In episode 1 we find many things; we find Obi-Wan Kenobi is still an apprentice, we find Qui-Gon Jinn exists, Anakin Skywalker is a little boy, Padme is a kid also (and exists), we discover Sam Jackson’s best role. But most of all, we find Yoda a wizened Grandmaster on the Council and at the height of his wisdom it seems.
Old and decrepit in the Original Trilogy, Yoda could barely do more than stumble around. Hardly able to find, and on his last leg both emotionally and spiritually also, he has little real counsel to give Luke beyond teaching him the basics of being a Jedi. In universe, Luke spends maybe 3 months? Maybe 3 weeks? Something like that, on the planet training while his friends struggle to escape the Empire in the broken down, falling apart Millennium Falcon.
Yoda therefore didn’t really get to shine in the OT, but in the PT we see him in his glory days…. sorta’ve.
Hardly an impressive figure, he does seem to attract considerable respect from his fellow Jedi, and is revered by all. Yoda is responsible in this era for training youngsters and has set up the brutal Age of 13 ruling, and has turned the younglings’ struggle for that into a mortal competition (this is mostly due to how limited the number of Jedi Knights there are).
In the first movie of the PT he visibly disapproves of Anakin, and his training sensing much darkness, much fear as he puts it, in the young Skywalker.
As to his role in the second movie, in that one he assumes a larger role in some ways. He warns of the complacency, of the arrogance of the Jedi. It’s funny, because the only Jedi other than Anakin to suffer from this flaw is…. Yoda himself.
It is strange that he seems to look at Obi-Wan and Mace with stern eyes when he says this, and yet neither of them are particularly arrogant. What they are is worried for the Order, for the future of the Jedi and for Anakin to an extent (at least Obi-Wan is).
Why is Yoda so stern? Well, in the in-between years Yaddle who was a younger member of his race and has been around for 400 years has perished (due to Anakin’s stupidity), and between her loss and that of his favourite Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn he has become ever more isolated emotionally and reluctant to meddle in Republic affairs to the irritation of some (such as Obi-Wan).
What is more is that Yoda with his reluctance to step up, has shown weakness with Palpatine effectively taking command of the situation and pushing for the Jedi to become ever more over-worked, even as he dominates their affairs. At times he visits the Order, and in one instance even forces himself into a Council Meeting, which Yoda acquiesces to and meekly lets him make the decision for the Council (to the immense annoyance of Mace I imagine). It is a drastic affair certainly, but Yoda has fallen ever more under the influence since Ep 1 of Palpatine just as Anakin has.
It is interesting to note that in some ways both Obi-Wan and Mace are in the same predicament; with a Padawan, and a former Master respectively under the influence of the same man. Both are to become ever more suspicious of it, and both are to seemingly grow to dislike it.
Where Obi-Wan doesn’t show his suspicion after this movie until Ep 3, Windu would be extremely vocal about it, until he and Yoda had many disagreements with Windu unable to get his proposed suggestion to arrest Palps passed until it was too late.
Yoda is thus complacent, and somewhat easily influenced because of how comfortable and old he has gotten.
Hardly able to discern the vulnerable position the Jedi are in by being subservient to the Republic, or just how resented they are by the Senate (in spite of this being something that gave many sleepless nights to Ki-Adi Mundi, Plo Koon, Windu, Obi-Wan, Siri Tachi, Adi Gallia and countless others all of whom complained about it loudly), Yoda was to take slight after slight from the Senate also. From the likes of Padme who inadvertently (‘cause she’s a poor politician) insulted the Jedi in Ep 2, by accusing Dooku (will get into this in another article later), to Palps, to myriad other Senators.
It happens that Yoda’s position in Ep 2 is extremely weak, between the Granta Omega incident that occurred a year before Ep 2 which saw 19 Senators massacred in the Senate halls (and Yoda was blamed as were the Jedi), to the stretched thin issue of the Order’s Knights, to Dooku taking a chunk of them out of the Order (many had grown weary of the Order and wished for Reforms, all of which Yoda rejected), to the immense resentment against the Order by the Senate, it doesn’t look good for him.
Some may wish for reformed relations with the Senate, such as his heir apparent (who had a stiffer spine than him), others might wish to reform the whole Order (such as Obi-Wan Kenobi), still others might be content with things as they are, but the truth is all are uneasy and frightened of what the future may hold. None can imagine war will break out. Except for Mace, who seems to sense that war is on the horizon.
Yoda doesn’t see it, but when it comes he springs to action to claim the Clone Army to use it against Dooku and his CIS forces. Showing that though complacent to the threat of the Sith, to that of the Republic, Palpatine and countless other issues menacing the Order, he can spring to action when called to action.
Yoda is thus a peculiar Grandmaster at the time of Ep 2; both weak and strong. Both short-sighted and far-sighted. Unwilling to deal with politics, as he dislikes political maneuvering and yet more than capable of rising to the call when his Order is menaced by external threats, he is a case of; a great warrior but a poor leader in some ways.
Highly capable in the field of battle and as a battle-tactician, he is however no great strategist as his heirs are, and seems to have accepted the Chancellor’s leadership at face value.
He is a fascinating character, both compassionate towards Anakin (sensing what has happened on Tatooine) even as he blindly follows a Republic that has grown uncaring and cold towards the Mid & Outer Rims.
In all he is a heroic character, but one who should maybe have retired after the events of Episode 1, but then we wouldn’t have much of a plot if he had, now would we? Thus, at the start of Ep 2, he is worried about Jedi arrogance, has succumbed to the lure of giving over responsibility and influence over the Senate to an outsider and has also become ever meeker to some and ever more irritable towards others (such as those warning against the Chancellor and Senate).
Excellent article. Looking forward to more and I believe the Empire Strikes Back novelization mentions Luke training with Yoda for four months. Never read it, but I heard it on a podcast I was listening to. The Council Forcecast it was called, they were GreyJedi91, Evannova95, Reti4, Jensaarai1, and Antoine Bandele. They each have their own channels, and they have a main channel called Fanalysis.
Peace