediately because the Force would bring him to Yoda when it will. From Matthew Stover's novelization of ROTS:

“We should split them up,” Obi-Wan said. “Even if the Sith find one, the other may survive. I can take the boy, Master Yoda, and you take the girl. We can hide them away, keep them safe—train them as Anakin should have been trained—”
“No.” The ancient Master lowered his head again, closing his eyes, resting his chin on his hands that were folded over the head of his stick.
Obi-Wan looked uncertain. “But how are they to learn the self-discipline a Jedi needs? How are they to master skills of the Force?”
“Jedi training, the sole source of self-discipline is not. When right is the time for skills to be taught, to us the living Force will bring them. Until then, wait we will, and watch, and learn.”

EU/Legends:

Yes.

in Zahn's books (Visions of the Future) he told Car'das that he was too busy to heal him again on Dagobah, because he was preparing for the most important training of his life.

“Yoda couldn’t heal me, you see. Or rather, didn’t have the time the task would require. He told me he needed to prepare for what he said was possibly the most important instruction he had had for the past hundred years.”
Karrde nodded, another piece of the puzzle falling into place. “Luke Skywalker.”


Also, to address "Did Yoda talk to Obi-Wan about Luke coming":

There's no direct canon to support or reject that version. BUT, we know that Obi-Wan CAN talk to Yoda in Force-Ghost form (from later in ESB); and moreover, it was Yoda who told him to learn to do so from Qui-Gon's ghost (from ROTS). So, it is NOT out of the question that they discussed inviting Luke beforehand.

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    The immediate familiarity with which Yoda and Ghosti-Wan jump into the subject of “He is too old” on Dagobah might indicate that they’ve talked about this before. I had always assumed that Ghosti-Wan was in contact with Yoga all along before Luke came. Commented Feb 16, 2016 at 8:48
  • @JanusBahsJacquet: A New Hope Obi-Wan Kenobi's ghost spirit, shortly after being taken down by Darth Vader: "Hey Yoda - can you hear me? I've got some bad news - I'm going to need you to train Luke later. It's a long story - I'll tell you when I get back from telling Luke how to blow up a Death Star." Commented Feb 26, 2022 at 6:30

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