Character Analysis: Yoda(Feat Grand)

 

Background

Very little is known about Yoda’s origins, as his home planet and race have largely been kept shrouded in mystery. What we do know is that his race is one that is incredibly powerful in the Force. With this innate talent at his fingertips, Yoda was inducted into the Jedi Order, a group of religious peacekeepers who worshipped the light side of the Force, as a youngling. After centuries of serving the order, Yoda eventually rose to the rank of Grandmaster of the Jedi Order and was involved in training practically every youngling who came to the Jedi Temple, at least to some degree. By the end of his time, that number was in the tens of thousands! One of Yoda’s padawans included Dooku, but he left the Order after seeing the corruption of the Galactic Senate and traditions of the Jedi.

During the years leading up to and after the Invasion of Naboo, the Jedi Order had begun to stray from its peacekeeping ways, becoming much more involved with the politics of the Galactic Republic and arrogant in their position of power, with the threat of the Sith having been non-existent for centuries. This only worsened with the arrival of the Clone Wars, in which Yoda was forced by the Senate to take on the position of leading the Grand Army of the Republic against the Separatist threat. The hypocrisy, hubris and ignorance of the Jedi eventually led to their downfall, as little did they know that the Chancellor of the Republic, Sheev Palpatine, was actually a Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious, who had played both sides of the war since the beginning. 

After Anakin Skywalker’s betrayal and defection to the dark side, the Great Jedi Purge and the reformation of the Republic into the First Galactic Empire, Yoda went into exile and spent the rest of his days alone on the swamp planet of Dagobah as penance for his failure, never to pick up a lightsaber again. Eventually, he trained his final apprentice Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force, before succumbing to old age and dying a peaceful death just before the Battle of Endor. Thanks to training he received from Qui-Gon Jinn however, Yoda managed to preserve his identity in the Force, gaining immortality in the form of a Force Spirit.

Experience

Yoda was 900 years old by the time he died, and served as a Jedi for centuries, becoming the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, sitting on the Jedi Council and leading the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. Despite not engaging in combat as much as other Jedi during the later days of the Republic, he was still regarded as a master of lightsaber combat and Force powers, and was well-revered for his wisdom. He was taught by Gorro to use the Force on the living stones, and was taught by Qui-Gon Jinn in preserving his identity after death by becoming a Force Spirit.

Equipment

Lightsaber

The classic of classic sci-fi weapons! As the name may imply, the lightsaber is a plasma blade, attached to a metal hilt that can be switched on and off at will, even without being physically touched. It is powered by a kyber crystal, which Yoda obtained during his Gathering ritual as a youngling. Typically these crystals are found by calling out to the young Jedi themselves, and the Jedi then use the Force to construct their own lightsabers themselves, essentially creating a bond with their weapon. Kyber crystals allow the Jedi to control their lightsaber’s length, thickness and heat, which on average is comparable to the sun and makes the lightsabers capable of cutting through almost anything, though certain materials are durable to resist it.

Jedi Robes

The traditional garments worn by Jedi, used to help them conceal their identity in a crowd or shield them from weather conditions. They can also hide items such as their lightsabers, credits, communicators, and more.

Gimer Stick Cane

A walking stick that Yoda uses to help him get around in his old age. He oftens uses it as a disciplining tool, hitting some students in the head with it.

Abilities

Lightsaber Forms

There are seven primary lightsaber forms and Yoda is a master of all of them.

• Form I - Shii Cho: Based on fencing, Shii Cho is the oldest and most basic of Lightsaber forms developed during a time before the Jedi used lightsabers in combat, when they still used metal swords. All Jedi are taught this form as younglings for a general idea of attacking and defending.

• Form II - Makashi: A refined form developed for lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat. Practitioners of this form focus on shifting their weight and balance, and preventing themselves from being disarmed.

• Form III - Soresu: A lightsaber form based around using quick and tight movements to make sure the user leaves little to no openings for enemies to exploit. It was developed after the advancement of blaster technology and is thus excellent for defending against projectiles.

• Form V: The fifth form of lightsaber combat is based around strength and comes in two variations, depending on the opponent.

• Shien: This variation of Form V is for battles against blaster wielders, taking advantage of a lightsaber’s ability to deflect blaster bolts and send them back at the enemies who shot them.

• Djem So: This variation of Form V is for battles against other lightsaber wielders, which focuses on dominating the opponent through sheer strength.

• Form VI - Niman: A lightsaber form developed to give a balance to all the other forms so that Jedi may end a conflict swiftly without the need to resort to any violence that typically goes beyond their peacekeeping ways. During the times of the Old Republic, it was the primary form used by many Jedi, as its simple but effective understanding meant that less training would be required to understand it, and more time could be spent on political strategy and negotiation abilities.

• Form VII - Juyo: The most difficult of lightsaber forms, to the point that only those who have mastered several other forms are capable of properly using it. The form focuses on bold and direct movements, and generally requires a lot of physical and emotional energy to be used. This makes the form very unpredictable and very dangerous, with most Jedi not even being allowed to use it due to how closely it resembles the Sith’s intensity in lightsaber combat.

But while Yoda was a master in all of them, his speciality was the fourth form.

Form IV - Ataru

The most physically demanding lightsaber form, as the user amplifies their body’s abilities with the Force to keep insane amounts of pressure on their opponent by running, jumping and spinning to attack an opponent at blurring speeds and with incredible precision. The form is so offensive that it could only be used to its full potential if the user never lets up for a second. While it can be taxing on Yoda’s old body, he believes it to be the form best suited to his small stature, and his Force abilities help him maintain energy in a prolonged fight.

The Force

The Force is a metaphysical, spiritual, bunding, and ubiquitous energy field throughout the universe, created by and binding together all living things. This connection was created through the Midi-chlorians (microscopic organisms) that could be found in one’s bloodstream, and individuals born with a high enough count of them had a higher awareness of the Force. These people are known as “Force-sensitives”, and it allows them the ability to manipulate the Force itself to perform a wide variety of abilities. The more Midi-chlorians one had in their bloodstream, the higher their potential in using the Force was. Yoda himself had one of the highest Midi-chlorian counts in history, and was well able to harness the full extent of that power by his old age. According to the Jedi Master himself, Jedi are “the Force made physical”.

Telekinesis

One of the common abilities granted by the Force is Telekinesis, enabling Yoda to manipulate the physical environment. 

• Force Push/Pull: The most common use of telekinesis is for the user to push/pull an object or an opponent away/towards from them. The bigger/heavier an object is, the more difficult it is to push it, but Yoda has managed to use this ability on the likes of the Giants of Living Stone, so he can clearly do a lot with it. There’s also a stronger variant of Force Push called Force Shove, which pushes the target even further away.

• Force Grip: The user “grips” an object or being with the Force in order to move it. He’s used this ability to control the movements of beings and make them fight each other. He even used it on a battle droid to make it shoot other droids in the first episode of The Clone Wars. It’s also often used to control a lightsaber in midair. Dark side Force users use this technique to perform the Force Choke, clamping down on a target’s airways to suffocate them, even crushing their throat in extreme cases. 

• Force Crush: The user crushes the inside of an enemy, crippling them. This can be used to destroy organs such as the heart or lungs.

Force Senses

An ability shared by most, if not all Force users. This ability ranges from sensing a person’s feelings, such as anxiety, fear, or anger, to feeling disturbances in the Force when certain devastating events occur, to sensing presences even if it cannot be seen.

These senses also grant the user some precognitive abilities known as Farsight, which allows them to see events that will play out in the future. Yoda says that it can be difficult to see the future sometimes however, since it’s always in motion. In battle, Jedi can use the Force to read an opponent’s movements in advance. Force Senses also grants heightened hearing and sight via Force Sight and Force Listening.

Telepathy

Allows the user to read minds and mentally communicate with others. From a young age, Jedi are also taught the Thought Shield ability, a mental barrier which makes it difficult for them to have their thoughts read. It also allows them to fight off an opponent's telepathy themselves.

Jedi Mind Trick

A persuasion tactic used by the Jedi in which they influence a person’s thoughts by using the Force. By waving their hand and uttering a given phrase, their target will repeat that phrase and believe it to be true. This ability typically only works on the weak-willed, but strong enough Jedi such as Yoda can use it on the likes of Captain Typho. The combination of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu nearly succeeded in using it on Cad Bane, though the process could have destroyed his mind. 

Shatterpoint

By focusing incredibly hard on an individual or object, Force users can detect a weakness in them. Should a physical weakness be found, the Force can be applied to it and weaken it further, such as reopening scars. It can also be used to find mental weaknesses, such as flaws in fighting forms or fears.

Force Visions

A rarely seen but powerful aspect of the Force that enables the user to see into the distant future. Yoda had some of these visions when he travelled to Dagobah for the first time to learn the secrets of immortality. In his visions, he saw the fall of the Jedi and the rise of the Galactic Empire.

Force Illusions

The Force can be used to cast illusions of objects and people that appear real, but cannot be physically interacted with. Variants of this ability include:

• Force Cloak: A rare ability which allows the user to bend light and sound to render themselves invisible.

Force Stealth

A technique that Jedi and Sith use to hide their Force alignment and power. Typically used against other Force-sensitives as a method of hiding their presence and preventing detection, as the name may imply.

Force Speed

Force users have often harnessed its power to increase their physical abilities, with this one being used to increase their speed. Yoda in particular is known for using it during combat alongside his small stature to make himself a very tricky target to hit, as well as to make up for his old age. Similar abilities include:

• Force Body: Allows the user to push their body beyond their physical limitations for a brief period of time. It’s very dangerous however, and requires a strong connection to the Force to be properly used.

• Enhance Attribute: A Force power that allowed a Force-user to increase a physical attribute for a limited time, allowing them to jump higher, move and react faster, see better, and other such abilities.

• Force Enlightenment: A passive light side Force power. While active, it takes the Force powers a Jedi is most skilled in and pushes them to the highest degree that they had previously mastered during their routine training.

Force Heal

A Force technique that allows the user to accelerate the healing process of themselves or others, regenerating tissue, reducing pain, or curing ailments. With enough time and concentrated meditation, even bones and organs can be healed.

Tutaminis

A technique for absorbing and redirecting energy. Yoda has used it against Count Dooku and Darth Sidious’ Force Lightning, either absorbing the attacks, sending the lightning back at his opponent, or creating a burst of energy that sends him and his opponent flying. Others have used this technique to deflect blaster bolts, and even lightsabers in some cases.

Lightning Summoning

In the Last Jedi, Yoda uses the Force to call down a bolt of lightning from the clouds which strikes the first Jedi Temple, setting it ablaze.

Force Spirit

By undergoing special training, certain Jedi such as Yoda have learned the secrets to immortality through preserving their consciousness and identity after death by merging with the Living Force (the energy of the Force that is created by living creatures). Through this technique, they can appear as “ghosts”, or a physical manifestation of the Force which allows them to communicate with the living. The bodies of Jedi who have learned this technique will disappear after they die.

Feats

Power

• Holds back a Giant of Living Stone with the Force

• Holds back the Giant’s fist with his lightsaber. The ground beneath Yoda is fractured, but he's fine himself. Uses the Force to topple over the mountain.

• Causes an avalanche with the Force

• Lifts giant rocks with the Force

• Uses the Force to push tanks back into ships, closes the ship up, and then crash another ship on top of it, causing them both to explode. Then crashes another two ships together while they’re in midair.

• Yoda and Mace Force Push a wave of battle droids

• Yoda carrying a giant metal box on his back. Inside of it was a giant multi-barreled cannon.

• Lifts Luke's X-Wing out of the swamps of Dagobah

Scaling

• Anakin Skywalker moved a dreadnought

• Darth Plagueis affected Naboo’s climate

• Kyp Durron moved a black hole

• Yarael Poof binded the Infant of Shaa

• Palpatine chucked a galaxy(wait what)

Speed

• Lifts a Jedi with the Force and deflects a laser blast at the same time

• Catches and redirects Dooku's Force Lightning with Tutaminis

• Easily outspeeds Dooku in lightsaber combat and forces him to retreat

• Outruns and avoids Dooku's Force Lightning

• Pilots ships through space

• Quickly defeats numerous invisible droids

• Uses Force Speed

• Deflects numerous blaster bolts and is still able to keep up a conversation with Mace Windu

• Uses Force Speed to dodge blaster bolts

• Pulls out his Lightsaber to deflect a point-blank blaster shot

• Blocks and catches Palpatine's Force Lightning

Scaling

• Jedi have deflected lasers that could be argued to be lightspeed

• Jedi regularly dogfight at near light speeds in their space crafts

• Darth Sidious’ spirit travels across the galaxy

• Vitiate travels across the galaxy

Durability

• Despite his supposedly low stamina, Yoda spent hours climbing the living mountain at the exact same pace

• Holds back the living mountain's first with his lightsaber. The ground beneath Yoda is fractured, but he's fine himself.

• Takes a beating from Dark Yoda

• Survives being hit with Palpatine's Force Lightning

Skill

• Grandmaster of the Jedi Order for centuries and leader of the Grand Army of the Republic. Was well-known for how wise and knowledgeable he was.

• Trained almost every Jedi that came to the temple on Coruscant for centuries. Some of these include Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Mace Windu, Count Dooku, Ki-Adi Mundi, and more.

• Says it's been "centuries" since he's needed help. Probably hyperbole, but speaks to his abilities.

• Defeats a room full of pirates

• Easily blocks Dooku's "finest assault yet." Bests the Sith Lord in combat and forces him to retreat.

• Essentially considered Asajj Ventress a non-threat when faced with the possibility of fighting her

• Bested the likes of Darth Sidious in lightsaber combat. Sidious was skilled enough to defeat Maul and Savage Opress at the same time, and killed three Jedi Masters in seconds just hours before his fight with the Grandmaster.

• Defeated Dark Yoda, Giant of Living Stone and Count Dooku

Scaling Explanations

Yoda is one of the most powerful Force users in the entire franchise, and is confirmed to be the most powerful Jedi of the Clone Wars era, even compared to the likes of Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker. He overwhelmed Count Dooku with ease in Attack of the Clones, and the Sith Lord had to rely on some cheap tricks in order to make his escape from the battle.

Yoda was so revered, even Darth Sidious feared having to face him in combat. Yoda told Obi-Wan that he was the only one between the two of them strong enough to face the Emperor in Revenge of the Sith, and Palpatine had to keep his distance from Yoda during their fight and rely on his Force abilities in order to compete, due to being outmatched in lightsaber combat.

Weaknesses

Overall, Yoda doesn’t have much in the way of obvious weaknesses. However, his old age does leave him lacking in stamina a bit. While his physical prowess is nothing to scoff at, making incredible use of his speed, agility and precision to compensate for his small size in lightsaber combat, can generally only really push himself for a short period before he tires. By the end of his life, Yoda had grown incredibly ill and only survived by sustaining himself with the Force.

And while not technically a weakness in the context of a Death Battle, it is worth noting that Yoda is primarily a pacifist by nature, and typically will not tap into the full potential of the Force.