Jedi Grandmaster Yoda was revered as a wise and powerful (albeit flawed) character in the Star Wars original trilogy, but the more Star Wars has expanded with the prequels and now the new Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia project, it becomes clear just how badly Yoda failed the Jedi Order. The Jedi Order seen in The High Republic is quite different from the way they’re portrayed in the prequels, and this is largely attributed to Yoda’s specific beliefs regarding the Force and the lifestyle of Jedi. Compared to the original timeline, Legends (formerly the Expanded Universe), Yoda is, unfortunately, key to the Jedi Order’s failure to prevent the rise of the Galactic Empire and their own near-destruction.
Situated in an almost literal ivory tower, the prequel-era Jedi Order was unbalanced. Their members were disconnected from the common people of the galaxy, taught to suppress their emotions, and forbidden from forming attachments. The Order was also a political tool, at the disposal of the Supreme Chancellor with little to no oversight, despite their members possessing unimaginable powers. In Legends, the New Jedi Order was a vast improvement over this. Luke’s Jedi were encouraged to have lives outside of being Jedi, they were taught to control their emotions, rather than suppress them (or become controlled by them), and attachments, such as romantic relationships, were allowed. While not apolitical, the New Jedi Order was a far cry from being the New Republic’s almost paramilitary unit like the previous Order.
As shown in Star Wars: The High Republic, the canon Jedi Order was quite similar to the Legends-era New Jedi Order for a time. The Order allowed attachments (though they didn’t encourage them), they were almost completely apolitical, and they stressed the importance of individuality, with each Jedi defining the Force and their connection to it differently. Yoda’s personal philosophies and definition of the Force gradually became the standard accepted truths of the Jedi Order during his time as Grandmaster, leading to the Jedi Order of the prequel trilogy. Yoda’s Jedi Order was corrupt, complacent, and emotionally unhealthy, which was unfortunately exactly what the Sith needed to enact their revenge on the galaxy.
Yoda’s Jedi philosophies played directly into Palpatine’s master plans for galactic domination. By losing touch with the common people of the galaxy and becoming a political tool, the Jedi were mistrusted and misunderstood by most ordinary citizens from the Core Worlds to the Outer Rim. The restrictions and rigidity of his Jedi Order left Anakin Skywalker particularly vulnerable to the allure of the Sith and the dark side. When Anakin feared for the life of his mother and later Padme, what he needed was support and emotionally intelligent advice, but what he got was a series of platitudes that worsened his fears.
Yoda was a kind and well-intentioned individual, but he was too dead-set in his specific views and had little interest in allowing his students the individuality and emotional freedom that they needed. Even after the Great Jedi Purge, Yoda nearly failed the Jedi once more. At the end of the Star Wars original trilogy, Yoda tries to convince Luke to kill his father. Had Luke taken this advice, he’d have fallen to the dark side and succeeded Vader, perpetuating the Empire’s oppression. Luke ultimately prevailed because he followed his own path, rather than repeating the mistakes of Yoda’s Jedi Order or embracing Palpatine’s Sith teachings.
- Rogue Squadron (2023)Release date: Dec 22, 2023
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