Summary
- Yoda's decision to go into exile was not a cowardly move, but a choice to save the Jedi and defeat the Sith.
- Yoda realized that the Jedi's teachings had become outdated and a new generation of Jedi could learn from his mistakes.
- Yoda's exile was a form of redemption, allowing him to reflect on his failures and ultimately train Luke Skywalker contribute to the restoration of balance in the galaxy.
Yoda still stands as one of the most powerful characters in Star Wars, yet even he couldn't defeat Palpatine. After their battle in Revenge of the Sith, Yoda felt beaten and fled into exile on Dagobah, where he hid away for 19 years. However, despite his painful loss against Darth Sidious, hiding for nearly two decades can be viewed as a cowardly move. So, why did Yoda go into exile?
With Palpatine's ascent to Galactic Emperor, and Order 66 purging the ranks of the Jedi Order, the situation seemed unrecoverable. Yet, in a last-ditch effort to save the galaxy, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda chose to confront Palpatine and the newly anointed Darth Vader. Although the Jedi Order was already destroyed, the death of the Sith would cause chaos across the new Empire and could have allowed for a return to the Republic. But ultimately, Obi-Wan and Yoda failed, and the galaxy paid a heavy toll.
Updated October 12th, 2023 by Jordan Iacobucci: In the age of many Star Wars Disney+ series designed to fill in plot points and cliffhangers left behind by the movies, even some questions remain unanswered. Even with the scores of extra content available, few movies or series in the Star Wars universe have been able to adequately explain one question from Revenge of the Sith: why did Yoda give up so easily?
Yoda's Duel With Palpatine Called for a Strategic Shake-Up
Yoda claims that the light side of the Force is stronger than the dark, but his battle against Palpatine is almost equal. The Sith Lord's powers were enough to overwhelm the Jedi and send him plummeting down to the depths of the senate chamber. Yet the battle wasn't a complete loss for Yoda, as Palpatine was just as overwhelmed and seemed to have taken the same level of beating. Even so, Yoda saw the fight as a loss and took his leave.
While his decision to go into exile can seem rather abrupt, the novelization of Revenge of the Sith is explained by looking into Yoda's point of view. After battling Palpatine, he realized the Sith had grown far stronger than the Jedi and that his years of training had failed. Though the Jedi had taught the same teachings for over a thousand years, the Sith had been using the Rule of Two to evolve and better themselves.
The Jedi Order had remained unchanged for so long that the Sith were able to overtake them in power. And so, with his defeat, Yoda was faced with two options: return to the fight and risk dying, or hide and help train the next generation of Jedi. While the first option may have been better for the short-term, Yoda believed the only way for the Sith to truly be defeated was to teach a new set of Jedi, ones that weren't so bound by the rules of the Order.
Yoda's Exile, Finally Explained
Upon Yoda's realization of his own mistakes, the Revenge of the Sith novelization reads, "He knew, at that instant, that this insight held hope for the galaxy. But if he fell here, that hope would die with him." And so, Yoda hid away to keep the hope alive and train new Jedi differently than before. This meant that instead of taking Force-sensitive children from a young age, he would wait for worthy Jedi to actively seek him out and choose for themselves to be a part of the Order.
While Yoda could've returned later to confront Palpatine, doing so would have bet the entire Jedi future on a single battle. And even if he were to win, there was no guarantee that the new Empire would come to an end. So, by accepting the loss and hiding away, Yoda knew there was hope for new Jedi, ones who could learn from his mistakes and defeat the Sith once and for all.
Yoda's Exile Was Also His Redemption
In going into exile on the deserted planet of Dagobah, Yoda was making up for his own failures, which led to the fall of the Jedi Order. As the oldest and wisest of the Jedi, he of all people should have been able to see through the trickery and deceit of Chancellor Palpatine. However, much like the rest of the Jedi Order, Yoda had become complacent in the years leading up to The Phantom Menace. Refusing to listen to warnings from resolute Jedi like Qui-Gon Jinn and Count Dooku, Yoda allowed a Sith Lord to slip past his defenses, eventually resulting in the destruction of the entire Jedi Order. Such a massive failure required a drastic change from Yoda, as he struggled to redeem himself for his catastrophic mistake.
By the time audiences catch up with Yoda during the events of The Empire Strikes Back, he is a changed man. Nearly two decades of living on his own and contemplating his mistakes helped him see the errors of his ways. Moreover, Yoda's life of solitude has become his penance, remaining entirely alone until the arrival of Luke Skywalker. In training this powerful new Padawan, Yoda was given a second chance at redemption--something that could never have happened had he continued the fight against the Empire after Revenge of the Sith. Having learned from his mistakes during the Clone Wars, Yoda taught Luke everything he could, preparing him for the battle against the Emperor, eventually resulting in the salvation of the galaxy.
Some audiences are quick to judge Yoda for running away after losing his fight to Emperor Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith. However, it remains clear that Yoda's spiritual journey between Episode III and The Empire Strikes Back was essential to Palpatine's eventual defeat. In biding his time and waiting for the right apprentice to come along, Yoda amended his mistakes from his previous lifetime and managed to set the galaxy back in order.