In the sixth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, dubbed “The Lost Missions,” Yoda embarks on a mission after learning that Qui-Gon Jinn has become a part of the Living Force and gained the ability to speak from beyond the grave. While on this mission, Yoda must complete many trials to prove his worthiness, including fighting a Dark Side shadow of himself. Even though this moment is not the last of Yoda’s trials in Star Wars, it perfectly encapsulates two issues with the Jedi Order: their hubris and their denial of emotions that are deemed Dark.
After a brief stop on Dagobah, Yoda travels to a planet that he later learns is the origin of the Living Force and midi-chlorians. Once there, he meets with the Five Priestesses who represent five different emotions: Joy, Anger, Confusion, Sadness and Serenity. Serenity explains that “at death, in order for you to preserve your identity, you must know yourself, your true self and then let go.” At first, Yoda is dismissive of her guidance, stating that he is a Jedi Master and already knows himself.
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Serenity instructs Yoda to travel to an island in the air of the planet, and there he meets his Dark Side. In a Q&A on the Lost Missions, Dave Filoni and Tom Kane, the voice of Yoda in the series, discuss the creation of this Dark Side “Evil Yoda,” and Filoni explains how the final version matches his concept of a “beyond corrupt Gollum-y gremlin.” The Gollum inspiration shows in the way the shadow figure carries itself throughout the fight in the Shadow figure’s movement and poses. Since Gollum could be considered the Dark Side version of Smeagol, the inspiration is apt.
At first, the Shadow keeps to the shadows, calling Yoda’s name as he scurries around. Once the Shadow finally reveals himself, Yoda denies that this darkness could be a part of him. The Shadow accuses Yoda of indulging in the “decadence of war,” which, in turn, fuels Yoda’s inner Dark Side. As Yoda continues to deny the Shadow self, his Shadow grows in power, brutally throwing the Jedi around the cave. It’s only when Yoda finally admits that this darkness is a part of himself that he’s able to retake control and defeat his inner Dark Side.
Serenity then appears, stating that Yoda has “conquered his hubris” and can now continue with the trial to face other temptations. Serenity states, “The beast is you and you are the beast. To deny it simply gives it power.” The main source of Yoda’s Dark Side was his hubris, his belief that he had nothing left to learn about the Force or what it means to be a Jedi. Now that Yoda acknowledges this inner fault, he can continue with the trials and prove he is worthy to learn the ability to communicate past his death.
While this encounter is only a small part of Yoda’s trials, it still is a pivotal moment in his journey. The Jedi Master proves that to truly reject the Dark Side, one cannot ignore their darker emotions or pretend that they don’t exist. Instead, they must acknowledge all parts of themselves and use this knowledge to combat their darker urges. The Jedi’s hubris lies in their belief that they have nothing left to learn and their denial of the darkness within them, and that same hubris leads to their defeat and Emperor Palpatine’s rise.
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