In Star Wars canon, Yoda is the oldest known Jedi. He is considered as the first Grand Master of the Jedi Order. He led the Jedi Order from the time of the High Republic to its destruction by the Sith and during the phase of transformation of Galactic Republic to the Galactic Empire. 

Although he was small in his size, his experience, wisdom and power in the Force was second to none. He was a mentor for the generations of Jedi and also served as the Jedi Grand Master. His contribution towards the Jedi Order is tremendous: from defending the Republic in the Clone Wars to surviving Order 66 and eventually training Luke Skywalker and becoming immortal by being one with the Force. Even after his death, he appeared as a ghost to Luke Skywalker and helped him forgive himself for his failures.

The 900 year journey of Yoda in the galaxy is nothing short of a legacy. In this blog, we will discuss all about Yoda's journey. From his early life, to contribution in the High Republic Era, being Master of Dooku, Battle of Naboo, The Clone Wars, Order 66, exile and then eventually becoming one with the Force. So without further ado, let's get into it!

Early Life of Yoda

Yoda was born nine hundred years before the Battle of Endor. He was born to an ancient and mysterious species. His homeworld is not known. From his early age, he was a Force-sensitive individual which led to him joining the Jedi as a youngling. He soon received his kyber crystal after going through a Jedi ritual known as the Gathering. He got help from Professor Huang in creating his first lightsaber. At one point in his training, he even jumped on the lily pads in the Jedi Grand Temple’s meditation pond. 

Yoda didn't talk much about his early days but a rumor says that his early instructor was the Hysalrian N'Kata Del Gormo. He also trained under a personal mentor. During his training under the mentor, his Jedi Master also narrated the story of two legendary Jedi of the past, K’ungfu and Chuang. In 796 BBY, when Yoda was about 100 years old, he felt ready to pass on the Jedi teachings to other younglings. He was granted the rank of Jedi Master. It was estimated that he trained over 20,000 Jedi in the next 800 year span of his life.

Contribution in the High Republic Era

During the High Republic Era, Yoda is seen as a highly revered Jedi Master. He becomes a member of the Jedi High Council and gets promoted to be a Grand Master. Other two Grand Masters along with Yoda were two Jedi, named Xo Lahru and Pra-Tre Veter.The human Jedi, Ry Ki-Sakka also eventually held the position of the Grand Master.

In 382 BBY, Yoda played a very significant role in the High Republic Era. He focused on maintaining peace in the galaxy during times of rising conflicts. When peace talks between the planets Eiram and E'ronoh broke down on Jedha, he teamed up with Supreme Chancellor Kyong Greylark to handle the uprising. The reason for this newfound chaos was the anti-Jedi cult of the Path of the Open Hand. They use creatures called the Nameless, to cut off a severe connection of Jedi from the Force. Yoda recognized the severity of the situation and approved a fact-finding mission to the cult's base on Dalna.

The Path, under Marda Ro as the Path of the Closed Fist, formed an alliance with Princess A'lbaran and Prince Zenn to battle with the Jedi on Dalna. It was at that time that Yoda arrived. Jedi Gella Nattai was urging him to inspect the caves, for he suspected there were still more members of the Path hidden there. Yoda met a Path member named Tromak, whom he would forget later, but he always remembered the importance of his visit to Dalna.

As the fight began to favor the Jedi, explosions started causing sinkholes under the ground. Yoda and Yaddle could sense the distress and joined together to rescue Gella Nattai and Axel Greylark from the rubble. Enya Keen managed to pull them out of the mud-like water, and the Jedi set quickly to work on the survivors. With the fight waning and the sun now rising, it was evident that the battle was over.

Later, Yoda met with Kyong Greylark and Chancellor Mollo aboard a medical frigate orbiting Coruscant. He proposed that the Jedi Council should be informed about all the mistakes made but was dissuaded by Greylark to talk about all that went right. Mollo pointed out that the people of Dalna had started referring to the event as the Night of Sorrow and that Yoda agreed there was still much to reflect on and remember.

After the battle, Yoda sat down with Chancellor Greylark and other leaders to reflect on what had happened. They acknowledged the importance of cooperation between the Jedi and the Republic, even though they had sustained significant losses. Yoda emphasized that they should learn from both successes and failures, and the Jedi Order must not forget its principles in the face of future challenges.

Aftermath of Night of Sorrow

Yoda went back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. The royal families of Eiram and E'ronoh had arrived there as well. Among other Jedi was Yaddle, as well as young Initiate Cippa Tarko. When the assembly was quieted, Yoda stood aside as Master Creighton Sun spoke to celebrate the funeral of Jedi Aida Forte, Orin Darhga, and Char-Ryl-Roy. At the ceremony, Yoda allowed Enya Keen, Char-Ryl-Roy's former Padawan, to carry her late Master's lightsaber as her own, as a sign of respect and continuity.

Later, in the Jedi Archives, Yoda and Creighton Sun talked about the Nameless creatures used by the Path of the Open Hand on Dalna. These beings had brought great suffering, weakened Jedi by causing terrifying hallucinations and even reduced some to dust. Seeing these disastrous consequences if the existence of these beings was known, Yoda decided with Creighton to keep them out of the official Jedi Archives. To ensure the safety of the Order, both Masters agreed never to mention the Nameless again and went their separate ways.

Training Kantam Sy

Yoda had once trained an exceptionally gifted human Padawan named Kantam Sy. He was stationed with Yoda in the Jedi Temple on Endovar. Among all the disciplined and Force-connected Padawans Yoda ever taught, Sy was one. However, even this did not make Yoda grant knighthood to him. It took a romantic affair with an acrobat named Aytar to make them understand why he wasn't knighted. The new relationship convinced Sy to leave the Jedi Order, partly because of his new romantic partner.

When Yoda and Kantam Sy would spend time with each other, he would spar to clear his head for times of need. When Kantam Sy decided he should leave, he went to visit Yoda again, and then they sparred one last time. Yoda missed his apprentice Kantam Sy during this time and wishes he hadn't left the Jedi Order.

But, Kantam Sy returned to the Jedi over a year later while rescuing a Force-sensitive girl named Lula Talisola. Yoda was busy assisting a pet Happabore named Monsalmo in the birth of her pups. After this, he welcomed Kantam Sy and knighted him in a quiet ceremony. Kantam Sy then took Talisola as his Padawan.

Later, around the fire, Sy and Yoda talked of their travels. Kantam Sy mentioned confusion about how he felt so certain in leaving the Order but was back again when he saved Talisola. Yoda replied that what is a lesson to be learnt is detachment, the art of letting go. This is a lesson Sy inadvertently taught him when he left the Order. 

Starhopper and Battle of Corellian Shipyards

In 232 BBY, Yoda spent time off the Jedi High Council. During this time, he trained many Padawans on board the Star Hopper which was a mobile academy intended for the education of young Jedi. This time, he commanded his Padawans and other Jedi against the Nihil, a band of space marauders, in defense of the planet Trymant IV. The distress signal for Trymant IV came in while the Star Hopper was underway. Yoda and his Padawans engaged in a fierce battle against Nihil forces in which they showed not only their combat skills but also their unity. 

Yoda hadn't been around for over a year. He then reappeared in 230 BBY on Corellia to join his former Padawan, Kantam Sy and other Jedi that were fighting off the Nihil. The Nameless, highly dangerous creatures of old had proven to be very problematic to Jedi. The Nihil had been able to weaponize them. Yoda hoped that Azlin Rell, a former Jedi who had fought during the Night of Sorrow and knew much about the Nameless, could be of help in finding ways to defeat them.

The conflict of the Corellian Shipyards occurred in 230 BBY on the planet Corellia. Yoda joined with his former apprentice, Kantam Sy along with the Padawans Reath Silas and Ram Jomaram to defend the planet of Corellia against the Nihil. Nihil was a group of space pirates that sought to steal the ships in the Coronet City's shipyards for use in an attack on the Starlight Beacon. The Jedi and their allies were victorious against the Nihil. The shipyards were well-protected and saved from the theft. 

After the battle, Padawan Reath Silas was knighted, becoming a Jedi Knight. Master Cohmac Vitus, however, would leave the Jedi Order. Grand Master Yoda also returned from his mysterious absence to rejoin the rest of the Jedi in their efforts to maintain peace in the galaxy.

Yoda's Strong Connection With the Force

Yoda was about nine hundred years old at the end of the Republic and served within the Jedi High Council. During his time, his contemporaries were the likes of legendary Jedi Masters such as Mace Windu and Ki-Adi-Mundi. In 32 BBY, at the time of the Invasion of Naboo, Qui-Gon Jinn brought Anakin Skywalker before the Council; Qui-Gon was steadfastly convinced that Anakin Skywalker was the Chosen One, meant to balance the Force. The Council, however, sensed the boy's fear and anger. They thought that he was too emotional and old to start training. However, Qui-Gon Jinn did not lose his conviction and kept on persuading the Jedi Council for Anakin's training.

With Qui-Gon's death during the battle in Naboo, the Council went back on its decision and decided to let Anakin's training continue. Yoda continued to oppose the idea. He felt an intense threat around Anakin's future. That's because he believed that his emotional unrest would push him toward the dark side. Meanwhile, the Jedi learned that their old arch enemies, the Sith, who everyone believed had become a myth with their disappearance a thousand years ago, were back. Yoda, knowing the Sith followed the Rule of Two-one master and one apprentice-he was convinced another Sith Lord existed in the galaxy, despite the victory Obi-Wan Kenobi had obtained over Darth Maul.

Contribution in the Clone Wars

The galaxy soon became more and more close to civil war over the next decade. Many star systems were now in control of Count Dooku, Yoda's former student. He wanted to leave the Republic. By 22 BBY, that Separatist movement represented a noticeable threat. Recognizing that the Jedi Order could not protect the entire Republic by itself, Yoda captured the newly formed Grand Army of the Republic. As Grand Master, Yoda led the clone troopers against the Separatist Droid Army. In the very first battle of the Clone Wars on Geonosis, Yoda successfully rescued Jedi and Senator Padmé Amidala from execution.

For the next three years, Yoda served as a Jedi General, hoping to bring the war to an end soon. It was during this time that he received a visit from the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn. He taught Yoda how to maintain his identity after death. This further increased Yoda's knowledge of the Force.

Now, Yoda and the Jedi were unaware of the fact that Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith, had been secretly planning to destroy the Jedi and reinstate Sith rule. In 19 BBY, Darth Sidious launched the Great Jedi Purge, killing thousands of Jedi throughout the galaxy. Yoda was determined to stop Darth Sidious and he confronted the self-proclaimed Galactic Emperor in a duel within the Senate chamber. Despite his many abilities, he couldn't triumph over Darth Sidious, and Yoda retreated into the swamps of the planet Dagobah to conserve his life. During this time, Darth Sidius was increasing his power using the prophesized Chosen One Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader.

Yoda's Exile on Dagobah

After the destruction of the Jedi Order, Yoda retreated to the swampy planet of Dagobah for seclusion. This planet was full of Force and had other swamp-covered areas where Yoda could get in such a state of meditation by being closely in touch with the Force.

After Obi-Wan Kenobi’s death, his spirit  communicated with Yoda. He urged him to train Luke Skywalker, the son of Anakin Skywalker. Initially, Yoda was hesitant because he believed that the galaxy might be better off without his direct involvement. However, after reflecting on his past experiences and failures in the Cave of Evil, he made peace with his failures. He agreed to train Luke Skywalker.

Luke Skywalker then travels to Dagobah and undergoes training by Master Yoda. In this course, he develops not only physical expertise but also mastery over his connection with the Force. Yoda strongly forbids Luke Skywalker to not leave the training after he had a vision that his friends were in danger. It was actually a trap set by Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker’s father to trap him. But despite Yoda’s warnings, Luke Skywalker came into a confrontation with Darth Vader. It was revealed to Luke that his father was a fallen Jedi, now a Sith Lord. Luke wasn't able to digest this information and in his duel with his father, he lost his arm and his lightsaber. 

A year later, in 4 ABY, when Luke Skywalker returned to Dagobah to finish his training, it was too late. Yoda’s health had deteriorated significantly due to his old age. Within weeks of Luke's return, Yoda died and became one with the Force. He did this mere days before the son Luke Skywalker succeeded in redeeming his father, Anakin Skywalker. Anakin Skywalker fulfilled the Chosen One prophecy and he brought balance to the galaxy by killing the Galactic Empire’s Emperor Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidius.

Yoda's Legacy Through Luke and Rey

Years later, Luke Skywalker attempted to re-establish the Jedi Order. But during this, Ben Solo, who was Luke's nephew, succumbed  to the dark side. He later even destroyed Luke's Jedi Temple by killing many of his Jedi younglings. Luke Skywalker felt guilty for not saving the young Jedis and as a result, he exiled himself to Ahch-To. This was the site of the very first Jedi Temple.

During his exile at Ahch-To, a  young scavenger named Rey found Luke Skywalker and requested him to train her in the ways of the Force. Luke Skywalker was not very willing to train her at first but he later agreed. However, Rey left before completing her training. This was because she also saw a vision of her friends being put in danger and left to confront Kylo Ren and help her friends.

After Rey left, Yoda appeared before Luke Skywalker as a Force ghost. He told Luke that he could learn from his past mistakes and that these past failures do not define him. Yoda also taught him how he should detach and let things be. In this discussion, Luke Skywalker finally got the power to help the Resistance, thus playing a vital role on the events that occured on Crait.

FAQs

What is Yoda's species?

The species and homeland of Yoda is not exactly known. This adds to the mystery regarding his origin in the Star Wars Saga. 

How did Yoda become a Jedi Master?

Yoda had always been a Force-sensitive child. He started his training as a Jedi youngling and progressed through the ranks due to his innate abilities in the Force. This eventually got him to the rank of Jedi Knight and then became the Jedi Master serving the Jedi Council. He even became the Grand Master of the Jedi which is the highest ranking in the Jedi.

What was Yoda's contribution during the Clone Wars?

In the Clone Wars, Yoda was leading the Grand Army of the Republic against the Separatist Alliance as a Jedi General. Because of his wisdom and high ranking in the Council, he was actively involved in key battles and strategic decisions on behalf of the Council and to safeguard the Jedi.

Did Yoda survive the Great Jedi Purge?

Yes, Yoda is one of those Jedi who were able to survive the Great Jedi Purge and Order 66 by Chancellor Palpatine, actually Darth Sidious. Yoda went into exile on the planet Dagobah. This planet had a strong connection to the dark side of the Force which helped him conceal himself smoothly on the planet during this Great Jedi Purge. 

Did Yoda train other Jedi?

Yes, during his 800 years of being a Jedi Master, he trained a lot of Jedi. It is estimated that he had trained over 20,000 Jedi during this time. This spanned over generations of Jedi. It includes famous Jedi such as Kantam Sy, Count Dooku, Mace Windu, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker and many more.