By Michael Martinez, CNN February 7, 2013 -- Updated 0339 GMT (1139 HKT) Jedi Master Yoda is one of the characters makeup artist Stuart Freeborn helped develop. "Stuart was already a makeup legend when he started on 'Star Wars,'" said George Lucas, creator of the films. Playful, impish and imaginative, Freeborn played a pivotal role in developing the character Yoda for "The Empire Strikes Back." Freeborn also put his skills to work in "Oliver Twist," "The Bridge on the River Kwai," "The Omen," four "Superman" films, "Top Secret!" and "The Great Muppet Caper." Among the more memorable sequences in the "Star Wars" film is the Mos Eisley Cantina, which Freeborn and his team populated by creating Greedo, Walrus Man and Snaggletooth. He also worked on the tauntaun and wampa ice creatures in "The Empire Strikes Back." "Return of the Jedi" is considered the "monster movie" of the trilogy, and Freeborn and his team in the United Kingdom developed Jabba the Hutt, which was a massive puppet, and the teddy-bear-like Ewoks. He was often joined in his makeup work by wife Kay, who died last year, and son Graham, who died in 1996.