"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship."
Yoda was a legendaryJedi Grand Master who led theJedi Order through the time of the High Republic, in the years leading up to its destruction by theSith, and during the transformation of theGalactic Republic into theGalactic Empire. Small in stature but revered for his wisdom and power, Yoda trained generations ofJedi, ultimately serving as the Jedi Order'sGrand Master. He played integral roles in defending the Republic during theClone Wars, survived Order 66, and lived to pass on the Jedi tradition toLuke Skywalker, and unlocking the path toimmortality.
Born in896 BBY, Yoda served the Jedi Order forcenturies, becoming JediGrand Master and helping to teach manyyounglings. During theHigh Republic Era, in382 BBY, Yoda helped bring an end to a devastating battle between the Jedi and theanti-JediPath of the Open Handcult. After the battle, which became known as theNight of Sorrow, he decided to keep the living weapons againstForce-sensitives the Path had used, theNameless, out of theJedi Archives to protect the order. Over a century later, he took a sabbatical from theJedi High Council to trainPadawans aboard theStar Hopper, leading them and other Jedi in fighting theNihilpirate organization in232 BBY. After disappearing without explanation for over a year, Yoda reappeared in230 BBY onCorellia, where he helped his former PadawanKantam Sy and other Jedibattle the Nihil, accompanied by a former Jedi who fought in the Night of Sorrow namedAzlin Rell. As the Nihil had also weaponized the Nameless, Yoda hoped that Rell's knowledge he had accrued about the creatures since the battle would help the Jedi find a way to fight them.
Yoda was almost nine hundredyears old in the latterdays of the Republic. A leading member of the Jedi High Council, his contemporaries included other legendary Masters, such asMace Windu andKi-Adi-Mundi. During theInvasion of Naboo, in32 BBY, the maverickQui-Gon Jinn introducedAnakin Skywalker to the High Council, believing with absolute certainty that he had discovered the prophesiedChosen One. The Jedi elders sensed that theboy was full of fear and anger and declined to train him, deeming Skywalker too old and emotionally compromised to commit himself to theJedi Code. After Jinn'sdeath during theliberation ofNaboo, the High Council reversed their decision in spite of Yoda's continued opposition to Skywalker's apprenticeship, having sensed grave danger in his training. At the sametime, the Jedi discovered that theirancient nemesis, the Sith, had returned after amillennium in hiding. Aware of theRule of Two, Yoda was convinced that at least one moreSith Lord remained active followingObi-Wan Kenobi's victory over theSith apprenticeDarth Maul.
Yoda's remaining years were spent living inisolation on the remote world ofDagobah. After the death of Obi-Wan Kenobi, he was able to commune with his spirit, who wished for Yoda to train Anakin'ssonLuke Skywalker. Yoda initially reluctantly agreed, but later believed that the galaxy as better off without him and refused Kenobi's request. After being convinced by Kenobi to enter theCave of Evil, in which he confronted many figures from his past and made peace with his failures, he agreed to teach Luke Skywalker, who soon after sought out the legendary Grand Master in the hope of becoming aJedi Knight. He trained Skywalker for a time, until despite Yoda's warnings Skywalker hurriedly abandoned his training to save his friends after a having a vision that they were in danger. A year later, in4 ABY, with his health rapidly declining, Yoda died of old age when Skywalker returned to see him. He becameone with the Force, shortly before Luke redeemed his father Anakin, who fulfilled his destiny as the Chosen One by killing Sidious.
Years later, Luke Skywalker's attempt to reform the Jedi Order would be foiled when his nephewBen Solo turned to the dark side and destroyed hisJedi Temple. Believing the galaxy was better without him and the Jedi, Skywalker went into exile, just as Yoda had. After his student he reluctantly trained, thescavengerRey, also abandoned her training, Yoda appeared as a ghost to Skywalker. Yoda taught Skywalker to learn from his failures and helped him forgive himself.
Although Yoda spoke little of his early days, it was rumored that one of his earlyinstructors was theHysalrianN'Kata Del Gormo.[11] Yoda was paired up with a personalmentor. During their time together, Yoda'sJedi Master told him the tale ofK'ungfu andChuang, two greatJedi of the past.[6] Around the age of 100, in796 BBY,[2] Yoda was ready to pass on what he had learned. Having attained the rank of Master, he spent the next eight centuries training and tutoring generations of Jedi.[5] It was estimated that over his lifetime, he trained around twenty-thousand Jedi.[24]
High Republic Era
Early High Republic Era
"You must choose the Force. One does not fall into being a Jedi Knight by mistake, hm? Or because it is convenient! You must choose the Force, with your whole heart. To do this, you must learn, again, to listen. To hear the world, the world outside of your own emotions. Even when they are very, very loud, heh,[like] a hurricane."
By theHigh Republic Era, Yoda was considered a great Jedi Master. He had also gained a seat on theJedi High Council[26] and the rank ofGrand Master.[27] Two other Jedi—Xo Lahru andPra-Tre Veter—shared the Grand Master title with Yoda.[28] Eventually thehuman JediRy Ki-Sakka also attained the position.[29] As the Jedi who taught younglings, Yoda one day met the human younglingGella Nattai, who was scared of thetraining remotes and ran from the room. Finding Nattai in the Temple garden and sitting with her, Yoda and Nattai watched a frog in the garden repeatedly try to jump into a waterfall behind a stone wall. Yoda used the frog as a lesson, teaching her to face her fear and always get back up to try again.[30]
An uncertain Path
"No one, no galaxy, no Republic, no Jedi Order, no family, is perfect." "You are right. […] Perhaps we are doing too much, too fast." "You must continue. The great good is a good vision. Fight for this good as well, the Jedi do."
In382 BBY, after learning of theBattle of Jedha and the failure of apeace treaty between thewarring planetsEiram andE'ronoh there, Yoda went to theRepublic Executive Building on the galactic capitalCoruscant to meet with withSupreme ChancellorKyong Greylark while they waited for more information fromJedha. They spoke to Jedi MasterCreighton Sun andJedi KnightAida Forte, who were on the ground on Jedha and confirmed that the E'roni ambassador was dead and the Eirami had deployed a droid army. They requested to perform an investigation on theOuter Rim Territories planetDalna of thePath of the Open Hand cult, considering their involvement in the failure of the peace talks, the fact that Jedi MasterSilandra Sho felt a disturbance that made the Jedi ill at the Path'salmshouse, and that Jedi Knight Gella Nattai believed the Chancellor's criminal sonAxel Greylark was working with the Path. Yoda admitted that he had sensed a disturbance beyond Jedha, and emphasized that they need to be careful, reminding them that there was always those who thrived in chaos. After much deliberation, Yoda and Chancellor Greylark eventually agreed to a fact-finding mission accompanied by two of her guards and to send Jedi MasterChar-Ryl-Roy andPadawanEnya Keen to Eiram and E'ronoh to try and keep the peace and discover what was causingcommunications buoys to be down, Yoda explaining to them thatWerth Plouth, the Path'sHerald, was responsible for the riots on Jedha.[31]
After the communication ended, Yoda expressed his concern as they received another message from Jedi MasterYaddle, who was accompanied by aJedi Initiate namedCippa Tarko, though the connection of the message was poor. Tarko asked about Yoda, and Yaddle explained that he was a Jedi Master and not her brother. Yoda told Yaddle that they were sending help to Jedha and two Jedi to Dalna and that she was to return to Coruscant, but the message was so choppy they were not sure if she understood. Yoda had an unsettling feeling in the Force that reminded him of the feeling he got whenever a battle was coming. Master Yaddle did misunderstand Yoda's message to mean she was needed on Dalna and joined Sun and Forte there, who sent a message to Yoda confirming they were there shortly before Yaddle arrived.[31]
Jedi Master Yaddle
Later, Chancellor Greylark had her guards summon Yoda to her to reveal that her son Axel had escaped from prison with the help of the Path and someone namedBinnot Ullo. She told Yoda that she did not know who Ullo was and did not think Axel had many friends. He assured her that no one, no galaxy, and no republic was perfect, and that she should continue to fight for the greater good like the Jedi did. She explained that she felt like they have all been moving through a fog that has corrupted everything lately and Yoda insisted that Axel still had good in him and that the 'fog' was just corrupting him too. However, the Chancellor resolved to make Axel truly feel the consequences of his actions.[31]
Chancellor no more
"We will go together. Chancellor you may not be anymore. Friend, you still are."
Eventually, Greylark received a message from her son on Dalna and immediately called Yoda to have him listen to it with her via hologram. After hearing Axel ask for her to go to Dalna to speak with the Path and with him, Yoda asked her what she would do, the Chancellor deciding to go to Dalna. She then recorded a message for Axel that included Yoda in it, wearing a blank expression, so that he could bear witness to her stepping down as Chancellor. After she sent the message, Yoda stayed with her wordlessly for a while, and she appreciated his kindness.[31]
Before Greylark could leave for Dalna, Yoda approached her and said that since he had not heard back from Masters Sun orEla Sutan, who had also been sent to Dalna, that he would go with her because she was still his friend even though she was no longer Chancellor. Yoda had a JediLongbeam cruiser follow them with a contingent of Jedi. While in hyperspace, they received a distress call fromPrincessXiri A'lbaran of E'ronoh and PrincePhan-tu Zenn of Eiram. They then received a message from ChancellorOrlen Mollo, who said that the leaders of Eiram and E'ronoh were still not cooperating. Yoda volunteered to rescue the heirs due to their proximity to them and left, taking other Jedi with him.[31]
The Night of Sorrow
"Speak to the Jedi Council soon, you should. We must explain the happenings on Dalna. All that went wrong." […] "But we must also speak to all the things that went right. We could not have defeated the Path without the Jedi." "And the Jedi could not have defeated the Path without the help of our Republic allies."
Eventually, Yoda arrived at the battle that was now raging on Dalna between the Path and the Jedi, which came to be known as theNight of Sorrow.[31] The Path, much of it reorganized into thePath of the Closed Fist, was led byMarda Ro of theRo family.[32] He was joined by Princess A'lbaran and Prince Zenn, the three announcing that the combined forces of Eiram and E'ronoh were there to fight together with the Jedi. When Yoda arrived on the ground at thePath compound, Jedi Gella Nattai told him to direct people to go to the cave system as there was potentially many more Path members there.[31] On Dalna, he met[33] PathLittle[32]Tromak. Yoda eventually came to forget Tromak but always remembered the importance of his visit to Dalna.[33]
The Path's compound on Dalna
As the battle started to come to a close with it turning in the Jedi's favor, Yoda and Yaddle stood together, the latter watching Cippa Tarko sleep. However, A'lbaran and Zenn contacted them and informed them that explosions have been set off underground. As Yaddle suggested getting help, the ground shook and Yoda spotted sections of the caves collapse into sinkholes. Yoda and Yaddle then sensed a Jedi in distress and went to help. Finding a door in the ground, Yoda and Yaddle connected to the force and sensed Gella Nattai and Axel Greylark. Yaddle lifted up the ground, rocks, and soil while Yoda lifted the water to try and rescue them. Enya Keen then ran toward them, seeing Nattai, and pulled her and Axel from the mud-like water, having been brought to the surface by the two Jedi Masters. Yoda and Yaddle then set the water and mud down far away. In the sinkhole, E'roni and Eirami soldiers began recovering survivors. Yaddle noticed that the sounds of battle have faded and the sun was rising. She asks Yoda if the battle was done, and he says it was.[31]
Yoda met with Kyong Greylark and Chancellor Mollo on a medical frigate above Coruscant, the three discussing now only having one Chancellor instead of two and what it means. Yoda suggested they speak to the Jedi Council and tell them everything that went wrong, but Greylark also wanted to focus all the things that went right, including the help of the Republic and the Jedi. Mollo revealed that the people of Dalna were calling the event the Night of Sorrow. While he imagined the future, Greylark assured Yoda that she would meet him on Coruscant soon, Yoda adding that there was much to celebrate and remember.[31]
Return to the Temple
"What do you know about these nameless creatures?" "I, too, know of them. Powerful beings, they are. Dangerous, they are. But in pain, they could be. Only a few understand them. You, and I. And still, much to learn is there."
One of the Nameless creatures during the Night of Sorrow
Yoda then traveled to theJedi Temple on Coruscant, confirming first that the royal families of Eiram and E'ronoh had already gathered, who he met with when he arrived. He met with several Jedi, including Yaddle, who was standing with Tarko. Yoda raised his arm to silence the room and Master Sun rose from his chair, walking to the center of the room using a walking stick before beginning afuneral for Jedi Aida Forte,Orin Darhga, and Char-Ryl-Roy. Yoda allowed Roy's former Padawan, Keen, to keep his lightsaber and use it alongside hers.[31]
Later, in theJedi Archives, Creighton spoke with Yoda aboutNameless creatures that the Path deployed on Dalna and the horror they wrought upon the Jedi, causing them to be weakened, hallucinate, and eventually be turned to dust. Yoda confirmed that there is a larger danger connected to them, which caused Creighton to wonder what Yoda knew. Realizing how catastrophic to the Order it could be if people found out about the creatures, and since they had heard no other reports of their usage, they decided to keep quiet about them and not include them in the Jedi Archive. They agreed not to speak of it again and each of them left.[31]
Master of Kantam Sy
"The lesson of Younglings we take on is one of the hardest ones for most Jedi to learn. Indeed, some never do." "Detachment." "To let go. Elusive it is, but also, always available to us, always there. And then, when we grasp, gone again. Takes practice, it does. Repetition. To have to do it again does not mean we have failed, only that we must do it again. And again."
Yoda held the title of Grand Master of the Jedi Order since the days of the High Republic Era.
At some point, Yoda took on a human namedKantam Sy as his Padawan. The two were stationed at theJedi Temple on the planetEndovar. Sy was a very talented Padawan and was far ahead of their peers and even some of their elders, with Yoda even admitting that they were the most disciplined Padawan he had ever taught and one of the most connected to the Force. Despite this, Yoda held offknighting Sy, for a reason that the Padawan did not understand until they began a romantic relationship with anacrobat namedAytar and realized that both Yoda and them had been waiting for something like that to happen. Eventually, Sy decided to leave the Jedi Order, a decision partially incited by their newfound relationship with Aytar.[25]
Yoda and Sy loved to spar with each other, and it was how the two often found understanding and how Sy often found inner harmony while troubled or when they had a problem. Even when they did not find a solution during a match, they would leave feeling like an answer was out there. When Sy traveled to the meditation room in the Endovar Jedi Temple in order to tell Yoda about their decision, Yoda challenged them to a sparring match, remembering that they had dueled many times in that room and saying that this duel could be one final lesson. Sy agreed to the duel, as it was custom to not refuse a duel with Master Yoda, but also realized that this meant Yoda knew about their decision. Yoda dodged Sy's question by engaging in combat, before saying that the time had come to make a choice, but not the one that Sy thought. Yoda explained that the Force chose Sy just as it had chosen all other Jedi, and asked when Sy would choose the Force. Sy insisted that they chose the Force every day when they took part in their Jedi training, but after knocking Sy to the ground, Yoda asked if we really make a choice when we do not believe there are any other options. Yoda told Sy that there was a reason he had not knighted them yet, before ending the duel, helping Sy up, and sitting down with Sy to meditate.[25]
Eventually Sy asked Yoda if they should leave the Jedi Order, but Yoda insisted that there was no 'should' and that the right thing to do is an idea we invent to make ourselves feel better. Yoda also suggested that Sy had stopped listening, in the literal sense, and in a larger general sense. Yoda explained that feelings are like wind, we can feel it, we can experience it, but it passes, though sometimes it can feel like ahurricane which can make it easy to give in to anger and fear. Yoda told Sy that in order for them to continue to be a Jedi they must actively choose the Jedi Order and the Force and learn to listen to the world outside of their emotions even when they were as loud as a hurricane. Eventually, after a moment, Sy set down their lightsaber in front of Yoda. Yoda nodded at them, and then his Padawan left him, and the Jedi Order, behind. Yoda was saddened but supported Sy through their departure. Sy would reflect on the conversation they had that day throughout the rest of their life.[25]
Over a year later, Sy returned to the Jedi, and met with Yoda on the Endovar. Yoda was in the process of helping a petHappabore namedMonsalmo at the time, after being awoken from a nap by the creature's squealing. Yoda was used to dealing with her complicated behaviors, including finding her inside the temple underneath the younglings' bunks. This time, Monsalmo was pregnant and had climbed onto the roof of her pen to avoid giving birth in afuel spill. However, the roof could not hold the creature's weight and it collapsed. Yoda caught Monsalmo with the Force, but at that same time she started to give birth to her pups, so Yoda had to carry them with the Force too. Just then, Sy and a Force-sensitive girl they had rescued on the planetNaboo namedLula Talisola arrived and both used the Force to help Yoda carry Monsalmo and her pups. Yoda welcomed Sy back, telling them that they had left a Padawan and returned a Knight. A fewhours later, Yoda knighted Sy in a modest ceremony so that they could take on Talisola as their Padawan learner.[25]
After the ceremony, Sy and Yoda sat around a fire near the happabore enclosure and discussed the events that had occurred. Sy expressed that they did not understand how one second they felt so sure in their path separate from the Order but was then pulled back to it when they saved Talisola. Yoda explained that the young are the greatest teachers and the greatest lesson that can be learned from them is necessity of detachment and letting go, that being a Jedi was to let go. Sy realized that they had been the one that taught Yoda that lesson. Yoda revealed that he had struggled with Sy's departure and had been unsure of the future. The two then sharedSweetpuff jamwiches with Talisola.[25]
Yoda and Kantam Sy speak with Lula Talisola.
Sometime later, Yoda and Sy met with Talisola in the Endovar Jedi temple. Sy told Talisola that the lesson she taught the two masters was the hardest one of all. Talisola hoped that it was front flips with a lightsaber, which made Sy retract their statement and say that it was the second hardest lesson to learn. Yoda concurred, saying that the front flip was nothing simple. But the lesson that Sy wanted to teach Talisola was the same one that Sy had learned from her and Yoda had learned from Sy: Detachment.[34]
"Chaos on the surface, there will be. Remember that the Force moves through you, throughall living things, even in chaos. Move with the Force, we must. Never against it."
By233 BBY,[38] Yoda was stationed alongside MasterZia Zaldor Zanna at the Jedi Grand Temple on Coruscant assigning youngling Jedi Initiates to differenttemple outposts across the galaxy to continue learning and training under their teachers. Here he met initiatesKai Brightstar,Lys Solay, andNubs; Yoda gifted Brightstar his owntraining saber after Brightstar sacrificed his to save Nubs while on a mission.[39] In 232 BBY,[40] Yoda took a sabbatical from the Jedi Council,[26] having felt the Force needed him on a different path. Thus, Yoda joined[27] the crew of the JediPadawan Academic CruiserStar Hopper, allowing him to helptrain Padawans[37] and younglings.[26] Yoda was also therefore able to help train Talisola, who was stationed aboard theStar Hopper.[37]
Yoda appointed theMon Calamari Jedi MasterEphru Shinn to hold his seat on the council while he was away. During theGreat Hyperspace Disaster in theHetzal system, Jedi MasterAvar Kriss established a Forcenetwork, which was eventually aided by Jedi who were outside the system. Yoda—located somewhere with the crew of younglings he was currently teaching—helped the effort, adding his focus to the network to ensure aTibannagas container did not collide with anR-classsun.[26]
Yoda, Torban Buck, and Lula Talisola fight the Nihil on Trymant IV.
The GreatHyperspace Disaster also caused theEmergences, which were when giant pieces of debris exited hyperspace in various places throughout the galaxy and threatened to hit planets at near lightspeed. Eventually, theTrymant system was threatened by anEmergence. The staff ofRepublic Security Zone Monitoring Satellite 777B-Alpha reported the incident to theStarlight Beaconspace station, who then asked the only Republic or Jedi ship immediately within range, theStar Hopper, to assist. Onboard was Yoda along with fellow Jedi MasterTorban Buck and a class of Padawans. As they traveled through hyperspace to the Trymant system, Yoda told the Padawans to prepare for anything because they had no idea what was coming, but that the Force would reveal all. When they received the information that they were the only Republic or Jedi ship nearby to respond, one of the Padawans suggested that they stay back and wait for backup. But Yoda insisted that they were Trymant's only hope and needed to press forward. Shortly before they exited hyperspace Yoda had the Padawans report what information they had discovered about the calamity. Yoda and Buck decided to stay on theStar Hopper to use the Force to divert the biggest pieces of debris but sent the Padawans inRescue speeders to help on the surface of the planet.[37]
However, amid the chaos of the Emergence, aSpider Cruiser called theSquall Spider commanded by theEye of the Nihil,Marchion Ro arrived inBralanak City to pick up Elder Tromak, whom Ro wanted the services of to find some information. When the Padawans attempted to getNihil marauders to allow them to use the Spider Cruiser to evacuate civilians, afight broke out,[37] leading Yoda and Buck to the surface to help the young Jedi and fight against the Nihil. During the fight, a Force-sensitive civilian namedZeen Mrala who had helped the Jedi against the Emergence and against the Nihil, told Masters Yoda and Buck that her friendKrix Kamerat had been captured by the Nihil and needed to be rescued. Lula Talisola offered to go, but Yoda insisted that he would go rescue the boy. Master Buck protested, believing that he was not a fighting Jedi and therefore should not be left to lead the Jedi, but Yoda ignored him. Yoda then protected the group of Jedi from a large plasma projectile lobbed at them by a Nihil marauder by cutting it into pieces with his lightsaber while it was still in the air. Yoda then left to find Kamerat, but first asked Mrala to take her petCruCham Cham with him.[41]
Yoda discovers a piece of the Nameless control rod on a Nihil ship.
Marchion Ro knew of Yoda and his power, and when he saw him on the planet told his subordinates to keep the Jedi Master away from theSquall Spider, but Yoda managed to sneak aboard the ship nonetheless. Yoda eventually found Kamerat and told him that they needed to leave quickly. Yoda told Kamerat that Mrala had sent him and proved it by showing him Cham Cham. Yoda then gave Kamerat aHoloprojector that he told the boy he could reach out to Mrala with when he was ready. However, Kamerat shortly after alerted the pirates that Yoda was aboard. Having been raised by theElders of the Path,[41] a religious order descended from the Path of the Open Hand[42] that distrusted Force-sensitives[33] due to believing the Force should only be appreciated from a distance, as if it was a fire,[37], only to see that his best friend Zeen Mrala had secretly been Force-sensitive and never told him, Kamerat felt betrayed and ended up siding with the Nihil because of that sense of betrayal. With the Nihil looking for him, Yoda ran from the marauders but uncovered that the Nihil had[41] astrange, purple artifact[33] in a storage crate. Yoda hoped to escape quietly but Cham Cham made a loud cry that alerted the Nihil to their location and lead to a confrontation. Yoda escaped and met up with Mrala, revealing to her that Cham Cham had eaten several Nihil limbs in the confrontation. Yoda then told Mrala that she needed to come with them to Starlight Beacon. When she asked why he had not saved Kamerat, Yoda told her that he could not save someone who did not want to be rescued. With the Nihil drive from Trymant, Yoda, Torban Buck, Zeen Mrala, and the Padawans traveled to Starlight Beacon in the Star Hopper.[41]
Starlight Beacon
"For light and life!" "For light and life!"
―Yoda and the gathered Jedi, during the dedication of Starlight Beacon[43]
Following theBattle of Kur, Yoda went with fellow Grand Master Pra-Tre Veter to Starlight Beacon. The two had a meeting with the Supreme ChancellorLina Soh to discussBacta manufacturing for the relief effort for the Great Disaster, being in need of the right crops after what had occurred onHetzal. But before their meeting, they visited the hub of the beacon to meet with Master Avar Kriss, and revealed to her that the council had convened and named her theMarshal of Starlight Beacon. Kriss also asked Yoda if he was returning to the council, but Yoda clarified that he was not finished on theStar Hopper.[27] Yoda later attended the Beacon'sdedication ceremony, where he said a few words about thededication plaque which was placed in a stone monument. He talked with Kai Brightstar, Lys Solay,Nash Durango, and Nubs, mentioning their adventure trying to get the dedication plaque after it was stolen by the pirateTaborr Val Dorn, who was secretly Prince Cyrus Vuundir ofVuundalla. He told them how proud he is of them and encouraged them to join the rest of the Jedi for Lina Soh's speech. After the Jedi left, Yoda spoke with Prince Vuundir, who was no longer in his pirate disguise, telling him that he sensed much conflict in him but that he still had the potential for greatness if he made the right choices. Yoda told Cyrus that the future was in his hands. Joining with his fellow Jedi, he raised hislightsaber and declared "For light and life."[43]
Yoda discusses Zeen Mrala and the Nihil's secrets with Estala Maru and Avar Kriss.
After about a week, Zeen Mrala started settling in on Starlight very well, so Masters Yoda, Avar Kriss, Kantam Sy,Estala Maru, and Torban Buck all went to check up on her and discuss her plans, with Yoda even bringing pastry treats. The Masters deliberated and determined that she was too old to begin Jedi training and most likely could not be sent back to Trymant. Master Sy suggested that she should stay with them temporarily, as she had proved herself valuable, which Yoda acknowledged was an excellent point. They did decide to let her stay, partially with the hope that she could be helpful against the Nihil. When it became clear that finding the Nihil would be a challenge, Yoda revealed that he had given a holoprojector to Kamerat and one to Mrala. Mrala confirmed that they had had communications, which she apologized for, but Yoda denied her apology and said that she might have just saved the day. Yoda explained that they could use the holoprojectors to track the Nihil, but would have to be relatively close. Yoda was determined to find the Nihil to figure out what the mysterious artifact he had found was. The Jedi decided to travel to theBright Jewel system, as there had been recent Nihil activity there, and see if they could pick up a signal.[44]
Yoda flies a Jedi Vector in the Battle in the Bright Jewel system.
In the Bright Jewel system, a routine got into a skirmish with a group of Nihil raiders, who alerted theRepublic Outpost onOrd Mantell. Yoda, Torban Buck, Kantam Sy, and many other Jedi flewJedi Vectors out of the outpost to confront the Nihil. The conflict erupted into an all outbattle. Eventually all of the Nihil fighters were defeated, but Yoda was concerned, as he thought that it was too easy and that there therefore might be something wrong. Then the Jedi received a distress signal that they first believed was from the Ord Mantell base, until Yoda suspected that it was not actually from the base. They determined the signal to be from the junkmoonQuantxi, and so Yoda ordered the Jedi to travel to the moon and send for backup from Starlight Beacon, though he also worried that they were too late.[45]
Disappearance
"Master Yoda is still missing. As you all know, he was my Master when I was a Padawan and I wish he were here too. But he told us not to follow him and we must trust the Force on this."
Yoda and Elder Tromak's shuttle is shot down over Vrant Tarnum.
Yoda journeyed to the junk moon of Quantxi with Masters Torban Buck and Kantam Sy to aid the Padawans of theStar Hopper against the Nihil force stationed there. However, Yoda crossed paths with Elder Tromak, who had escaped the Nihil after being escorted off Trymant IV with Kamerat by Ro, after landing. Yoda recognized him from Trymant. Tromak offered the Jedibogaranths to ride to the Nihil, clarifying that even though he hated Jedi, they had a common enemy. As Masters Sy and Buck saddled up onto the bogaranths, Tromak pulled Yoda aside. Reminding Yoda of their meeting on Dalna years prior, he asked the Grand Master to journey with him toKharvashark Ruins onVrant Tarnum to stop the Nihil from recovering the second half of the mysterious artifact, with Yoda informing Tromak that the Nihil already had half of the weapon. However, Tromak was inistent on keeping the artifact's location a secret, so he told Yoda that he could not bring his comlink. Yoda agreed to this, and after sending one last message to the other Jedi telling them not to follow him, the two traveled to theStygmarn system above Vrant Tarnum. However, the two encountered a network of drones and were shot down, allowing Ro a to acquire the other half of the artifact.[33]
To the Jedi Order at large, Yoda was suddenly missing in action.[46] As theDrengir crisis andconflict with the Nihil dragged on, Yoda's name became one of the many mentioned alongside Jedi who had gone missing or died during the conflicts.[47] He was still missing by the time of theattack on Valo[46] and ensuingBattle of Grizal,[13] which both marked major escalations in tensions in the struggle between the Republic and the Nihil. In the latter engagement, Ro unleashed the living weapon known as theGreat Leveler against the Jedi for the first time, using the completed artifact to control it.[48] Remembering that Yoda told them and Buck not to follow him, Sy told theStar Hopper's Padawans, after they asked whether they could go searching for the missing Jedi Master, that they needed to trust in the Force.[13] But Yoda's departure affected theStar Hopper's close crew in an incredibly deep way.[25]
Amid the stress of the Nihil conflict, the Jedi of Starlight Beacon use one of Yoda's recipes to come together and better understand each other.
During theskirmish on Xais, Master Avar Kriss recalled Yoda's wisdom when MasterSskeer started to utilize extreme violence again, remembering him frequently saying that once you walk to the dark path it's forever in your heart.[49] Sometime later, Masters Kantam Sy and Torban Buck gathered a group of Jedi to bake Master Yoda's recipe for special bakedsweet story custard cakes. The Masters claimed that the recipe specifically stated that the only way for thecakes to come out correctly is if the bakers told a story about cooperation while baking them, one in which they expanded their knowledge of what they were capable of, found trust in another person, or found a deeper understanding of the Force.[50]
Later, when Sy was assigned to investigate Nihil activity onCorellia with MasterCohmac Vitus, Sy mentioned that the young were the greatest teachers they could have, besides Master Yoda. This prompted Vitus to ask if there was any word on the old Jedi Master, to which Sy explained that they could not feel him, but that it did not necessarily mean anything. Sy expressed their belief that if Yoda had died, they all would have felt it, but Cohmac was still concerned with how long he had been gone despite that. Sy also lamented that it felt like everything happening would be much easier to make sense of if Yoda were there. Later, at Vitus's asking, Sy revealed to him that Master Yoda had let them do a walkabout of the Jedi Order, as he knew if he did not it would have been the end of things between Sy and the Order, with Sy even telling Vitus the entire story including Yoda's influence during the day they left and the day they returned to the Order. Cohmac also told Sy that they wondered what Yoda would make of everything that was happening.[25]
After theBattle at Dol'har Hyde, an engagement that saw the capture of Nihil leader Krix Kamerat and his detainment aboard theStar Hopper, Zeen Mrala and Lula Talisola visited Yoda's old quarters on the ship and reflected on the Jedi Master. Mrala missed him in a way that she thought was only possible to miss someone you had known your whole life, and especially missed the Jedi's welcoming presence and his laughing face. She thought that they needed Yoda's help more than ever since they had captured Kamerat. Mrala asked Talisola if she thought Yoda was ever coming back, and Talisola declared that he definitely was and that he would not want them to be standing there worrying about him.[25]
Padawans Reath Silas andRam Jomaram also reflected on Yoda's disappearance while on Corellia, with Silas saying that he seemed like he would have been a "pretty fun" Master to Kantam Sy and that he remembered being able to feel Yoda's wisdom from a mile away. Both were Padawans were plagued with anxiety over Yoda's disappearance and imagined nightmare scenarios about what happened to him, which they admitted to each other. Silas mused that if Yoda were there, he would have said "Forgive himself, a Jedi must, mm? Not being ruled by fear does not mean not feeling any fear at all, mm!" which Jomaram thought sounded very accurate.[25]
Return
"To do this, though, to forge our path to the future, guided by the secrets of the past, we will be."
Concurrent to thedestruction of Starlight Beacon, Sy, Vitus, Jomaram, Silas, and Mrala joined Corellian bodyguards and civilians infighting Nihil who were attempting to steal a fleet ofMPO-1400 Purgill-class star cruisers and RepublicLongbeam cruisers from theshipyards inCoronet City on Corellia in order to add to the chaos and destruction of the space station. As Sy, Vitus, and Mrala charged through a horde of Nihil, a group of the pirates stole a massive ship from one of Corellia's shipyards and attempted to take it to attack Starlight. However, the three Force-sensitives used the Force to stall the trawler and prevent it from escaping, but they had a weak hold on it and as they did Nihil reinforcements arrived. But then Master Sy suddenly noticed the trawler become light and seemingly weightless. And then the remaining Nihilwar cloud was swept away suddenly, confusing the pirates, but also revealing Master Yoda in hooded robes holding the trawler with the Force with his lightsaber ignited at his side.[25]
Yoda told Sy that it seemed like they needed a hand, and Sy collapsed and started cry at the sight of their old Master. Yoda then used the Force to send the massive ship crashing onto the horde of Nihil reinforcements with a fiery explosion. When more Nihil came, Yoda threw himself into their leader feet first and then used the Force to knock the others down with a single hand motion. This inspired Sy, who shouted "For light and life" before joining up with Vitus and Mrala again and fighting by Yoda's side. Yoda and Sy worked together to take down a Nihil with abuzz saw, Sy knocking him off balance before Yoda stabbed him in the back with his lightsaber. The Jedi then regrouped with theCorellian fighters and Yoda shouted the rallying cry "For light and life" which spread throughout the crowd. Eventually they managed to drive the Nihil away, winning the battle.[25]
The Nameless (pictured) emerged as a massive threat to the Jedi Order, but Yoda's quest for answers brought him to Azlin Rell who had had a connection to the beings.
Afterward, Jomaram, who had been instrumental to the Jedi's success elsewhere in the battle, reunited with Sy, who introduced him to Yoda. Yoda said that they had much to discuss and not enough time, to which Sy added that they needed a place to go where they could regroup safely and debrief.Alys "Crash" Ongwa, one of the leaders of the Corellian fighters offered up a location to the Jedi. The group, including Yoda, ended up taking refuge in thehideaway ofBaynoo Ongwa, Crash Ongwa's mother, inThe Green on Corellia, riding various ships and airspeeders to get there. There, they were joined by a mysterious hooded individual,[25] the former Jedi KnightAzlin Rell,[51] who had accompanied Yoda. Rell did not sho his face or speak to anyone, and only constantly quietly sang the nursery rhyme 'Shrii ka rai ka rai',[25] which had a connection to theNameless,[52] over and over again. Yoda declared that there was much to explain without actually explaining anything, but nobody questioned him under the assumption that there would be time to do so later. The group ate, bathed, and then tried to sleep.[25]
While they slept, all of the Force-sensitives were awoken in the middle of the night by sensing the final crash and destruction of Starlight Beacon in the Force. After feeling the death of JediOrla Jareni aboard Starlight Beacon, Master Cohmac Vitus gathered Yoda, the other Jedi, Zeen Mrala, and his Padawan Reath Silas. Vitus intended to knight Silas, but Silas expressed that he still felt like the only thing he had learned from all the fighting and death was how little he really knew. But Yoda commended this, saying that it was perhaps one of the hardest and most important lessons to learn. Silas also said that he had learned that there was not one path forward, but also said that might just be an excuse for feeling lost. Yoda assured him that it was impossible to be lost when there was not one right way forward. After more questions from Silas, Yoda then asked jokingly if he thought all of those Masters that thought he was ready were wrong. This prompted Silas to say he was ready, and together Masters Yoda, Vitus, and Sy knighted Reath Silas. But Master Vitus then handed his lightsaber to Silas, and after exchanging nods with Yoda, left the house, and left the Jedi Order for good.[25]
The next morning, Yoda and Sy chatted and readied to leave, while Zeen Mrala reflected on the moment that Yoda had joined the battle with joy and inspiration. Yoda walked up to Crash Ongwa andDeemus Abrus, who had helped the Jedi before the battle, and wished them farewell. Yoda told the two that a new threat had arisen and that all of the Jedi needed to return to Jedi Temple onCoruscant, prompting Sy to reveal that therecall signal that Yoda had asked for had been sent out minutes earlier. Yoda explained that the way forward would be difficult, but that they would manage to find a way by being guided by the secrets of the past.[25] Part of this involved Rell, whose years of research on the Nameless Yoda hoped could help them learn how to fight or stop the beasts.[51]
In132 BBY, Jedi MasterVernestra Rwoh approached Yoda to speak with him after she had interrogated a memory-wipedMae-ho Aniseya, who had not even known about the existence of her sister, former JediVerosha Aniseya. The Jedi Grandmaster was seated with his face towards her when he was approached. Afterwards,[53] Yoda became involved in the Osha-Mae situation, which proved to be a stressful time for the Jedi Master.[54]
Master of Dooku
"Perhaps the best Padawan of your generation, you were." "Are you resorting toflattery, Master Yoda? Besides, I recall getting into moretrouble than any other Padawan of my generation." "Yes. And avaluable perspective, this gives you."
―Yoda and Dooku reflect on their time together as master and apprentice[55]
Yoda was the Jedi Master of Count Dooku, who ultimately renounced his commitment to the Jedi Order.
Several decades later,[2] Yoda took on the humanDooku as his last known Padawan in the era of theGalactic Republic.[15] In90 BBY,[2] Yoda undertook a visit to Serenno with other Jedi Masters and younglings Sifo Dyas, and Dooku. Yoda later took Dooku on as an apprentice in[56]86 BBY,[2] and while Dooku initially wanted to become the Padawan ofLene Kostana, his disappointment subsided when he learned he would be Yoda's apprentice. Once on a visit to Serenno, Master and apprentice together, Dooku's father shouted at the Grand Master for bringing his son to the planet, holding a dislike for the Jedi Order and Force-sensitives.[56] During one mission to theWookieehomeworld ofKashyyyk, Dooku witnessed his master face off with a giant, dreadfulterentatek.[57] Decades after his apprentice graduated to Knighthood,[56] in42 BBY,[2] Yoda was informed by Dooku that he was departing from the Jedi Order, much to his disappointment, and when his former student offered to turn over his lightsaber, the Grandmaster allowed him to retain ownership of his weapon.[56]
Yoda's secret war
Answering a call
"Not on their own are your children. But wrestling with the chaos you left them in. Blame them I do not. Better teachers they deserved."
―Master Yoda, to the missing parents of Vagadarr Prime[58]
Around 40 BBY,[2] Yoda rescued a Force-sensitive child namedLo from theFlesh Mongers on the planetBotor, intending to begin his Jedi training. After dealing with the pirates, the Jedi Master was joined by MasterQui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan,Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had been tasked with escorting the child to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. While on Botor, Yoda sensed a disturbance in the Force and chose to follow its call which led him toVagadarr Prime. Upon landing on the planet's surface, the Jedi Master was suddenly surrounded by child warriors who attacked him. After defending himself with the Force, Yoda told the children he meant no harm. The Jedi came in peace as he was drawn in by the Force. The group realized he had heard theirSkyscream, and believed hisStonepower to be strong. They then led Yoda to their home,Mucktown. There, he learned that theSkyscreamers used shards of theSacred rock during their prayer, the same call that Yoda felt. The rock was unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was a piece ofblue stone, a type of rock imbued with the Living Force which Yoda could sense. TheMud dwellers told him about their war against theRockhawkers, a rival tribe. He listened to the history of their homeworld, and how the conflict began. Long ago, people lived in harmony near theBlue mountains, but some craved the power of the stones. This greed divided them into warring factions and ultimately destroyed most of the mountains. Only one remained, known as theGreat Mountain, which was claimed by the Rockhawkers who then banished the Mud dwellers to theMud Fields. They carried as much stone as they could for their children, now the only survivors of the tribe. The children then led Yoda to aboy from the rival tribe they had taken prisoner. The Jedi sensed his deep fear of the Great Mountain, the sacred home of his tribe. As the children argued over his fate, Yoda urged them not to be consumed by fear. He asked them to release the child so that he could guide the Jedi to his people.[59][60]
Exploring the Mountain
After walking to the Mountain, Yoda and the freed boy reached the Rockhawkers who attacked him with the stones. Refusing to fight back, the Jedi Master was captured. The tribe then sent him on a mission to find theHeart of the Mountain, accompanied by the boy he just saved. Yoda began to climb the path leading to the Heart, but his companion was overcome by fear, convinced that only death awaited them, just like all those who had climbed before. Despite Yoda's efforts to reassure him, the boy fell to his death. At the end of the path, the Jedi entered acave where he encountered the lost parents, known as theOld Ones, who had once been sent by their children to find the Heart of the Mountain. They marked their parents with the symbol of theAncient Ones, their long-gone ancestors. The Old Ones told Yoda they chose not to leave this place, preferring the peace they found within the mountain to the war raging outside. Yoda replied that they abandoned their children to the very war they had provoked. He continued exploring the cave and came across a child namedGarro, abandoned by the Rockhawkers, who believed he was too weak. After saving him, Yoda asked the boy to become his teacher and show him the ways of the Stonepower. During their training, the Jedi Master discovered the Heart of the Mountain and realized that the stone was not only alive in the Force but was in fact a living being. After nine days of communion, Yoda heard its voice. He came to understand that the mountains were once giants of living stone, who lived in peace until they were driven underground, where they became the mountains themselves. Yoda and Garro eventually emerged from the cave. But the Jedi chose not to reveal what he had learned to the Rockhawkers. Enraged, the tribe threatened him. However, Garro revealed the secret of the mountains to his people, brought Yoda’s teaching to an end, and returned to his faction.[60][58][61]
Last battle
Yoda returned to the Mud Dwellers to warn them of an inevitable war. Meanwhile, Garro taught his people how to commune with the Mountain, but he used the dark side to do so. Yoda encouraged the Mud Dwellers to pray and help awaken the stones. Soon, the Rockhawkers caused the Mountain to rise from the ground, but Yoda decided to face it alone. Drawing strength from the Force, the Jedi resisted the Mountain’s fury, which had been fueled by revenge. Shortly after, other beings of living stone awoke and joined Yoda in his struggle. Together, they defeated the Mountain. As Garro and his warriors charged at the Jedi Master, Yoda pleaded with the boy to find peace within himself and with the stones, so the war could end. Garro dropped his weapon and abandoned the fight. The war was over. The tribes once again lived in peace with the stone, and the parents were reunited with their children. Many left the planet after hearing Yoda speak of the other worlds in the galaxy. Upon leaving, Yoda kept the secret of the Mountain to himself, sharing only the lesson he had learned with Obi-Wan Kenobi: "A Jedi must humble himself before he can ever be powerful."[61][12]
Pre-Invasion of Naboo
Yoda visited Kashyyyk on several other occasions prior to theBattle of Kashyyyk, serving as Jedi negotiator in many incidents involving the Wookiees and theirTrandoshan neighbors. This earned him the ancient title of "Defender of the Home Tree," as well as becoming a member of many Wookiee leaders' and all the inhabitants ofKachirho's honor families.[62]
Yoda also taught outside the Master/Padawan relationship, and trained all the Jedi younglings prior to their teaming up with Jedi Masters,[63] including MasterObi-Wan Kenobi.[64] Since his days as a youngling,Mace Windu, a human who would eventually rise to become part of the Jedi Council, never responded well to the Grand Master's humor, which became one of the reasons Yoda continued to use his humor.[65]Kanan Jarrus, as Caleb Dume, often heard Yoda counsel, "Do, or do not. There is no try."[66] He also taught groups of younglings in the basics of Jedi training,[15] including lightsaber instruction. He oversaw younglings undergoing the Gathering to find their own kybercrystals;[67] on one such occasion, he told younglingAhsoka Tano how she would know her crystal when she saw it. With these words in mind, Tano successfully found her crystal. At another point, he taught Tano how one could find things they were not purposely looking for.[68]
Invasion of Naboo
"There's no doubt the mysterious warrior was a Sith." "Always two, there are. No more, no less. A master and an apprentice." "But which one was destroyed, the master or the apprentice?"
Yoda was a leading member of the Jedi High Council during the last years of the Galactic Republic.
By theinvasion of the planet Naboo by theTrade Federation, Yoda still served on the Jedi High Council,[9] yet he was the sole Grand Master of the Jedi Order. By the invasion, he had been training Jedi students for about 800 years.[5] In the time before the invasion, Yoda took part in a council meeting. Several hours after that meeting, he took to mediating in a small garden in the temple, only to be interrupted by fellow council member Mace Windu, who, after Yoda waited for him to explain why he wanted a private discussion, expressed his belief that Yoda had sensed something he was keeping private. Yoda repeatedly responded that he sensed nothing: the issue was not that there was a problem to be sensed, but that something was being hidden. Not understanding but trusting the Grand Master's judgement, Windu excused himself while Yoda, incorrectly believing thedark side was far away, tried to find what it was that he could not sense. Yoda was unable to uncover the fact that the sensation was caused by the secret plots of theSith LordDarth Sidious.[65]
Concurrent to the Federation's occupation on Naboo, Yoda was present when Jedi MasterQui-Gon Jinn presentedAnakin Skywalker, a youngboy from the planetTatooine, to the Council in the hopes of training him. Although Jinn believed Skywalker to be theChosen One, prophesied to bring balance to the Force, Yoda and the other Council members did not share his opinion, sensing that the boy was harboring a high amount of fear and his future was uncertain. They therefore refused to allow for his training.[9]
After Jinn and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi returned to Naboo, they forged an alliance between the human inhabitants of the world and the nativeGunganspecies in order to combat the Federation occupation forces. The Federation'sdroid army was eventually deactivated after Anakin Skywalker accidentally destroyed its command ship. During the battle, however, Jinn and Kenobi dueled aSith apprentice[9]—Darth Maul, theDathomirianZabrak[69] apprentice of the Sidious—which cost Jinn his life.[9]
At Jinn's funeral, Yoda and Windu discussed the return of the Sith.
With the Naboo having waited until the Council's arrival to begin the funeral,[65] Yoda, along with other members of the Council, was present at the Naboo victory parade and Jinn's earlier funeral, where he shared his thoughts on the apparent reemergence of theSith with fellow Master of the Order Mace Windu, pointing out[9] that theRule of Two, the Sith succession system in effect at the time,[70] meant that another Sith was still present. Unbeknownst to the two Jedi, the remaining Sith was Sheev Palpatine, the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, who had been sworn in after aVote of No Confidence forced his predecessor Valorum to resign.[9]
Yoda[9] and the other Council members remained at the funeral until Jinn's body turned to ash. Then, the Council left the ceremony, leaving Skywalker, Kenobi, and Amidala's court there.[65] With Jinn dead, following the events on Naboo, the Council named Jinn's former Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi a Jedi Knight, who informed Yoda of his master's final will—that Skywalker be trained. Reluctantly, Yoda permitted him to take the boy as his Padawan. Yoda also attended the parade held by the Naboo and Gungans to celebrate their victory.[9]
Separatist Crisis
"I think it is time we inform the Senate that our ability to use the Force has diminished." "Only the Dark Lord of the Sith knows of our weakness. If informed the Senate is, multiply, our adversaries will."
Ten years after the Naboo crisis, several thousandsystems[15] that were disillusioned with the Galactic Republic seceded from the government and formed theConfederacy of Independent Systems under the leadership ofCount Dooku,[71] the former student of Yoda[15] who left the Order due to widespread corruption in the Republic.[72] As theGalactic Senate, the chief governing body of the Republic,[73] debated the creation of a standing army, an unsuccessful attempt was made on the life of Senator Amidala of Naboo. After Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker cornered the assassin, the killer was in turn killed by a mysterious person who escaped using hisjetpack. The events prompted the Council, which included Yoda, to appoint Kenobi to track him down.[15]
Kenobi's investigation led him to attempt to find the planetKamino, whose location had been missing from the Jedi Archives. This discovery alarmed Yoda, who surmised that only a Jedi could have erased the files. Interrupting a training session with theBear Clan, Yoda helped Kenobi pinpoint the world's exact location through meditation, allowing the latter to travel there. Following Kenobi's departure, Yoda experienced a vision while meditating, in which he heard the voice of thespirit of Qui-Gon Jinn, and sensed that Anakin Skywalker was in terrible pain. He discussed the vision with fellow Master Mace Windu afterwards.[15]
Yoda and Windu are informed by Kenobi.
Having arrived on Kamino, Kenobi reported that the Kaminoancloners had created a clone army, the order for which had been placed by Jedi MasterSifo-Dyas,[15] who had perished around the time of the Invasion of Naboo.[74] Kenobi believed that the template used to create the army,bounty hunterJango Fett, was the person involved in the attack on Amidala. After a brief encounter with Fett, Kenobi followed him to the planet Geonosis, where he found that Dooku's Separatists ordered the assassination attempt on Amidala and had constructed a droid army. After relaying the information to the Jedi Council, Kenobi was captured and scheduled for execution, later joined by Amidala and Anakin Skywalker.[15]
The Clone Wars
Battle of Geonosis
"The shroud of the dark side has fallen. Begun, the Clone War has."
News that Skywalker and Kenobi had been captured prompted theCouncil to dispatch a Jedi strike team to Geonosis, while Yoda headed to Kamino to take command of the clone forces. As aclone strike team interrupted the execution of Kenobi and his associates, the clones suffered casualties at the hands of the numerically superior Confederate battle droid forces. Yoda led the clones into battle, thus beginning agalaxywide conflict that would become known as theClone Wars.[15]
Yoda dueled his former apprentice Dooku on Geonosis.
As the clones engaged the Confederacy's forces in a massive battle, Yoda headed to rescue Kenobi and Skywalker from Dooku, who had incapacitated the duo in a duel. The diminutive Jedi Master showed his mastery and power over the Force surpassed that of Dooku by casually repelling the latter's telekinetic assault andForce lightning. He then engaged Dooku in a brief but intense duel, having the upper hand. Dooku, realizing he was outmatched by Yoda, used the Force to bring a large metal pillar down on the unconscious Skywalker and Kenobi, forcing Yoda to break off the duel and use his own powers to stop it from crushing them. Dooku used the distraction to flee aboard his personal craft. Although the battle on Geonosis ended in the Republic's favor, Yoda was concerned about the growing influence of the dark side of the Force and the outcome of the Clone Wars.[15]
Mentoring Anakin Skywalker
As the Clone Wars progressed, Yoda decided to alleviate Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker's fear and inability to lose loved ones by assigning him a Padawan learner, Ahsoka Tano. He believed that by becoming a teacher, Skywalker would develop emotionally and that when the time came for Tano to go off on her own, he would understand that his excessive bonding to those he cared about was unnecessary.[5] Tano traveled to the planet of Christophsis, where she presented herself to Skywalker in the midst of abattle against Confederate forces.[75]
After the battle had concluded, Yoda, himself, arrived on the planet and assigned the duo to the task of findingRotta,[75] the son of influentialHutt crime lordJabba, who had been kidnapped as part of a plan arranged by his uncleZiro to alienate the Hutts and the Jedi and drag the former into war.[76] After the two Jedi successfully completed the mission, Yoda, along with a group of clones, extracted them from the planet Tatooine.[75]
Ambush on Rugosa
Ventress: "If Yoda is indeed the Jedi warrior you believe he is, let him prove it. Allow me to send my best troops to capture him. If he escapes, join the Republic. But should my droids defeat Yoda, consider an alliance with the Separatists."
Katuunko: "I did not request Yoda's presence here to test him in battle."
Yoda: "Accept the challenge I do, Your Highness. Arrive by nightfall, Iwill."
―Asajj Ventress challenges Yoda for a competition; Yoda accepts —Link▶️(file info)[77]
Yoda with clone troopers on Rugosa.
Some time later, Yoda and[77] a smallsquad of clone troopers[78]—composed ofClone LieutenantThire and two troopers,Jek andRys—weresent to the neutral coral moonRugosa to negotiate the construction of a Republic base onToydarian territory with the incumbent monarch,KingKatuunko. Simultaneously, the Confederacy dispatchedAsajj Ventress,[77] an assassin trained by Confederate leader Dooku,[79] to the moon with droid escort to pressure Katuunko into siding with the Separatists.[77]
Yoda's starship was ambushed by two Confederate vessels upon arriving into the system, forcing him to use an escape pod to land on the surface of the moon, accompanied by three clone troopers. The Jedi then successfully made contact with the Toydarian delegation, prompting Ventress, who was at the king's location, to challenge Yoda: if he could defeat her droid units, Toydaria would join the Republic, but a defeat would result in the planet pledging its allegiance to the Confederacy. The Jedi accepted, and Katuunko requested that he be given a fair fight—an agreement which Ventress did not intend to honor.[77]
Yoda destroys a Confederate AAT.
Encountering the droids, Yoda destroyed a squad of them by himself without using his lightsaber, and returned to assist his clone companions, until the arrival ofdroidekas forced them to flee. The Jedi covered their escape by deflecting the droids' blaster fire at a nearby rock formation that collapsed and crushed them, after which he and the clones retreated to a nearby cave to rest. In the cave, Yoda relaxed into his natural role as a teacher. Calling each clone by name, he raised their morale by lecturing them on their individuality in the Force.[77]
Upon hearing the sound of more approaching Confederate units, Yoda and his escort left the cave. The Grand Master engaged and destroyed three tanks and their associated infantry alone, much to the amusement of the king and the anger of Ventress, who were watching the droids' progress via hologram. Breaking the terms of the competition, the assassin sent in droidekas to take out Yoda, which the clones prevented by launching their final rocket that caused the enemy to be buried under a rock slide.[77]
Katuunko, impressed by Yoda, decided to join the Republic. As Yoda arrived to meet with the king, he used the Force to stop Ventress from killing, then returned her sabers to humiliate her. When Ventress triggered an avalanche with planted explosives, Yoda saved Katuunko, Thire, Jek, and Rys from being crushed by rocks, maneuvering the debris to the side with the Force. Republic gunships soon arrived to retrieve the group.[77]
Back on the cruiser, Yoda entered a meditation in his cabin. He reached out with the Force to sense the clones he had served with, feeling their differences but sensing the same desires in each of them: to follow orders, win battles, and to be a good soldier. Yoda pondered on the humanity of the clones, deciding that the Republic must understand them as humans, nurturing them instead of treating them like machines. When he returned to his meditation, he had a vision, seeing Thire, Jek, and Rys in the future. Remembering how dangerous the visions of the future were, Yoda ended his meditation, but could not let go of the discomfort of the vision.[23]
TheMalevolence crisis
Yoda and Windu confer with Ahsoka Tano, who was adamant on rescuing Koon.
As the war progressed, the Confederacy developed theMalevolence, aheavy cruiser designed to incapacitate and destroy Republic vessels with its[80]mega-ion cannons,[81] whichproceeded to destroy dozens of ships without leaving survivors.[80] The Jedi Council dispatched Jedi MasterPlo Koon to track down the superweapon, but upon locating it, his fleet was ambushed and destroyed by the starship. Although Koon and some clones survived in an escape pod, Yoda, alongside fellow Jedi Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi, forbade Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano to search the system for survivors, citing the threat posed by theMalevolence. Skywalker and Tano, however, disregarded his warnings and successfully rescued Koon.[82] TheMalevolence was later destroyed by a concerted Republic assault.[83]
Gunray's capture
Some time after the destruction of theMalevolence, Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray was captured by the Republic on the planet ofRodia, but as he was being transported to Coruscant aboard the cruiserTranquility by Jedi MasterLuminara Unduli and Ahsoka Tano, a Separatist boarding party led by Asajj Ventress freed the prisoner. Unduli and Tano subsequently reported the loss of Gunray to Anakin Skywalker and Yoda.[84]
The Zillo Beast
In the aftermath of theBattle of Malastare, Chancellor Palpatine ordered theZillo Beast to be taken back to Coruscant for study.[85] However, the Zillo Beast escaped captivity and began to rampage through Coruscant. Yoda and Jedi GeneralAayla Secura moved to aid Skywalker, Kenobi, and Windu to recapture the beast. As gunships fired gas bombs in an attempt to pacify the beast, Yoda, Secura, and Skywalker used the Force to prevent themselves and their companions from inhaling the gas. The Zillo Beast was eventually killed by the gas bombs.[86]
Facing the rising darkness
Attack on the Jedi Temple
Ahsoka Tano speaks to the Jedi Council
During the peak of the war,Barriss Offee with the help ofLetta Turmondbombed the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Yoda then ordered Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano to return fromCato Neimoidia to help investigate, refusing to trust anyone who was in the temple during the bombing. Yoda's judgement was clouded, but he still guided the Jedi as the leader of the Council.[87]
Turmond was captured by Skywalker and Tano. In prison, she requested Tano speak with her, saying Tano was the only one she could trust. When Turmond was strangled to death by way of the Force,Wilhuff Tarkin, who was serving as an admiral in the Republic Army, had Tano arrested, accusing her of being the mastermind responsible for the attack. Desperate to prove her innocence, Tano escaped the prison, resulting in a manhunt led by Anakin Skywalker andCaptainRex. During the chase, Tano lost herShoto lightsaber.[88]
After Tano fled to the Underworld, Yoda ordered Skywalker and Plo Koon to track her down and bring her to the Temple, with some resistance from Mace Windu, who felt that Skywalker's emotional connection to Tano would only make things worse. Tano was quickly captured by Asajj Ventress, who agreed to help the young Padawan in exchange for a pardon for Ventress' crimes as a Sith. Tano contacted Barriss Offee at the Jedi Temple. Offee led Tano into a trap by telling her she could find evidence to prove her innocence by going to a warehouse on Level 1315. There, Offee jumped Ventress, stealing her lightsabers and mask. She attacked Tano, knocking her out in front of crates of Nanodroids and effectively framing her for the bombing.[89]
Tano was then brought back to the Temple, where Yoda and the rest of the Jedi Council reluctantly agreed to expel her from the Jedi Order and have her face amilitary tribunal before the Senate. Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Plo Koon and several other Council members were present in the court room, where Tano was prosecuted by Tarkin and defended by Padmé Amidala. However, before the jury could render its decision, Skywalker burst in with Barriss Offee, who confessed to being responsible for the bombings and the framing of Tano. In light of this revelation, Yoda, Skywalker and the Council personally invited Tano to rejoin the Order, but to their shock, she refused and left. Yoda would regret the Council's decision and began to question the doctrine of the war.[90]
Biochip conspiracy
Yoda speaks with the Council about Tup.
Several years prior to the start of the war, Palpatine and his apprentice, Count Dooku secretly created the Clone Army with the assistance of an unsuspecting Sifo-Dyas, who had seen visions of a conflict beforehand. When this was done, they had organicinhibitor chips implanted in their brains, which would cause the clones to do anything Palpatine told them to, in this case execute the Jedi. With one simple command, the clones would enter a trance-like state and perform whatever orders they were given.[91]
During theBattle of Ringo Vinda, clone trooperTup murdered Jedi MasterTiplar when his inhibitor chip was activated prematurely. Sidious ordered Dooku to apprehend Tup to prevent the Jedi from discovering the truth. Tup was eventually sent to Kamino after Anakin Skywalker, Captain Rex andARC trooperFives were able to recover Tup from a Separatist Transport.[92]
After escorting Tup to Kamino, Fives and Rex were greeted by Jedi MasterShaak Ti, alongside the main developer of the clones, Kaminoan scientistNala Se. Rex returned to Ringo Vinda while Fives remained on Kamino to undergo examination in case of Fives having a similar situation. Disputes over the tests led to a debate. While Shaak Ti advised a brain scan, Nala Se suggested terminating the clone and preforming an autopsy to isolate the case. Shaak Ti contacted the Jedi Temple where Yoda, alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi, decided Tup should be brought to the temple to be examined through the Force.[91]
What the Jedi were unaware of was that the Kaminoans knew of the inhibitor chips and were working with Count Dooku, who used his Sith name, Tyranus, to prevent the Jedi from making the connection. Dooku ordered that Tup be terminated and that the chip be sent to him to be looked at.[91]
Angry at Nala Se and Master Ti for their treatment of Tup, Fives escaped the medical center and embarked on his own plan. Fives faked leaving the planet, but stayed to try and save Tup and discover the truth. He and themedical droidAZI-3 were able to preform a brain scan on Tup, where they learned of the inhibitor chips. Fives had the droid take the chip out of his and Tup's brains. Unfortunately, the already-weakened Tup died soon after the operation, whispering his last words to Fives.[91] Fives blamed Nala Se for what happened to Tup. Suspecting the Kaminoans of treachery, and with the support of Master Ti, Fives insisted on presenting his evidence and the removed chips directly to Palpatine. Fives was eventually brought to Coruscant, at the request of Shaak Ti, where he was brought before the Chancellor. As the ship landed, Nala Se drugged Fives, causing him to act strange.[93]
When Fives attempted to assassinate Palpatine, Yoda was a part of the Jedi Council that ordered Anakin Skywalker to investigate. Fives was killed in the end, and Yoda was ultimately told that the doctors had found another cause, and that a vaccination had been prepared in case of a future incident.[94]
The mystery of Sifo-Dyas
"Know now we do that guide the creation of the clones from the beginning, Dooku did. Hm, our enemy created an army for us." "If this was known, public confidence in the war effort, the Jedi, and the Republic would vanish. There would be mass chaos." "Cover up this discovery we must. No one, not even the Chancellor, may know. Valiant men the clones have proven to be. Saved my life and yours they have many times. Believe in them we must. Win the war swiftly we must, before our enemy's designs reach completion, whatever they may be."
Sometime later, the Jedi received a distress signal from amoon nearOba Diah. Sending Plo Koon and Commander Wolfe to investigate, they found the remains of a shuttle and the lightsaber of Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, who was killed sometime around theBattle of Naboo while dealing with a conflict onFelucia. Upon reviewing the temple archives,Jocasta Nu and the Jedi found that the information had been sealed by order of the Supreme Chancellor. While sending Anakin Skywalker and his master, Obi-Wan Kenobi to Felucia, Yoda went to speak with Palpatine, not knowing he was the Sith Lord that orchestrated the murder and the creation of the clone army. Palpatine told Yoda to visitChancellor Valorum, as these events had happened before the vote of no confidence that led to Palpatine becoming chancellor. Palpatine then contacted Count Dooku, telling him to destroy the last piece of the puzzle before the Jedi would be able to unravel the mystery.[74]
Yoda meets with former Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum on Coruscant.
Anakin and Obi-Wan attempted to communicate with the native tribe on the Felucia, but were unable to understand them. They did learn, however, that a second Jedi had shown up with Sifo-Dyas.[74]
Valorum told Yoda that he had sent Sifo-Dyas to negotiate with thePyke Syndicate to stop a booming drug trade underneath Coruscant. Valorum also revealed that he kept this secret, fearing his opponents in the bureaucracy. The talks were postponed after the Council sent Sifo-Dyas to intervene on Felucia. Valorum was unable to identify the second Jedi, but did say that his assistant,Silman, was with Sifo-Dyas when he was shot down.[74]
Eventually, Yoda dispatched Anakin and Obi-Wan to Oba Diah, where they learned the Pykes were paid to shoot down the ship carrying Sifo-Dyas, but had kept Silman captive as leverage and that Dooku was in fact the individual known as Tyranus, leading them to realize Dooku impersonated Sifo-Dyas to help push forward the Clone Wars. Yoda, not knowing how to stop the plot, suggested the Jedi keep the discovery a secret, and that they should keep playing the Sith Lord's game.[74]
Discovering immortality
"It is I, Qui-Gon Jinn." "That cannot be. Dead, you are." "No. I am part of the Living Force, Yoda."
While meditating during the end of the war, Yoda heard the voice of Qui-Gon Jinn, who demonstrated his presence by levitating Yoda. The encounter left Yoda distracted during the subsequent Council gathering, leaving them worried about whether the stresses of the war were finally taking its toll on him. While strolling through the Temple gardens, Yoda was greeted by Anakin. Yoda asked him about his encounter with Qui-Gon's spirit onMortis, which Anakin had dismissed as a trick, noting the Jedi belief that one could not retain their identity after becoming one with the Force. Yoda responded that he now questioned this dogma.[95]
Yoda confessed what happened to the Council, much to their disbelief. They agreed though to meditate with him, to verify his experience. Despite meditating together for an entire day, they were unable to hear anything.Ki-Adi-Mundi expressed worry that Yoda had become susceptible to Sith manipulation, so Yoda underwent medical tests that revealed that he was still in good health. Jedi DoctorRig Nema suggested Yoda undergo adeprivation ritual that would allow him to meditate more strongly and find the source of the voice.[95]
Agreeing, Yoda was suspended in a liquid tank with anoxygen mask to bring him as close as possible todeath without actually becoming one with the Force. While unconscious, Qui-Gon's voice requested Yoda go toDagobah, and to tell no one about it. After, Obi-Wan broke open the tank due to his concern over Yoda's failing life signs.[95]
Put on bedrest and under guard, Yoda convinced Anakin to help him escape by posing as simply accompanying each other for a walk. Guided to the Jedi Temple Hangar, Anakin lent Yoda hisastromech droid,R2-D2 to accompany him to hispersonal interceptor. Yoda and R2-D2 flew to Dagobah, where Yoda asked the droid to stay with their ship while he found a clearing to meditate.[95]
Yoda communes with Qui-Gon on Dagobah.
Qui-Gon's voice greeted him. Yoda asked why he could not see him. Qui-Gon explained he had not been fully trained enough to do so. The Living Force appeared to Yoda in the form offireflies, guiding Yoda to acave strong with the dark side, it showed the Jedi Master a vision of the future, where a hooded Sith Lord slaughtered the Jedi. Qui-Gon explained to a distraught Yoda that he would help him bring hope for the future, and directed him tothe planet that spawned themidi-chlorians.[95][57]
Yoda confronts his own dark side.
Arriving there, Yoda gave his lightsaber to R2-D2 for safekeeping, and descended into the world to meet theForce Priestesses, who agreed to teach him how to achieve life after death. First, Yoda confronted a manifestation of his own dark side, conquering his hubris. Next, he witnessed a vision of the Jedi massacred in the Temple, where an apparition of a dying Ahsoka Tano asked him if she would still become one with the Force after being expelled from the Jedi Order; this vision was a manifestation of Yoda's guilt over having placed Tano on the path that led to her departure. An apparition ofKatooni then invited Yoda to enter a peaceful courtyard to escape these painful events. Seeing Qui-Gon Jinn, Kenobi, Tano, and Dooku together, alive and full Jedi, Yoda eventually recognized the vision's falsehood, overcoming its temptation and his attachment to those that have fallen.[57]
The specter of Darth Bane appeared to Yoda on Moraband.
Instructed to complete his tests on the Sith homeworld ofMoraband, Yoda and R2-D2flew to thevalley where the ancient Sith Lords were buried. Recognizing the danger, Yoda instructed R2-D2 to return to the Jedi Temple and inform the Council of what happened, if he did not come back after three nights. Specters of a serpent,undead Sith warriors, and evenDarth Bane himself confronted him, but Yoda brushed them off. As he entered a templeexecution chamber, the Force Priestesses warned Yoda that whatever he encountered there would be beyond their control.[96]
Unknown to Yoda, Darth Sidious and Dooku sensed his presence on Moraband, and met in an abandoned tower in the industrial sector of Coruscant. Using Dooku and Yoda'sForce-bond, Sidious planned toreach out to Yoda and crush his spirit. Appearing in a vision to Yoda in the form of Sifo-Dyas, Sidious temped Yoda, until the Grandmaster rejected him. The Dark Lord then had Yoda wake up in aRepublic attack gunship with Anakin and members of the501st Legion, en route to terminate the Sith on Coruscant. As they arrived, the clones, led by Captain Rex, rushed at Dooku only to be killed with Sith lightning. Skywalker immediately attacked Dooku while Sidious fled. Walking sadly past the fallen clones, a dismayed Yoda witnessed Skywalker defeat Dooku and brutally decapitate him. However, he left Skywalker and pursued Sidious.[96]
Emerging out on a catwalk, Yoda and Sidious dueled. Skywalker tried to help, but Sidious knocked him out. Sensing an opportunity, Sidious damaged the catwalk, forcing Yoda to divide his attention between Force-lifting Skywalker to save him from falling to his death and blocking Sidious' Sith lightning. After Sidious taunted him by suggesting he sacrifice Skywalker to concentrate on defeating him, Yoda put down his lightsaber to ensure Skywalker's safety and saying he would not be tempted by Sidious. As the catwalk collapsed, Yoda maneuvered Skywalker to safety, then Force-threw his saber to ensure the Sith would fall and grabbed Sidious, dragging him down too. Yoda tore Sidious's hood off, seeking his identify, but in the vision world only seeing a shadow, then an empty robe, before both fell to their "doom." The incident proved Yoda's selflessness and demonstrated his resolve to Sidious, who concluded the illusion as he realized it would take more to defeat or taint the Jedi Master.[96]
Yoda awoke and was greeted by a Priestess who explained he would continue his training with Qui-Gon's spirit. As she disappeared in a glow of light, Yoda had a vision of the future, including his own death.[97] Yoda returned to the Jedi Temple, where Windu and Kenobi greeted him in the garden. Yoda claimed his journey had been uneventful, but wondered how long the Jedi could resist the dark side during the war.[96]
Utapau crystal crisis and Kashyyyk defense
Following the death of MasterTu-Anh on the sinkhole world ofUtapau, Yoda and his fellow Jedi Council members sent Master Kenobi and Anakin on amission to investigate her death.[98] They discovered that she had been investigating Separatist efforts to excavate and obtain a giant kyber crystal on Utapau. After destroying the crystal and thus denying the Separatists access to the weapon, Yoda was present at a Council meeting when the two Jedi gave a report of the events on Utapau. During the meeting, Yoda recounted how the ancient Sith had constructed superweapons using massive kyber crystals to power them up. He feared that Dooku's mysterious master Darth Sidious had similar intentions.[99]
Yoda traveled to thedefense of Kashyyyk and helped fight off Separatist raiders who threatened the Wookiees.[2] In addition to having been granted the title due to his negotiations with the Trandoshans,[62] Yoda was granted the Defender of the Home Tree title for his help in protecting the planet.[2]
The plan to assassinate Count Dooku
"One, there is, who has tried and failed. Yet closer has she come than any other to killing Count Dooku." "You can't possibly mean Ventress!"
The Jedi Council partnered Master Quinlan Vos with Asajj Ventress to kill Dooku.
Yoda and his fellow Jedi Council members witnessed Count Dooku'sdevastating attack onMahranee, the home world of theMahran species, via hologram. The Council was reluctant to condone an assassination, but ultimately concluded that killing Dooku was necessary to end the war and prevent more deaths. The Council decided to use Master Quinlan Vos, who had considerable experience with undercover work, to assassinate the Separatist leader. When Vos suggested that a partner accompany him, Yoda recommended Asajj Ventress, Dooku's former Sith apprentice and aNightsister for that mission, knowing her hatred for Dooku. Ventress agreed to assist Vos with his mission but insisted that he had to learn the ways of the dark side.[8]
Despite their preparation, Vos and Ventress were bested by Dooku and Grievous, whotook Vos captive. Dooku then managed to bring Vos over to the dark side by revealing that Ventress hadmurdered his late Master,Tholme. After Vos spurned Ventress' offer torescue him, he became Dooku's newest Sith apprentice and assumed the persona of "Admiral Enigma." Ventress informed Master Kenobi who conveyed the news to his fellow Council members including Yoda. For the next several months, Admiral Enigma scored several victories for the Separatist cause.[8]
When Vos' old friendAkar-Deshu, a Mahran Jedi, brought Ventress into a Council meeting to discuss rescuing Vos, Yoda and Kenobi spoke up for Ventress when Windu wanted to arrest her. During the proceedings, Yoda and his fellow Jedi learned that Ventress had instructed Vos in the dark side in order to defeat Dooku. While Windu was suspicious of Ventress, Yoda and Kenobi were convinced that she genuinely cared for Vos and that she had rejected the Sith ways for good. After sending Ventress along with Desh and Anakin outside, Yoda and his fellow Jedi debated whether to include Ventress in their rescue mission. When Master Kenobi suggested leading the operation to rescue Vos, Yoda accepted Kenobi's offer and also argued that Ventress was key to the rescue mission. He also recommended that Kenobi take both Ventress and his former Padawan Skywalker along for the mission.[8]
After receiving intelligence from AdmiralWullf Yularen that Count Dooku and "Admiral Enigma" were planning to attackTaris, the Jedi Council decided that they had to move quickly to rescue Quinlan. In the end, the Council decided to offer Ventress a pardon for all her crimes in return for rescuing Vos. Therescue mission was a success and the Jedi succeeded in recovering Vos alive. To reward her services, Ventress was formally pardoned. Unknown to Yoda and his colleagues, Vos had become a Separatist double agent in order to gain Dooku's trust so that he could learn the identity ofDarth Sidious and destroy the Sith once and for all.[8]
Using his position in the Jedi Order, Vos leaked intelligence about Jedi and Republicmilitaryoperations to Count Dooku; allowing the Separatists to undermine these operations. After several Council members voiced their suspicions about Vos' true loyalties, Yoda had a personal meeting with Vos and was able to deduce that Quinlan had fallen to the dark side. To test Vos' loyalties, the Jedi Council sent him to assassinate Dooku, but secretly sent Kenobi and Skywalker to tail him.[8]
Vos managed to defeat Dooku inlightsaber combat, but did not kill him. When Vos demanded that Dooku lead him to Darth Sidious, Kenobi and Skywalker promptly revealed themselves and arrested the two men. After learning of Vos and Dooku's arrest, Master Yoda ordered Kenobi to bring them back to the Jedi Temple where they would be interrogated and executed for their crimes. However, Vos and Dooku escaped with the unwitting help of Ventress, leading to the events of thesecond battle of Christophsis. In the end, Ventress helped Vos return to thelight side, but was[8] seemingly[100] killed by Dooku. Kenobi and Skywalker then recaptured Vos and brought him back to Coruscant.[8]
After Vos confessed all his crimes and explained his motivations to destroy the Sith, Yoda and his fellow Council members accepted Vos' repentance as genuine and pardoned him. Kenobi, who believed that the order to assassinate Dooku was morally wrong and responsible for Vos' fall to the dark side, took on the responsibility of monitoring Vos during his rehabilitation. Kenobi accompanied Vos to Dathomir for Ventress' funeral.[8]
Last days of the Clone Wars
"I sense a plot to destroy the Jedi. The Dark Side of the Force surrounds the Chancellor. [...] The Jedi Council will have to take control of the Senate to ensure a peaceful transition." "To a dark place this line of thought will take us. Great care we must take."
Three years after the initial battle on Geonosis, the Republic was crumbling under the attacks of the Confederacy. Throughout the course of the war, Palpatine had been granted ever increasing personal authority by the Senate to command both the war and the Republic at large. The Jedi Council, though reluctant to oppose the extremely popular Chancellor, nonetheless grew ever more concerned about the continual centralization of political power in Palpatine. A Separatist attack on the Republic capital world of Coruscant was launched byGeneralGrievous as well,[10] with Yoda taking part in the defense of Coruscant. Yoda used the Force to make enemy craft collide with each other.[101]
Shortly after the battle, Skywalker came before Yoda, seeking counsel. He had been experiencing terrifying visions of the death of a loved one, though he did not reveal that the one in question was his secret wife, Padmé Amidala. Yoda warned Skywalker to be wary of his visions and of his own feelings, as fear was a path to the dark side, and advised him to "train himself to let go of everything he feared to lose." Skywalker, however, was dissatisfied with this answer, as he could not bear the thought of losing someone he loved. Shortly afterwards, Palpatine, hoping to increase his influence over the Jedi Council and further ingratiate himself with Anakin Skywalker, appointed the young Jedi to be his personal representative on the Council. The Council, having little choice, begrudgingly accepted Palpatine's interference, but refused to grant Skywalker the rank of Jedi Master, infuriating him. Additionally, the Council gave Skywalker the unofficial assignment of spying on Palpatine, an assignment which Skywalker was less than enthusiastic about, as he regarded Palpatine as a friend and a mentor.[10]
Yoda and the Jedi Council discuss the Kashyyyk invasion.
Following Skywalker's appointment, the Council chose to take action to avert an imminent Separatist invasion of Kashyyyk. Yoda chose to personally oversee the defense, as he was held in high esteem by the Wookiees. Before leaving for the planet, Yoda discussed with Obi-Wan and Windu about Anakin's assignment. Kenobi expressed his former Padawan's disagreement, and asked if he was not going to fulfill the prophecy when Windu doubted his abilities. Yoda suggested that it could've been misread, but Obi-Wan believed they would not be let down, which Yoda hoped would be true.[10]
Yoda observing the Battle of Kashyyyk.
On Kashyyyk, Yoda participated in a holographic session of the Council, where he learned from Skywalker that Republic intelligence located the fugitive General Grievous in theUtapau system. When Anakin volunteered to lead the campaign, with the stated approval of Palpatine, Yoda and Mace both disagreed, and Yoda nominated Kenobi to be sent instead. Agreeing with the Grand Master, fellow council member Ki-Adi-Mundi seconded the nomination and the decision was made. Yoda left the call and was approached by Commander Gree, who told him that the droids had started their power generators. Yoda ordered his troops to prepare, and soon after the battle began. He observed the battle from above when a shot almost hit him.[10]
Later, on a meeting in theTemple's war room with Windu, Anakin, Mundi, and Aayla Secura, they were interrupted by Commander Cody, who informed that General Kenobi had engaged Grievous and that thebattle had begun on Utapau. Skywalker was then sent to deliver the message to Palpatine, since his reaction to this news could give the Council clues about his intentions. After Anakin left,[10] Mace informed the other Jedi that he felt a plot to destroy the Order, and that the Chancellor was surrounded by the dark side. Mundi and Windu suggested to take control over the Senate in case Palpatine did not abide of his emergency powers, though Yoda expressed that this would lead them to a "dark path", and that they would need to be careful.[10][102]
Right afterwards, Ahsoka Tano and Commander Rex joined the call. She revealed that they successfullycaptured Maul on Mandalore and that he would be delivered to Coruscant by them, which Yoda considered a great service. Ahsoka stated she did her duty as a citizen, but when Yoda asked if it was not as a Jedi, she simply said that "not yet". Tano wanted to speak with Skywalker, but since he had left, Windu and Yoda explained Obi-Wan's situation to her. When she realized the war could end soon, Windu retorted that it would depend on Palpatine, but refused to explain more to her, which did not sit well with Yoda. As the members of the call left, Yoda stayed and asked Ahsoka if she had anything else to say, and after a brief silence, she confirmed she would tell the information to Anakin himself. Yoda then said "May the Force be with you, Padawan." and ended his transmission.[102]
As the battle on Kashyyyk continued, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine revealed his true identity as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, killed a group of Jedi Council members who hadcome to arrest him, and with his offers of dark knowledge, turned Anakin Skywalker to the dark side of the Force. When Sidious bestowed the name of Darth Vader to Skywalker, Yoda felt the moment through the Force.[10]
Order 66
"How many other Jedi have managed to survive?" "Heard from no one have we."
Christening his newfound apprentice Darth Vader, Sidious sent him and part of the 501st Legion to attack the Jedi Temple and slaughter all who resided there. Meanwhile, Sidious began to broadcastOrder 66 to the clone troopers, a contingency order that required them to eliminate their Jedi Generals, which the clone complied to due to the activation of their biochips.[10]
Yoda survives the attempt on his life.
As the clone army betrayed and turned on their leaders galaxy-wide, Yoda sensed the deaths of his fellow Jedi and fell to his knees. CommanderGree and Captain Jek received Order 66 a few moments afterwards and prepared to shoot Yoda. However, Yoda sensed their intentions and decapitated the duo with his lightsaber. He then proceeded to escape with the help of the WookieesChewbacca andTarfful in aWookiee escape pod, rendezvousing with SenatorBail Organa ofAlderaan and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had escaped death on Utapau.[10]
Yoda fights the 501st troopers guarding the Jedi Temple.
The two Jedi discussed their situation, during which Bail and Yoda informed Kenobi that the Temple was broadcasting a coded retreat message, ordering all surviving Jedi to return to Coruscant. Yoda and Kenobidecided to return to the Temple and reconfigure the beacon to warn any survivors to go into hiding, and to that end Bail took them to Coruscant. The two Jedi fought their way in and witnessed the effects of the rampage by Vader and his clone unit, including the visible lightsaber cuts on several dead Jedi. In the meantime, Sidious, as Palpatine, reforms the Republic into the first Galactic Empire with himself as its Emperor. That was the beginning of the Age of the Empire.[10]
The Age of the Empire
Duel in the Senate
"I have waited a long time for this moment, my little green friend… at last, the Jedi are no more." "Not if anything to say about it, I have![…] At an end your rule is, and not short enough it was."
Having recalibrated the signal, Kenobi wished to learn the identity of the one responsible for the massacre. Yoda, aware that watching recordings of their fellow Jedi being slaughtered would cause Kenobi pain, cautioned him before the younger Jedi activated the security recordings. The duo thus learned of Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side, his Sith title of Darth Vader, Palpatine's Sith identity and the formation of theGalactic Empire from the Republic. Agreeing that the two Sith had to be destroyed, Yoda headed to the Galactic Senate to confront the Emperor, while a deeply reluctant Kenobi departed to the volcanic planet ofMustafar to face his former apprentice.[10]
Yoda battling Darth Sidious in the Senate chamber.
Upon arriving into theChancellery Secretariat, Yoda confronted the Emperor, who surprised the Jedi and rendered him briefly unconscious with a burst of Force lightning. As Sidious boasted how he came to eradicate the Jedi Order, Yoda managed to wake up andslammed his opponent into a wall. Sidious attempted to depart, but was barred by Yoda. The duo then drew their lightsabers and engaged in a fierce duel that soon continued into the central auditorium of the Senate Building, driving the Sith back to his speaking pod. Briefly separated from Yoda, Sidious launched the numerous Senate hoverpods at his opponent, but the Jedi nevertheless managed to catch up with him, engaging him at close quarters again with his lightsaber drawn. Sidious then blasted Yoda with a burst of Force lightning which tore Yoda's lightsaber from his hand, but which the Jedi proceeded tosuccessfully deflect with his bare palms. Yoda slowly redirected Sidious's force lighting at him, appearing to give the Jedi Master the upper hand. However, the buildup of energy subsequently triggered an explosion that blew both combatants apart and caused Yoda to fall to the bottom of the chamber, while Sidious was thrown out of the pod but managed to barely hold on to one of its guardrails, gaining the high ground. Despite neither conquering the other, Yoda realized he had been defeated, which prompted the Jedi Master to flee through the maintenance tunnels of the building. He then contacted Organa to rescue him via his airspeeder, considering the duel his personal failure and voicing his intent to go into self-imposedexile.[10]
After being rescued by Organa, the two proceeded to the asteroidPolis Massa, where Yoda conferred with Qui-Gon Jinn's spirit, who offered him to train him in techniques that could help him retain his identity after his death. Obi-Wan Kenobi, having defeated but not killed Vader on Mustafar, arrived soon thereafter, bringing with him the dying Senator Amidala. She gave birth to her twins from Anakin Skywalker and named them Luke and Leia before her death.[10]
Sensing the children's power in the Force, Yoda, Kenobi and Organa decided to keep them hidden in unsuspecting locations to avoid detection by the Empire;Luke Skywalker was delivered to the Lars family on Tatooine, while Organa personally adopted his sister, Leia. As the trio prepared to go their separate ways, Yoda asked Kenobi for a moment of his time. He revealed that he had training for him during his solitude on Tatooine, and that Qui-Gon Jinn had reached the path toimmortality, havingreturned from theNetherworld of the Force. Yoda decided he would teach Kenobi to communicate with Jinn.[10]
Yoda lands on the planet Dagobah, his home for the rest of his life.
Using anE3-standard starship lifeboat, Yoda returned to Dagobah to begin his own exile where he waited for the twins to grow up and continued his studies of the Force. The lifeboat served as Yoda's initial shelter but it started to degrade within a year due to Dagobah'sswampy environment. As the first shelter was slowly consumed by the swamp, Yoda built a newhome for himself.[103] He positioned it near to the dark side cave but out of range of its influence and would visit every few years.[104] Furthermore, Yoda's light side presence on Dagobah kept the Cave in check, holding the Cave's dark influence back and, in doing so, keeping the Dagobah ecosystem in balance.[105] However, the Dagobah wet season created a need for the Jedi Master to regularly relocate to the planet's highlands for the duration.[106] Following the destruction of the Jedi Order, Yoda was listed as one of theInquisitorius' priority targets amongst presumed survivors of theGreat Jedi Purge.[107]
Yoda was among the Jedi survivors listed by the Inquisitors.
Around a year after Order 66, Tano was hiding on the world ofThabeska, where she had met a Force-sensitive child namedHedala Fardi. Despite her young age, the child proved to be wise, and Tano was upset that Fardi would likely never be able to prove her wisdom to Yoda. Later, while sleeping aboard theCR90 corvetteTantive IV after Organa offered her a chance to join hisrebellion, Tano remembered Yoda's advice to her when she was getting her first kyber crystal. Awaking and knowing she should make anew set of lightsabers, she thanked Yoda, even though she knew he could not possibly hear or help her.[68]
Helping the Spectres
"Master Yoda, you're powerful. You must know a way to destroy Vader and his Inqusitors." "Padawan, thousands of Jedi once there were. Then came war. In our arrogance, join the conflict swiftly we did. Fear, anger, hate. Consumed by the dark side, the Jedi were." "Was it wrong for the Jedi to fight? Is it wrong for me to protect my friends?" "Wrong? Hmm. A long time, fought I did. Consumed by fear, I was, though see it I did not." "You were afraid?" "Yes, afraid. Hmm, surprised are you? A challenge lifelong it is, not to bend fear into anger."
Yoda appearing to Ahsoka Tano and biding her farewell.
During his exile on Dagobah, Yoda kept aneye on other Jedi throughout the galaxy, including those who ventured into the various Jedi Temples found amongst the stars. Approximately four years before theBattle of Yavin, Yoda spoke to Kanan Jarrus, who had been the Padawan ofDepa Billaba and a survivor of Order 66.[109][110] Jarrus had traveled to theJedi Temple on the planetLothal with his own Padawan,Ezra Bridger, to whom Yoda also spoke. Bridger was in the temple in order to overcome his greatest fears; Yoda acted as an anonymous guide in helping Bridger do so and to understand why he wanted to become a Jedi and how to withdraw from the anger and the wish of revenge within him. This guidance led Bridger to receive a kyber crystal, which he used to build hisown lightsaber. Meanwhile, Yoda counseled Jarrus about Jarrus' insecurities as a teacher.[111]
The year after, Jarrus and Bridger returned to the Lothal Temple with Ahsoka Tano in search of a way to defeat the Inquisitorius. Yoda cast an illusion of theJedi Temple Guard for Jarrus, includingthe Grand Inquisitor as he was before the Jedi Purge. The Inquisitor forced Jarrus to recognize his fears and knighted him a true Jedi. Meanwhile, Bridger pleaded with Yoda for help:[108] though still filled with fear and shame and thus disinterested in fighting the Empire before training a new Skywalker,[112][106] the Jedi Master ultimately rendered aid and directed him to go toMalachor. When theotherInquisitors arrived, Yoda used the Temple Guard to distract them as the Jedi escaped. As she fled, Tano turned back and saw Yoda, who smiled and waved at her: she smiled back being the last time they saw each other.[108][113]
The last Jedi
Duringthe events that led up to the Battle of Yavin, Yoda noticed that with the Dagobah rains ended it was time to migrate back to his lowland hut, and was grateful as his usual accommodation for the wet season reminded him too much of the Jedi Temple and his failings. He reflected on how age had affected him and realized that he had become truly reliant on the walking stick he had originally adopted as an affectation for a joke played on his padawans. The Jedi packed what little he owned and left but not before he checked for the Imperialprobe droids which had once searched for him endlessly.[106]
Yoda during his exile on Dagobah
As Yoda descended farther downhill, however, he felt a presence. It was neither a probe droid nor one of the Empire's ships but vibrations in the Force from Obi-Wan Kenobi and what remained of Anakin Skywalker. A probe droid then appeared and Yoda quickly took out a pot given to him by Kenobi. He used the Force to smash it into the droid only to suddenly sense Kenobi's death at the hands of Darth Vader. With the Jedi distracted, two more droids arrived but Yoda crushed them both and continued on home.[106]
As ever, the hut had survived its hibernation but was dripping and spongy. Five days later, Yoda had dried and cleaned the house. Each time he saw the shelf usually reserved for his pot, he reacted with some loneliness after destroying Obi-Wan's gift to him. Feeling his isolation, he reached out to the netherworld of the Force to speak to Qui-Gon Jinn, but the spirit of Obi-Wan answered instead and requested that Skywalker's child be trained. Having harbored regrets about not having taken the man's daughter as his apprentice, and assuaged that he had enough time left to teach another pupil, the Jedi Master readily agreed until he found out that Kenobi was actually speaking of Anakin's unfocused son instead. Nevertheless, Yoda begrudgingly allowed Kenobi to direct the boy to him.[106] As Yoda ruminated on his decision afterwards, he returned to the "Cave of Evil" and was reassured that the site had no new fears to show him.[104]
A phantom visitor
"Yoda had to know all of that. He could have killed me or let the planet do it for him. Instead…he chose to teach me."
Sometime later, a mysterious woman once known as Madelin Sun who became known as "The Archivist" arrived on Dagobah in search of Yoda at the behest of LadyQi'ra, the leader of the crime syndicateCrimson Dawn, who wanted Yoda's help to take down the Sith. When the Archivist was attacked by a monster after arriving on the planet, Yoda used the Force to save her from a distance and then led her into the dark side cave in order to dissuade her from looking for him. Having a change of heart, she left the planet as Yoda watched from afar. The Archivist returned to Qi'ra, lying and telling her that Yoda was dead.[114]
Haunted by Kenobi
"The shadow that has fallen across the galaxy…my fault, it is. I have exiled myself here, not just for penance. I have removed myself from events…because without me, better off the galaxy is."
Three years after agreeing to train Skywalker,[116] Kenobi contacted Yoda, who at first ignored the late Jedi Master's spirit. Kenobi urged Yoda to see reason and acknowledge the growing darkness in the galaxy. Yoda mused that the threat had become too powerful—too big—for him to defeat, to which Kenobi reminded Yoda of the first lesson the latter would teach new Jedi: "size matters not." Yoda admitted that he had sensed Kenobi's demise and had been avoiding him on purpose, once again expressing a defeatist attitude to the situation at hand. Kenobi dismissed the notion, not believing it himself and saying he did not think Yoda believed it either. Yoda reflected on his own inability to stop Darth Sidious and the fall of Anakin Skywalker, stating the galaxy was better off without him.[115]
Yoda later had a dream in whichBree Menaren, Yoda's old pupil, taught and encouraged him to play thetaratti. Yoda, sensing something was amiss, turned to see the sky blocked out by a massive battle station. The Jedi Master drew his lightsaber to find himself facing an apparation of Anakin Skywalker as a Padawan, his eyes glowing yellow, also encouraging Yoda to play with the toy. Activating his weapon, Yoda was confronted with a twisted vision of an undead Qui-Gon Jinn, who berated Yoda for his ignorance before engaging him in a brief lightsaber duel. Yoda began to deny his claims, only to be annihilated by a blinding green light crashing down from the superweapon above.[117]
Yoda woke from the nightmare to find Kenobi at his side. When Yoda questioned the spirit's continued presence, Kenobi stated that he would remain until Yoda agreed to hear him out and do as he asked. The elder Jedi master, looking to get away from Kenobi, set out from his hut to find herbs for his soup. Kenobi followed, reminiscing about times past and reminding Yoda about his making pastries when Kenobi was but a youngling. Not finding any herbs, Yoda remarked he had made a wrong turn only to realize that he and Kenobi had arrived at the Cave of Evil—exactly where Yoda needed to be, Kenobi opined, "from a certain point of view."[117]
Entering the Cave of Evil
"But what of you, old friend? Will you be ready when he comes?" "Ready to teach? Yes, I will. Ready to teach—and ready to learn."
―The spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, after the latter went in the Cave of Evil[117]
Yoda refused to go inside, believing that was what Kenobi wanted of him, to which Kenobi merely asked Yoda if he thought that would be the right course of action. Yoda noted that the location was stong in the dark side and had nothing to prove, with Kenobi reasoning that his fellow master should therefore have nothing to fear. Yoda dismissed the venture as a foolish waste of time but relented nonetheless.[117]
Entering the vergence, Yoda was startled by a creature of Dagobah's wildlife, the Jedi Master grumbling that he had become old and foolish. Yoda was then confronted by a voice from the shadows—an apparation of Dooku, his former apprentice. The illusion blamed Yoda for his fall to the Dark Side, revealing his hand in the death of Yaddle and beginning to duel Yoda. Yoda then experienced a vision of High Republic Era JediKeeve Trennis, who refused to help Yoda and, like Dooku, blamed him for her final fate.[117]
Yoda has a vision of Keeve Trennis in the Cave of Evil while fighting an apparition of Dooku.
Trennis used the Force to push Yoda into a mound of skulls, which a burning Anakin Skywalker claimed to be the Jedi Master's failures—those who had died. Bail Organa, Padmé Amidala, and Mace Windu emerged from the grave, reminding Yoda that they had looked to him for answers. Yoda replied that he could not have known how things would ultimately turn out, only for a spectre of Darth Sidious to cite the Jedi Master as the greatest of his apprentices, blind and unaware. Sidious noted there way no way back because of him, to which Yoda began repeating the phrase and drowning in the pile of corpses.[117]
It was then that Bree appeared, reminding the Jedi Master that there was no situation was entirely without hope—something he had learned from Yoda himself. Bree elaborated that one could make as many mistakes as was required because, as Yoda finished the thought for him, "the greatest teacher, failure is." Yoda remembered the lessons of the Jedi and struck down the remaining ghosts of his past.[117]
Exiting the cave, Yoda found Kenobi waiting for him. Yoda answered an affirmative to the question on Kenobi's mind, agreeing to train the son of Anakin Skywalker. Removing Bree's taratti from his robe, Yoda stated that he was ready to teach but also ready to learn.[117]
Soon thereafter, Luke Skywalker, under guidance from the spirit of Kenobi, sought Yoda in his Dagobah exile to receive Jedi training.[7] At the same time, Yoda, stirred awake by the feeling of the dark side and the memories of his trauma years ago, went to his storage area to find it empty. In an effort to find food, he made the arduous trek across the wild terrain of Dagobah. Eventually, Yoda made it to a valley, full of colorful creatures, and anotherspecies in particular. Herds of these creatures ran through this valley, the best source of meat Yoda had yet been able to find.[112]
Luke Skywalker joins Yoda for dinner within the Jedi Master's hut.
Years ago, Yoda in his shame had decided to give up his lightsaber, promising to never wield one again, taking abow instead. To get what he came for, Yoda readied his bow and took aim of one of the creatures, easily killing it with one shot of the bow. On his journey back, Yoda began to feel the ground shift beneath his feet, beginning to crumble as Yoda began to fall. At the last moment, Yoda grabbed onto the side, reflecting on the similarities of this moment to his duel with Darth Sidious many years ago. Yoda's grip failed and he falls onto the ground below as boulders began to pile on top of him. Yoda fell unconscious.[112]
Yoda began to dream, the dream of pain, suffering, anger, hate, and suddenly, he awoke once again. Realizing the predicament he was in, Yoda began to laugh, laughing at his foolishness for allowing him to get into this situation. He began to doubt himself, thinking of how he was now trapped on Dagobah, but subsiding those feelings, knowing he was one of the last of the Jedi. He reached out to the Force and, in that moment, he realized that his shame, his hubris, his blindness, had all clouded his vision and realized his failings as a Jedi. However, he knew that failure was the greatest lesson a Jedi could learn, and understanding this brought him peace as he rejected allowing his shame to guide him any more. With this newfound peace, Yoda reattuned to the light and used its power to move the boulders resting on top of him. With a newfound sense of responsibility and understanding, Yoda began his journey home.[112]
Arriving back at his home, Yoda began to cook a stew, when he began to hear a crashing in thetrees surrounding his hut. A visitor had arrived. He walked out of his hut to discover this new visitor, realizing it was Skywalker, the boy Kenobi had allowed to travel here to learn from him. As he stared at Skywalker from the trees, he came to the realization that he would not be the last Jedi, but only the instrument as to train the future.[112]
Yoda trains Luke Skywalker on Dagobah.
Walking out, he decided to test the boy and did not reveal his true identity, instead promising to lead him to Yoda. With Skywalker growing annoyed while in Yoda's hut as the Jedi Master maderootleaf stew, Skywalker's subsequent frustration and his age made the Jedi doubtful as to whether it was a good idea to train the boy, but Kenobi's spirit managed to convince him to do so.[7] Over the next few weeks, Yoda trained the young Jedi.[118]
Yoda proceeded to tutor Skywalker with a variety of exercises, including the telekinetic manipulation of objects in the area. As part of his training, he also sent Skywalker into the dark side cave in order todemonstrate the dangers of falling to the dark side of the Force. During his tenure with Yoda, Skywalker sensed that his friends were in danger inCloud City on thegas giant Bespin, and headed there to confront Darth Vader in spite of Yoda's and Kenobi's persuasion to the contrary. Although Kenobi was distraught by Skywalker's rushed departure, Yoda reminded him that there was still another offspring of Anakin Skywalker[7]—Leia Organa.[119]
A disturbance in the Force
Sometime later, the same mysterious woman helped activate theFermata Cage, a mysterious artifact created byDarth Momin. On her second attempt, Yoda along with other Force users amongst the galaxy sensed the disturbances emanating from the cage.[120]
Death
"Luke... when gone am I, the last of the Jedi, will you be. Luke... the Force runs strong in your family. Pass on what you have learned. Luke... There... is... another... Sk-... Sky... walker..."
Skywalker, having engaged in a duel with Vader on Cloud City, returned to Dagobah after a year. Yoda,[119] ill and very close to death,[5] confirmed what Vader had revealed to the young Jedi on Bespin: that the Sith Lord indeed was Anakin Skywalker, his father. He also warned him that with his training fully complete, his final task would be confronting Vader again and defeating him, and cautioned Skywalker not to underestimate the Force powers of Galactic Emperor Darth Sidious. Yoda also said that when he dies, Luke will become the last of the Jedi. Therefore, he wanted Luke to pass on what he had learned. Finally, he also managed to inform him of the existence of another member of the Skywalker family. Yoda then died, and his body disappeared as he became one with the[119] light of the Force.[20] The Cave of Evil took advantage of the Jedi Master's faltering presence and subsequent death to finally expand its influence once more, spreading a darkness across Dagobah.[105]
Postmortem and legacy
"Heeded my words not, did you? Pass on what you have learned. Strength, mastery. But weakness… folly… failure, also. Yes, failure most of all. The greatest teacher, failure is. Luke… we are what they grow beyond. That is the true burden of all masters."
Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi as Force spirits on Endor.
Thanks to the techniques passed on to him by Qui-Gon Jinn's spirit,[5] Yoda managed to retain his consciousness without a physical presence by becoming a Force spirit.[119] Mere moments after his death, he was able to appear to Sidious, who had felt his death in the Force. Sidious, who had been fantasizing about killing Yoda himself in the past few minutes as well as inwardly celebrating his demise, was surprised by Yoda's appearance, thinking the feat impossible. Putting on a show, he gloated on the fact that Yoda was now dead and implying that Yoda was there to witness Sidious' final glory as he crushed the remnants of the Rebel Alliance and took Luke Skywalker as his new apprentice. Yoda stressed that Sidious could not win, but Sidious pointed out that he already had. Awaiting Yoda's reply, Sidious discovered that his specter had vanished.[122]
Luke Skywalker later used the training he received to confront Darth Sidious and Darth Vader aboard theDS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station over the forest moonEndor as part of an all-out attack on the station by the anti-ImperialRebel Alliance, defeating Vader and turning him back to the light side of the Force, resulting in Sidious' death at the hands of the redeemed Anakin Skywalker.[119] As Anakin died from his wounds, Yoda and Kenobi appeared to him, smiling upon their redeemed friend.[123]
Yoda then taught Anakin the ability of retaining his consciousness after death.[18] As the rebels and Luke celebrated on the surface of the moon due to the demolition of the Death Star II and the deaths of Sidious and Vader, the ghosts of Anakin, Kenobi, and Yoda briefly appeared to Luke.[119] After that, Anakin asked Yoda and Kenobi whether Luke would be alright, and Kenobi responded as Yoda stood by.[123] For the next years, Yoda's spirit, alongside Obi-Wan and Anakin, continued to guide Luke.[124] Though it was rare, Yoda also spoke to Leia offering her guidance and teachings of the force over the years of her life, teachings she would later pass on to Rey.[125]
Approximately five years after Yoda's passing,[126] theMandalorian bounty hunterDin Djarin took a member of Yoda's species,Grogu, to train under Ahsoka Tano on the planet ofCorvus. While with Djarin, Tano explained that she had only met one other member of Grogu's species: Master Yoda. Tano refused to train the Child but told Djarin that Grogu could reach out to other Jedi at theseeing stone on the planet ofTython.[127] Thus, Luke Skywalker learned of Grogu and, aftersaving Djarin, Grogu, and their allies from aplatoon ofDark Troopers, took Grogu as an apprentice.[128] Thirty years after Yoda's death,[3] another Force sensitive,Rey, heard Yoda's voice describing the Force during avision she witnessed upon touching thelightsaber that previously belonged to Luke and Anakin Skywalker.[129]
Yoda appears before Luke on Ahch-To.
Sometime later, and after Rey had visited Luke on his hermit-island onAhch-To, a disillusioned and self-loathing Skywalker tried to burn down what few Jedi artifacts and writings were left in hopes that it would rid the galaxy of the Jedi once and for all, who, through him, had failed. Luke was surprised by the sudden appearance of Master Yoda as a Force spirit, who not only did not seem to mind the ancient scripts burning up, but was the one to actually start the fire by causing lightning to strike the tree. In fact, unbeknownst to Luke, Rey had already taken theSacred Jedi texts when she left. During their meeting, Yoda pointed out that mistakes and failure were important lessons, if not the most important lesson, for a Jedi Master. Ultimately, Yoda helped Skywalker come to terms with his failed training ofBen Solo, and to realize that despite his fear of failing another student he could still be what Rey needed. Inspiring Luke to face his past and forgive himself. This final, heartfelt meeting between the two friends led Luke to change his mind and help save the Resistance from certain defeat during theBattle of Crait.[121]
During theBattle of Exegol in35 ABY, Yoda's voice was heard by Rey among the voices of many Jedi of the past who aided her with destroying the resurrected Darth Sidious. "Alone, never have you been," he told her, before telling Rey to "rise in the Force."[130]
Personality and traits
"You knew Master Yoda?" "Yes. He taught almost all of the younglings in the temple, at one point or another." "Kanan described him to me. Small, green, and wrinkly with pointy ears. But he didn't know what he was really like." "I'm not sure anyone did. He was wise, kind, but when I was young, he seemed happier. As the Clone War dragged on, he carried a great burden, a deep sorrow, as if he knew before anyone else that one time was ending, and another beginning."
Yoda served as a teacher for the Jedi for 800 years.
Known for his wisdom, Yoda had spent eight centuries training and tutoring generations of Jedi.[5] Yoda was an ideal grandmaster.[14] When he joined her Force-bond network, Jedi Master Avar Kriss felt Yoda's mind form its own part of the chorus of the Force. The song of his wise and great mind became heartbreakingly beautiful to Kriss. Despite his appearance not making it seem like it would be so, his voice appeared to be made up of pure light, so Kriss considered him the epitome that people were not simply the crude matter of their bodies,[26] a lesson that Yoda would later pass on to Luke Skywalker.[119] He was reluctant to accept Anakin Skywalker or Luke Skywalker for Jedi training, considering them unfit. In both cases, however, he allowed Obi-Wan Kenobi to persuade him into accepting them as trainees.[9][119]
Yoda understood that nothing and no one was perfect, but that there was good or the potential for good everywhere and in everything. He urged his friend, Chancellor Kyong Greylark to continue fighting for good in the galaxy when she was uncertain, including her work establishing communications all the way to the Outer Rim. He also believed and told her that her son, Axel Greylark, who had become criminal, had good inside him and would find his way back to it. Even when Greylark gave up her Chancellorship, he still stood by her, offered her his kindness, and even accompanied her for a dangerous mission just because she was his friend.[31]
There was a small garden in the Jedi Temple where Yoda often took to meditating, with the other Jedi usually respecting the privacy of such moments. Indeed, Yoda's favorite place to be was his own thoughts, being able to meditate and feel the calmLiving Force flow throughout him.[65] When Dooku triggered a partial room collapse during his duel with Yoda on Geonosis, the Jedi, confronted with the choice of pursuing the fleeing Sith or protecting the hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi and unconscious Anakin Skywalker from the falling debris, opting to save his comrades instead of going after Dooku.[15] However, when fellow Master Plo Koon's fleet was destroyed by the Confederate superweaponMalevolence, Yoda forbade Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano to conduct a search for Koon, citing the danger posed by the Separatist vessel.[82] Early in the Clone Wars, after learning he would be confronting Dooku's apprentice Asajj Ventress during his mission on Rugosa, Yoda was disappointed to not be facing the Count himself, believing that he could end the bloodshed by meeting with Dooku; Yoda believed he could connect with his former Padawan and redeem him to the light side of the Force.[23] Later in the war, however, Yoda reluctantly agreed to a plan to assassinate Dooku in the name of stopping the war. Obi-Wan Kenobi, after the plan's failure, would argue to his fellow councilmembers the mission had been a step too far into the dark.[8]
Padawan Reath Silas believed that having Yoda as a master would be "pretty fun" whilst discussing Yoda's former apprentice Kantam Sy.[25] Yoda's favorite method of teaching was to ensure his students could figure things out for themselves. Even if all Yoda did was wait for the student to catch up to speed, he found that they almost always realized what they needed. When Master Mace Windu questioned whether Yoda had sensed something or not, he waited until the younger Jedi realized he was sensing nothing. Windu remained confused, forcing him to explain that the feeling of nothing needed to be caused by something. He disagreed with Windu's sentiment that "nothing" and "something" were always opposites, and he made sure to never be fully sure of himself, knowing there was more to learn. Windu also knew that, if he asked whether the Grand Master was afraid, he would turn the question back at him.[65]
Yoda remained calm even when insulted, such as when the mud dwellers called him a "weird little frog".[131] During the Invasion of Naboo, Yoda believed himself comfortably away from the dark side, unaware of the growing power of Darth Sidious, with the exception of what he knew he could not feel. Indeed, Yoda concerned himself with trying to uncover the feelings that were hidden from his senses,[65] which he eventually understood to be the dark side.[15] Yoda was able to resist being tempted by the specter of the dead Sith Lord Darth Bane, who had appeared to him in a vision on the planet Moraband, recognizing that the spirit was a mere illusion and rejecting its call to the dark side.[96] However, he was quite concerned and worried about the danger and threat of the Nameless, which he secretly knew of quite well, opting to keep information about them out of the Jedi Archives so that they would not be known and used against the Order.[31]
Wise yet old, Yoda spent his final years on Dagobah, training Luke Skywalker and coming to terms with his own mortality.
Yoda's teachings stuck with his students, even if at times they had to struggle to understand their true meaning. Upon hearing pilotLeox Gyasi explain why he had named his starship "theVessel," Silas was struck with the opinion that Gyasi sounded like what Yoda's teachings would be like if the Jedi Master tookspice. As such, Silas decided his reasoning was either a very good or extremely bad sign.[132] Despite barely knowing the Grand Master, Silas was greatly struck by his disappearance during the High Republic Era, with fellow PadawanRam Jomaram, despite having never even met Yoda, agreeing and feeling the same.[25] As he neared his death before the Battle of Endor commenced, Yoda accepted his own mortality and imminent demise and died becoming one with the Force.[5] Yoda'sears were expressive and would sometimes curl when he was expressing strong emotions like surprise.[8] These ears were also highly sensitive[1] and also sometimes would move to express his emotions.[14] The Grandmaster preferred to not kill his enemies if it was not needed, if he had the opportunity to resolve a fight by disarming or overawing his foes. Yoda opposed profanity, urging others to not use such language.[133]
Yoda also had a sense of humor and curiosity, despite his age and wisdom.[7] Part of the reason Yoda kept up his sense of humor was that Jedi Master Mace Windu, even as a youngling, did not respond well to it. As such, he took teasing his fellow council member, once asking if he had arrived for a private discussion because he had embarrassing questions, which Windu denied instantly. Afterward, he elected to wait to speak, wanting Windu to begin the discussion and viewing it as him cracking as if he was under pressure. Windu also found Yoda's behaviors distracting, yet he would always trust the older Jedi's judgement[65] and he himself described Yoda as "hilarious".[134] His sense of humor continued with others, as shown when he playfully rummaged through Luke's belongings when he first met him, fought R2-D2 for a torch,[7] and laughed gleefully when he supposedly set the ancient Jedi texts on fire, and finding Luke's continued ignorance amusing, commenting that he had "missed him."[121] Also when Kenobi told him about the planet Kamino missing from the archives during his class, he responded with, "Lost a planet, Master Kenobi has. How embarrassing. How embarrassing!"[15] Being unable to destroy Darth Sidious and bring down the Empire made him sad.[135][10]
Yoda was highly secretive about his homeworld and never revealed it to anyone.[1] Despite his intensive Jedi training and high status within the Order, he stated that he secretly had a dislike for ancient Jedi texts.[121] He had a distinctive and peculiar speech pattern: namely, he would rearrange words in his sentences, placing subject and object in front of the verb; for example, he would frame sentences like "Good relations with the Wookiees, I have."[10]
Powers and abilities
Yoda was one of the most proficient Jedi with the lightsaber.
Lightsaber combat
"It is obvious that this contest cannot be decided by our knowledge of the Force…but by our skills with a lightsaber."
Despite his small size and old age, Yoda was an extremely accomplished lightsaber duelist, wielding a short green-bladed lightsaber.[10][15] Yoda used theAtaru saber form, boosting his body with the Force to be able to perform the needed movements.[136] Such was his mastery of this form that Yoda could duel Sidious and almost defeated the Sith.[10] Yoda was a master of theNiman style of lightsaber combat, retaining his skills with the form for his whole life.[137]
Yoda was extremely skilled in blast-deflection and proved more than capable of taking on multiple enemies at the same time and winning easily: he was able to single-handedly defeat without getting even a single shot to his person an entire army of droids that Ventress sent as a test for King Katunko whether to accept the Jedi or the Separatists as an ally.[77]
The greatest display of Yoda's skills with a lightsaber was when he dueled the Sith Lords Count Dooku[15] and Darth Sidious. When he fought Dooku, Yoda maintained the upper hand through the duel, forcing Dooku into the defensive, and would have defeated him had he not decided to flee. His duel with Sidious, although initially well-matched, eventually began to turn into Yoda's favor, forcing Sidious to use the Force to confront him.[10]
Force powers
"The history of a soul, does the Force permitme to understand."
Even despite his small size and old age, Yoda was extremely powerful and accomplished in the Force. with a connection to that power and knowledge ofForce techniques that may well have surpassed that of any other Jedi.[7][137] Obi-Wan Kenobi considered Yoda to be the most powerful Jedi he ever knew.[131] The Grandmaster was heralded as the greatest Jedi of all time, at least until the fall of the Republic. Yoda was utterly committed to the light side, but he also had a deep understanding of the dark side as well as how both halves of the Force interacted.[137] The idea he was the greatest of the Jedi went back centuries, at being held least to 232 BBY.[26][138] The toll age took on Yoda's body did not prevent him from still being strong in the Force when Luke Skywalker trained under him.[124] Even in death, as a Force spirit, he had power over weather.[121]
Yoda uses the Force to lift Skywalker's X-wing out of the Dagobah swamp.
Yoda was extremely skilled intelekinesis and all forms of it. When Avar Kriss worked with the other Jedi to shove a sun-bursting explosive Avar Kriss found his level of power (which he lent via her Force Song) to be very grand, helpful, and impressive.[26] When on a mission to free a child, Yoda gripped two pirates who were holding the child and held them helpless, before making them punch each other and then threw them into the air. Then Yoda defeated the rest of the pirates in the room when they attacked him.[139] Yoda used Force deflection against aBlue stone spear thrown at him by a member of theMud dwellers, though holding the spear with the Force was hard for Yoda. Yoda then levitated many boulders and rocks to catch the rest of the spears thrown at him and kept the rocks levitated for a whole conversation. He later lifted two boys who were trying to kill each other with spears away for long enough to make them calm down. Yoda was unable torepel many of theBlue stones that were thrown at him with the Force by theRockhawkers, due to how hard it was to affect with telekinesis and his unwillingness to harm thechildren he faced.[131] Later, and having masteredStonepower, Yoda was able to casually blast the Rockhawkers who attacked him, subduing and disarming them without inflicting lasting harm.[12]
When facing Dooku on the planet Geonosis, Yoda demonstrated his superior telekinetic mastery by effortlessly repelling every metal piece and stone slab thrown by the very skilled Sith Lord. During a confrontation with Confederate forces on the coral moon of Rugosa, Yoda effortlessly pulled two droids to slash them with his lightsaber, flung multiple pieces of the droid controlling one of the infantry high into the air and both opened the upper parts of another infantry tank, then sent it and the droid controlling it into the air. It was with ease that Yoda raised and moved droids to fire upon their allies and slammed whole squads of droids down, without harming his own allies. After the droids were dealt with, Yoda easily overpowered the powerful Sith AssassinAsajj Ventress with telekinesis, stopping her lightsaber strike mid-way and disarming her with a simple gesture, and repulsed the many stones caused by Ventress activating an explosion.[77] If Yoda had no desire to touch the ground, he could simplyfloat in a mediative state.[140]
Force barriers were a tool in Yoda's skill set, as seen when he stopped a cloud of deadly gas.[86] Yoda could strike down his foes by hurling his saber at them, guiding the blow with his telekinetic skills. When he went to try to destroy the Sith Emperor, Yoda effortlessly defeated two Red Guards by knocking them into a wall. He was even able to breach the Emperor's defenses and blast Darth Sidious himself through the air with aForce push and was able to stop and throw a Senate hoverpod Sidious had thrown at him when they fought in the Senate building, an all the more impressive feat since it was thrown upwards against gravity.[10] Later, on Dagobah, Yoda used the Force to throw a pot at an Imperial Probe Droid, destroying it. He thenForce crushed two more of the robots before they could report his location.[106] In order to teach Luke Skywalker that anything was possible with the Force, Yoda levitated his student's sunkenT-65B X-wing starfighter out of a swamp of Dagobah and onto dry land with no visible strain.[7]
With just a few days of training, Yoda was able to learn how to useStonepower and thus deflect Blue stones thrown at him. Yoda could move a chunk three times his size--something unknown to his master, though Yoda was then exhausted by doing so.[141] Yoda could also use Stonepower to stop strikes fromgiants of living stone, and with the aid of those he taught, call forth other giants to defeat the one he was fighting.[12] Yoda was capable of employing the power ofForce lightning, to the point that he could make several arcs of energy lance out in different directions from only a single finger.[142] Yoda could manipulateflames with the Force.[141]
Jedi PadawanBell Zettifar pondered whether Yoda, after putting great focus into the effort, could use the Force to stop gravity.[26] In his duel with both Sith Lords Count Dooku and Darth Sidious, Yoda displayed great proficiency inForce Deflection, as he was able to easily stop and then redirect Dooku's Force lightning attack with his bare hands and even managed to stop Sidious' Force lightning attack using just his palms but was unable to deflect it completely: the energy eventually exploded and flung both of the combatants away from each other, ending the duel in a stalemate and causing Yoda to escape.[10] Yoda could dampen or even negate the might of Force powers used to attack him by radiating a calming aura.[137] Yoda could employ the Force to absorb blaster fire and negate the strikes of lightsabers with his bare hands and channel the energy from blasters or lightning he absorbed into making his own attacks such as Force push and Force lightning more deadly.[140]
Yoda was capable of absorbing and deflecting Force lightning with his palms.
His ability to use the combative applications of the Force notwithstanding, Yoda's incredibly strong connection to the Force combined with his years of extensive study also granted him numerous supplementary abilities. Yoda could enhance himself and seek out objects or persons he knew about regardless of the distance, and easily see though and/or destroy many Force illusions at once.[137] During the trial ofQuinlan Vos, Yoda revealed that he could uncover the alignment of a Force-user just by touching them; stating that the Force had permitted him to read the history of a soul, able to easily sense that he had fallen to the Dark Side despite Vos being proficient enough to hide it from many other Jedi.[8] Yoda could detect the lies, emotional states, and thoughts of those he interacted with.[131][137]
While physically isolated on Dagobah, Yoda was able to see other Jedi that were active in the Force; he could not see one that had forsaken the ways of the Jedi, with the exception of Vader who was still exposed to his monitoring.[143][106] Yoda could detect living things and droids with the Force and while on Dagobah he could sense all droids on the entire planet or the lack thereof.[137][23] He could keep in mental contact with the Jedi Temples across the galaxy, andtelepathically converse with any Jedi–even to the point of manipulating the experience to his desires–within them by accessing theWorld Between Worlds.[111][137] Yoda, still on Dagobah, was able to conjure an illusion of the Grand Inquisitor (from when he was a Jedi) to fight Kanan Jarrus as a test and sight of worthiness. He also sensed that the place where Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus could be assured of a chance to fight the Sith was Malachor, and so told Ezra. When theLothal Jedi Temple was invaded, Yoda sent illusions of Jedi Temple Guards at the Inquisitors, subduing them for long enough for the living Jedi present to flee.[108]
With some effort, Yoda could make himself and the powers he invoked impossible to detect with the Force and go unnoticed by most.[137] When two Blue stone spears were struck together, Yoda sensed thedisturbance this caused.[139] He also sensed the killings that took place during Order 66, the shock of which literarily staggered him, so forewarned by the Force, Yoda was able to destroy the Clones soon sent to slay him on behalf of the Sith.[10] He also was able to sense when a battle was going to happen, getting an identifiable feeling that he felt shortly before the Night of Sorrow.[31] Yoda could use the Force to see even in total darkness or when blinded.[137] Additionally, Yoda was able to useForce healing, even to the extent of healing himself and those around him while in battle with just a wave of his hand.[140][137] Yoda was also shown to be capable of experiencing Force visions and could invoke such insights at will for information up to three days into his personal future.[137] However, he understood that Force prophecy was not absolute and that the future was always in motion.[7] The Grandmaster could makegreat leaps with the Force, to maneuver and dodge[77] and charge.[15] His visions led him to foresee the possible, and eventually actual, fall of the Jedi in the Clone Wars and even his owndeath.[96] Yoda sometimes knew if he was probably going to die in a battle he fought in and could augment his physical abilities.[12]
He also was able to fully master the skill ofmaintaining consciousness after death, something that Qui-Gon Jinn was unable to do, allowing him to manifest a visible presence rather than simply being a disembodied voice.[119] As a Force spirit, Yoda was capable of manipulating weather to create lightning strikes. He was also shown to be capable of striking Luke Skywalker with his walking stick, demonstrating an ability to interact with the living world in a physical sense despite both Yoda and the stick being ostensibly non-corporeal.[121]
Other skills
Yoda was also known to have a level of proficiency in piloting[139] despite often leaving it to his soldiers, as when he was forced to travel alone by Qui-Gon Jinn, Yoda displayed the ability to pilot Anakin's personal interceptor comfortably and was able to avoid inflicting any damage on it until he returned to the Jedi.[95][57][96] Sidious and Yoda were equally matched during their duel in the Galactic Senate.[1]
According to Obi-Wan, Yoda's thirst for knowledge was the grandmaster's greatest weapon. Yoda could walk for hours without food or rest up a mountain/giant.[141] Padawan Reath Silas once reflected that he could feel Yoda's wisdom and knowledge from even akilometer away.[25]
During the Clone Wars, Yoda proved himself to be an exceptional strategist and leader, being a highly effective general. His abilities in those regard were displayed during a confrontation with Confederate forces on the coral moon of Rugosa: Yoda was able to inspire hope into his troopers despite the overwhelming odds and was able to easily tactically defeat the army of droids, exploiting the weak-points of the infantry and tanks to systematically destroy them and at one point tricking one of the droids controlling the tanks into destroying the other tank.[77]
Yoda was a skilled diplomat.[77] Although his cooking on Dagobah left much to be desired,[118] Yoda was skilled at baking, with Jedi Master Torban Buck particularly enjoying Yoda's pastry recipe.[45]
Equipment
"I am knowledgeable of many things. But I have never worn shoes!"
Throughout the Republic Era, Yoda wielded ashoto-stylelightsaber, although he lost it in a duel with Darth Sidious at the end of the Clone Wars. He kept anear identical lightsaber with him on Dagobah. He was also known for using a cane. It began as a lesson, but really more of a joke, for his Padawans; he would limp into a room with the cane, then he would cast it aside and quickly use his speed in the Force, only to finally grab the cane once more and hobble away. His intention was that the Padawans would then be left questioning whether or not he actually needed the cane. Nevertheless, as he grew older during his exile on Dagobah, he found he truly had come to need it.[106] As a Force ghost, he was able to manifest his staff and use it to strike living matter.[121] His cane was made from aGimer stick which released natural plant substances that helped him meditate when he chewed upon it. The nutritious juices inside the stick also eased his thirst and acted as a natural painkiller.[18]
Behind the scenes
The Original trilogy
"The idea of using another person, perhaps an alien, for Luke to play off of came up during story meetings. George Lucas and Leigh Brackett thought that the alien could be an Indian desert type, very childlike even though he's an old man. He at first should be repulsive and slimy but then should become kind and wise. He appears as a crazy little nitwit that goes around scurrying like a rat but ultimately teaches Luke a great deal about the Force."
The character of Yoda made his first appearance in the1980 filmStar Wars: Episode VThe Empire Strikes Back, and subsequently appeared inStar Wars: Episode VIReturn of the Jedi, the closing installment of the original trilogy. He was also featured in all three episodes of the prequel trilogy, and multiple episodes of theStar Wars: The Clone Wars andStar Wars Rebels animated television series. Yoda also played a role in various Expanded Universe material now under theStar Wars Legends brand and thusnon-canonical.[146] InGeorge Lucas' notes for thefirst chapter of the original trilogy Yoda originally named as "Bunden Debannen" and nicknamed as "Buffy". During the development of the sequel, Lucas, likening the character to "a littleDalai Lama", decided to use an eastern sounding name and changed the character's name to "Minch Yoda" in the resultant treatment before simply shortened it to "Yoda" for the final film.[147][148]
Much of the information and training that Yoda gave to Luke on Dagobah was originally going to be given byBen Kenobi, but due to Kenobi's death inA New Hope,George Lucas conceived Yoda to fulfill the role of Luke's teacher after Kenobi's death.[149] Early concepts of Yoda imagined him as a large alien before he was reimplemented as a tiny one, with various gnome– and elfin-like portrayals being created by the design team of Episode V. Once Yoda's appearance was finalized, make-up and creatures supervisorStuart Freeborn[147] sculpted[150] a detailed puppet, brought to life on screen byFrank Oz.[147] Every time that Oz turned the puppet, the ears would do a little wiggle, which he did not like. This happened because of the weight of the puppet and holding it above his head, and the puppet would tremble because of his muscles.[151]
While Yoda was largely depicted with the Oz-performed puppet inThe Empire Strikes Back, actorDeep Roy stepped in for long shots of Yoda walking through the swamps. For these shots, Roy wore a detailed mask and full costume.[150] Yoda had additional play in the draft script forReturn of the Jedi: when Emperor Palpatine strikes at Luke Skywalker with Force lightning aboard Death Star II, the Force ghost of Yoda would have appeared alongside the ghost of Kenobi. Both Jedi would have deflected the Emperor's lightning to protect Luke. Like Anakin Skywalker and Kenobi did in the draft, Yoda also returned to life instead of remaining a ghost.[152]
The Prequel trilogy
"I thought, 'I don't want to be matching to the puppet.' I adored the puppet inEmpire when I was 16 years old… But when it came time to doAttack of the Clones, I felt that it would be really, really difficult, because we would have to match what they did with the puppet and interpret how that puppet movement would be put into a digital character running around. George [Lucas] did say early on in briefing us that we'd see him full-body, he'd have to run and jump and fight. So I did know that, but I thought after learning what we learned on Watto, Jar Jar, and Sebulba [in Episode I], I felt we could take on Yoda."
―Rob Coleman discussing creating a digital Yoda for Episode II[151]
A new model, younger in appearance, was built byNick Dudman's animatronics crew for the filming of Episode I, in which Yoda also appeared as a CGI model for two shots' duration.[147] In Episode II, Yoda needed to be more agile than he was in theoriginal trilogy and would have to fight[151] during his duel with Dooku,[147] which was a creative risk for the film. Initially, Lucas told Animation DirectorRob Coleman that Yoda would be featured as a puppet and the animators would create a digital version of him for his duel with Count Dooku, but Coleman did not love the idea. He thought that it would be very difficult to match what was done for the Yoda puppet inThe Empire Strikes Back and interpret how the puppet's movement would be put into a digital character. Early on in briefing, Lucas told Coleman and his team that Yoda would be seen full-body and he would have to run, jump, and fight. Coleman felt like he and his team could work on Yoda after gaining knowledge and experience from working onWatto,Jar Jar Binks, andSebulba inThe Phantom Menace. The new goal was to use a digital Yoda for every scene and sequence that he appeared in.[151] Designed specifically to not exceed Oz's puppetwork in realism, the animated version of Yoda was accepted after Coleman's crew secretly developed animation tests using key scenes fromThe Empire Strikes Back using the new technology, and these scenes were evaluated. Based on the strength of these animated tests, Coleman's crew was given permission to create a digital Yoda, which was realized entirely through computer-generated imagery.[147]
Creating a digital Yoda terrified Coleman because of the backlash against Jar Jar, and he did not want to be known for "wrecking" Yoda, but he was unwilling to back down from a challenge. Coleman's memory of seeing Yoda in 1980 managed to keep him on target. Coleman studied the footage of Yoda in theEmpire Strikes Back frame by frame and realized it was very limited. When creating the digital Yoda, he wanted himself and his team to honor the range of motion he thought he saw in 1980. Coleman pitched that the digital Yoda would do three talking shots[151] while delivering memorable lines of dialogue,[147] as well as three shots without talking[151] to show the ability to convey a performance even when silent.[147] Coleman worked on a closeup of Yoda for the film in which Palpatine was speaking to Jedi in his office, and Lucas purposefully cut to Yoda who was looking over his shoulder. This was meant to indicate that Yoda did not trust Palpatine.[151]
Coleman worked with Frank Oz in order to make sure that his digital Yoda could be as faithful as possile. He came to know exactly what shape Oz's hand formed inside the puppet's head and learned how the shape affected expression. Coleman made sure that he did not go too far in terms of Yoda's movement. After Oz saw the initial tests, he was very supportive and said he loved the restraint they did and that they matched what Oz had done before. At first, the digital character did not include the original detail of how Yoda's ears wiggled everytime the puppet's head moved. This caused Yoda to not appear old, which was considered to be a vital part of his character. Coleman's team added the detail in the digital character, and Yoda now looked the correct age.[151]
From the start of the creation of Yoda and Count Dooku's lightsaber duel, most of the work would fall to Coleman's team. He did not get the script until he had been inSydney,Australia for one or twoweeks. The first draft described the fight as "'In a fight that defies description, Yoda and Count Dooku battle." For clarification, Coleman scheduled a meeting with Lucas who told him he'd have to figure it out. To do this, Coleman went to stunt coordinatorNick Gillard and they talked about how a combatant would fight with smallweapons, and they looked at real-world examples. Also,Ahmed Best, the actor who played Jar Jar, introduced Coleman to someanime[151] andmartial arts[153] that he thought could be helpful. However, Coleman still was not sure how to depict Yoda's speed and style in a fight. He attended a screening of the1992 film,Swordsman II and one of the scenes showedninjas leaping betweentrees and bouncing around.[151] Coleman studied the action in the film,[153] and this inspired him to give Yoda the ability to jump around.[151] While working on the duel, Coleman referred toGlen McIntosh's dynamic drawings.[153] In the duel, Lucas wanted a shot of Yoda pulling back his duster to reveal his lightsaber as a reference to the iconic shot of thegunfighter at the O.K Corral. After finishing the duel, Lucas and Coleman felt happy with it. Despite Coleman's concerns, Lucas wanted Yoda to jump, leap, and flip during the duel.[151]
Coleman worked on a shot that was called "The Widowmaker." In the shot, an animated Yoda denounced Kenobi's sense of victory and said "Begun, this Clone War has." That line was approved and unapproved a couple of times. Also, Coleman received many notes telling him the line had to be sadder. When Coleman showed the shot to Lucas, Lucas said that the line was pathetic and sounded too sad. Lucas said Yoda should not sound sad, and should instead sound reflective, concerned, and upset over the inevitability of the Clone Wars.[154]
For Episode III, the shot of Yoda clinging to the Senate podium during his duel with Sidious was animated byTim Harrington. Coleman thought that his blocking was excellent, but Coleman was looking for more strain on Yoda's face. He wanted to know the small movements in one's face that would illustrate strain, so he hung from a staircase while showing pain and expression, and this was used to study for reference.[155]
"Neal Scanlan and his team did a recreation of the Yoda puppet. It's not only a puppet, it's an exact replica of theEmpire puppet. They found the original molds for it. They found the woman that painted the original eyes for Yoda. Then Frank came and worked with them for a few weeks to get the puppet right. He did a lot of testing and a lot of adjusting with the puppet creators. It was amazing to watch the process."
The number of toes on Yoda's feet has long been debated. InStar Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Yoda is given as having three toes at the front of each of his feet, and one at the back, comparing them with that of many birds.[24]
Non-canon content
On October 29, 2014, for a Halloween-themed update, a costume of Yoda was added toThe Sims 4 for playable child Sims to wear in-game. The costume is purely cosmetic and offers no gameplay changes.[162]
Appearances
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↑153.0153.1153.2 Rob Coleman (@ArfKeldo) onTwitter (post):"We used a lot of references while developing the Yoda/Dooku battle. I consulted with @ahmedbest about martial arts & anime, I studied the action in "Swordsman II" (1992) in particular, I referred to Glen's dynamic drawings and I supervised the gifted animator @timanimator"(backup link)
↑ Rob Coleman (@ArfKeldo) onTwitter (post):""Acting is always the hardest part." Watching this interchange between George Lucas and me, from 20 years ago, reminds me of how much fun I had working with him. Animation is a collaborative and iterative process. We were striving for subtle nuance in the performance."(backup link)
↑ Rob Coleman (@ArfKeldo) onTwitter (post):"That shot was animated by Tim Harrington @timanimator His blocking was excellent, but I was looking for more strain in Yoda's face. What are the micro-movements in one's face which illustrate that? I hung from a staircase; real pain & expression so we could study it for reference"(backup link)
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