Yoda (Powerstaark)

Yoda was Grand Master of the Jedi Order for centuries and without a doubt one of the most powerful Jedi in history. Yoda lived for many centuries and was an incredibly powerful warrior, a renowned master of the Force and a great teacher having taught almost every Jedi in the years running up to the clone wars to become Jedi.

Jedi training
Details about Yoda's past are scarce, but some events in his history have been established. Born on a remote planet, Yoda originally did not know that he was Force-sensitive at all. He left his home planet with a Human friend, who also did not know he was Force-sensitive, on an old, barely spaceworthy ship en route to the Core Worlds to seek employment. However, long before they could reach their destination, the ship was struck by an asteroid, causing it to become severely disabled beyond their abilities to repair. They spent several days drifting dead in space during which time both their life support systems and rations came close to being exhausted, and there was still no response to their distress signal. It seemed like they would soon meet their deaths until their sensors picked up a star system not too far away. They had just enough power to make it there, and did so before crash landing on Dagobah.

They spent a few days there before being found by a strange being: Hysalrian Jedi Master N'Kata Del Gormo, who revealed to them both that they were Force-sensitive. Master Gormo took them to his home where he trained them in the ways of the Force and, not long after their training was complete, a Galactic Republic starship picked up their distress signal and rescued the two friends, who were now Jedi themselves. It is quite possible that Master Gormo had a hand in arranging their rescue since the starship arrived a conveniently short time after the two Jedi's training was complete but this has never been confirmed.

Jedi Master
Yoda was eventually granted the title of Jedi Master and had begun the training of his first student, who would be one of the many Padawans Yoda would train over the long centuries of his life. It is unknown how old Yoda was by this point.

Later, Yoda was one of the Jedi Masters who led the mobile academy aboard the starship Chu'unthor. After crash-landing on the planet of Dathomir one hundred years after the ships construction, Yoda and the other Jedi fought with the famed Witches of Dathomir. Coming to a stalemate, he agreed to leave the ship's data tapes although left no means of reading them. The tapes were bestowed to Rell of the Singing Mountain Clan for safekeeping until such a time, Yoda foresaw, when a Jedi would come to save the planet from darkness and the information could safely be shared with the Witches. This did not happen until several centuries later, when Yoda's final student would find his way to Dathomir, fulfilling his Master's prophecy.

By the time Yoda was around 500 years old, when Beldorion left the Jedi Order, he was considered one of the greatest Masters in Jedi history.

When Yoda was around 800 he, along with other great Jedi Masters of the age, discovered that the shape of the Force had begun to flux, becoming murky and uncertain. Studying the perplexing mystery in silent meditation, the Jedi High Council, of which Yoda had been the Grand Master for roughly two centuries, was unanimous—the power of the dark side was growing. While the Council and the other Jedi believed this indicated the growing power of the Sith or other dark-siders, Yoda put forth the possibility that the darkening of the Force might suggest the imminent approach of the Chosen One, who prophecy said would bring balance to the Force. In opposition to this theory, several of the younger Jedi disputed Yoda's findings, and formed a breakaway sect—the Potentium. Their heresy was not welcomed by the Council, and Yoda led the campaign to expel them from the order.

Just under 30 years later Yoda traveled to Ord Cestus and saved the native X'Ting from disaster. They honored Yoda by building a giant statue of him, at least 70 meters tall, inside the X'Ting Hall Of Heroes.

About 68 years later an infant by the name of Dooku, heir to the title of Count on the planet of Serenno, was discovered by the Jedi and willingly given to the Order by his parents. When Dooku reached the appropriate age, he was taken as a Padawan by Council member Thame Cerulian, however, even though he studied under Cerulian, Yoda took a particular interest in the young Dooku and was frequently his adviser and confidant. The Jedi Master, however, was equally quick to point out Dooku's flaws when necessary. Yoda assisted quite closely in Dooku's lightsaber training as a Padawan, and building from this foundation, Dooku became an accomplished duelist with the weapon. In Dooku's later years, only Yoda and senior Council member Mace Windu, were considered equal to his skill with a lightsaber. Later, Yoda also served as the lightsaber instructor of Cin Drallig, who would become the Battlemaster of the Jedi Temple.

Early engagements
About 14 years before the Clone Wars, the Jedi Council received a transmission sent four standard days earlier informing them of an attack on Mayvitch 7 instigated by the Yinchorri. After news of this reached Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, he asked Mace Windu to send Jedi to negotiate with the Yinchorri. However, the aggressive Yinchorri murdered the two Jedi negotiate and sent their mutilated bodies to Valorum's Coruscant doorstep as a warning.

Following this, the Council created a Jedi strike team of twelve, including senior Councilor Mace Windu, to the Yinchorri system. Reports of the Jedi's engagement with Yinchorri forces that reached Yoda and the Council proved confusing and contradictory, whilst the diminutive Jedi Master sensed danger coming towards him in the Force. Yoda's danger sense proved accurate when the Yinchorri launched a raid on the Jedi Temple.

Raid on the Temple
The Yinchorri task force found that all the Jedi sleeping quarters were empty. The troops then entered a chamber where they were met by several armed Jedi, including Yoda. In the end, almost all the Yinchorri were killed while only two Jedi died: Jude Rozess and Tieren Nie-Tan.

Yoda interrogated the last remaining Yinchorri and asked him the location of the Yinchorri high command. The soldier responded to the Jedi Master by telling him that he did know since he was only an ordinary soldier. Yoda then turned to converse with Soon Bayts, a Jedi Knightwho brought word from Adi Gallia and Eeth Koth at the high command was not on Yitheeth and that they were heading to Yibikkoror to help Plo Koon and Micah Giiett.

These distractions gave the Yinchorri in the Temple enough time to grab his weapon and attempt to shoot the Jedi Master. Yoda, however, used the Force to throw him against a wall, presumably killing him. The Jedi then came to the conclusion that the Yinchorri were misguided rather than bloodthirsty and that the attack may have been the work of an unknown party, rather than the Yinchorri themselves.

Endgame
Following the unsuccessful raid on the Jedi Temple, the Jedi strike team continued to engage the Yinchorri, whilst Yoda remained on Coruscant. Master Windu eventually reported to Yoda, informing him that the strike team had discovered the location of the Yinchorri's high command, thanks to Master Yaddle's knowledge of the Jedi holocrons. The Jedi led an attack on the world, whilst four navy attack groups authorized by the Senate arrived to help them, concluding the uprising.

Invasion of Naboo
One year later the Galactic Senate passed legislation that called for the taxation of trade routes to outlying systems, in an attempt to weaken the ever-expanding Trade Federation, which had grown increasingly powerful; to the point that it had its own Senate delegation and easily 'persuaded' Republic weapons inspectors to overlook the arming of the Federation's shipment vessels into lethal battleships.

As such, the Federation created an invasion force of battle droids, in addition to their growing fleet of warships, and in protest of the Senate's legislation, blockaded the small world of Naboo. Queen Amidala of Naboo implored the help of the Republic, and as such, Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum asked Yoda and the Council to send Jedi to negotiate with the Trade Federation, as ambassadors of the Republic.

The Council sent Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi, to negotiate with the leadership of the Trade Federation. However, upon the arrival of the Jedi, the Federation attempted to assassinate them and began invading Naboo; the Jedi were able to escape their would be killers and rescue the Queen of Naboo, Amidala.

Upon returning to Coruscant, Qui-Gon Jinn brought a young Anakin Skywalker to the Jedi Council, requesting to train him once Obi-Wan Kenobi had completed the trials necessary to become a Jedi Knight, as Jedi could only have one apprentice at a time. Yoda, as the teacher of many of those on the Council, and its most venerable and respected member, played a key role in that body's initial decision to deny the request. Yoda believed that the boy was clearly affected by his years as a slave and that he still clung too tightly to the memory of his mother to be trained safely. The boy's future, Yoda thought, was clouded. Qui-Gon however, continued to insist that Skywalker was the Chosen One, who would bring balance to the Force.

Return of the Sith
In addition to this supposed Chosen One, Qui-Gon brought news of the return of the Sith; while he and the Queen's entourage had been preparing to depart the planet of Tatooine after having their damaged ship repaired, what appeared to be a Sith Lord confronted the Jedi Master in a lightsaber duel.

After finding the Senate unresponsive to her pleas for aid, Queen Amidala demanded a vote of no confidence in Supreme Chancellor Valorum's leadership, before returning to Naboo, where she successfully lead a revolt against the occupation of the Trade Federation. During this battle, Qui-Gon's mysterious attacker reappeared, and successfully slew him, though the attacker in turn died at the hand of Obi-Wan Kenobi. It became obvious to Yoda and others on the Council that the Sith had indeed returned, however, it was not clear whether the attacker who died at Kenobi's hand was the Sith Master or apprentice.

Following Amidala's call for a vote of no confidence in Valorum's leadership of the Senate, Naboo's own Senator, Palpatine, was elected the new Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. In addition, the Council against Yoda's wishes, granted Obi-Wan, now a Jedi Knight, permission to train Anakin Skywalker as a Jedi.

Mission to Mawan
Six years after the events at Naboo, Yoda went on a negotiation mission to Mawan with Obi-Wan, Anakin and Yaddle. Their goal was to settle a devastating civil war between three crime gangs. These gangs, led by Decca the Hutt, Feena Shaan, and Striker, caused the remainder of the population to take refuge underground. Unbeknownst to them, the chaotic planet was a trap set for the Jedi by Striker, really Granta Omega, son of Xanatos, in disguise. After kidnapping Anakin, he released a fatal chemical weapon that killed Yaddle when she absorbed it through the Force. However, through her sacrifice, she saved the city of Naatan. The weapon was intended by its vengeful maker to kill Anakin and Obi-Wan, but it failed because of what Yaddle had done. Anakin and Obi-Wan managed to bring peace to Mawan, but Anakin still felt responsible for the death of the Jedi High Council member. Yoda, despite the loss of Yaddle, still managed to convince Decca to leave the planet by "suggesting" that a Jedi outpost could be built on the planet, which was more than enough to make the criminal flee.

Separatist Crisis
Spurred by the failure of the Senate to even vote on the Financial Reform Act, many planets, systems and corporations began to withdraw from the Republic. In addition, and particularly troubling for the Jedi, especially Yoda, the disillusioned former Jedi Count Dooku, who had once studied under Yoda, was the leading voice among these Separatists.

Attempts on Senator Amidala
The growing threat prompted members of the Senate to call for a Military Creation Act, which would allow Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to create an army for the Republic. The leader of the opposition against this act was Senator Padmé Amidala, the former Queen of Naboo. When the time to vote on the act arrived, and Amidala arrived on Coruscant, an attempt was made upon her life, though she survived.

The Jedi Council, disturbed by this, had Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, placed in charge of the Senator's safety. Following a second attempt on the life of Amidala, Kenobi and Skywalker captured the bounty hunter responsible; only to have her killed by a second bounty hunter, through the use of a toxic dart, during her interrogation.

The Council had Kenobi trace the second bounty hunter, while Skywalker was to accompany Amidala to the safety of her homeworld. Yoda himself helped Kenobi in discovering the mystery behind the missing planet Kamino, where the Jedi Knight had traced the origins of the toxic dart; it was Yoda's belief that certain files had been deleted from the Jedi Archives for an unknown purpose. Even more disturbing, only a Jedi would be capable of erasing the files.

Clone army
Upon making his way to Kamino, Obi-Wan Kenobi discovered that a massive army of clones was being created; apparently, on the orders of the late Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. Kenobi reported this to Masters Mace Windu and Yoda, the senior members of the Council, who had had no knowledge of a clone army. Obi-Wan felt certain that the template of the clone army, a bounty hunter named Jango Fett, was the same bounty hunter who had been involved in the attempts on Senator Amidala's life.

Kenobi traced Fett to Geonosis, only to be captured during his report; which detailed his discovery that Count Dooku had formed an alliance of powerful corporations into a Confederacy of Independent Systems. This caused the Senate to grant the Chancellor emergency powers, with which he authorized the Grand Army of the Republic, while Senator Amidala and Anakin Skywalker attempted to rescue Kenobi, only to be captured themselves. In response, Master Windu formed a strike team to extract the captured trio, while Yoda went to Kamino in an attempt to discover the truth of the clone army, and to bring some of those troops also to Geonosis.

Battle of Geonosis
"The shroud of the dark side has fallen. Begun, the Clone War has."

- Master Yoda

Windu and the Jedi were confronted by a huge droid army under the command of Count Dooku, with only a handful surviving, when, with the rank of General, Yoda arrived with a contingent of the new clone army. Yoda commanded the forces of the Republic, before feeling a disturbance in the Force.

Master Yoda arrived in a hangar to confront Dooku, after he had grievously wounded Skywalker and Kenobi. After deflecting Dooku's Force powers, among which was Force Lightning, Yoda noted that he sensed the dark side in Dooku. A lightsaber duel began between the two. Yoda started off the duel by using Soresu and as Dooku began to tire he switched to Ataru and almost managed to defeat Dooku, however the Sith Lord used the Force to drop a pillar over Obi-Wan and Anakin. Yoda had to concentrate on stopping the massive construction from crushing the two Jedi, time in which Dooku made his escape.

Though the Republic won the Battle of Geonosis under the direction of High General Yoda, many Jedi were killed. More importantly, the one thousand year peace that had existed since the Seventh Battle of Ruusan had ended. Yoda sensed that the Clone Wars would be a long and tumultuous period for both the Republic and the Jedi Order itself, and indeed they were, shaking the galaxy to its very core. During the Clone Wars, Yoda, along with many other Jedi Masters, was forced to become a general fighting in various battles for the Republic on worlds across the galaxy.

Frontline warrior
Yoda had lost Dooku to the dark side before the war began, but during the conflict, Yoda lost another good friend. King Alaric of Thustra was planning to secede his homeworld to the Confederacy, although he intended to rejoin the Republic when the corruption he had witnessed was gone. Yoda traveled to Thustra to speak with Alaric, but his old friend was resolute, and eventually, his world became embroiled in battle. Unwilling to face the state of his world, Alaric drew a blaster on Yoda, knowing his friend would be forced to defend himself. Left with no choice, Yoda deflected the bolt into the body of the King. Yoda lamented the fall of his friend, but more worrying was how even he had been forced to draw his blade in battle, and feared he would have to draw it again in many battles to come.

When the Republic was contacted by crime lord Jabba the Hutt, in regards to his missing son, Rotta, and offered the Republic use of Hutt hyperspace lanes, should the Republic rescue the missing Huttlet, it became apparent that the only Jedi the Order could spare for the mission were Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. However, the two were embroiled in an on going conflict on Christophsis, and communications were impossible. As such, Yoda sent a youngling, Ahsoka Tano and Ahsoka's closest friend Tom Norton, to inform the pair of their new mission; and in addition, assigned Ahsoka as Skywalker's Padawan and Tom as Kenobi's Padawan. The group along with the help of their clone troopers eventually succeeded in rescuing Jabba's son, allowing the Republic to make use of unknown Hutt hyperspace lanes, an advantage the Confederacy did not have.

Mission to Rugosa
Shortly after, Yoda was selected to lead diplomatic relations with the Toydarian King Katuunko, as the Republic wished to build a base in his system to further combat the Confederacy in the Outer Rim Territories. However, the Confederacy intercepted communications between the king and the Republic with the newly built Skytop Station and, hoping to derail the negotiations, Separatist leader Count Dooku sent his apprentice Asajj Ventress to the neutral moon of Rugosa where the negotiations were scheduled to take place. When Master Yoda's warship arrived at Rugosa, it was immediately set upon by several Separatist cruisers; however, Yoda refused to be deterred, and escaped the frenzy via escape pod along with three clone troopers, and landed safely on the moons surface.

Once landing on the moon, the Jedi Grand Master contacted Katuunko, and after becoming aware of Ventress's presence, agreed to a wager; should Yoda defeat Ventress' best troops, Toydaria would join the Republic, however, should Ventress's forces overwhelm Yoda, then the king would ally his system with the Confederacy. Katuunko insisted that the Dark Jedi ensure Yoda be given a fair fight, to which she agreed. After returning to her base, Ventress contacted Dooku and stated that her forces were being deployed. She did not intend for Yoda to get his fair fight and dispatched the recently promoted 224 with the task of leading the droid forces, and the battle droids prepared to ambush the Republic's diplomatic squad. Led by 224 in his Armored Assault Tank, the main column of Confederate forces advanced into the jungle. Yoda and his men made their way to the rendezvous position on a different path, as the Jedi Master was certain that their enemies were already heading toward them. The droids began to go through the coral of the jungle, but the dense foliage prevented the tanks from advancing.

Yoda and the clones split up, seeking to use their surroundings to their advantage. The clones engaged a squad of B1 battle droids from the south and managed to defeat them, but B2 super battle droids then came to attack the clones, and the three were forced to flee. Yoda, meanwhile, was able to defeat an entire squad of droids on his own without even using his lightsaber. CC-4477 was almost hit by a rocket fired by a B2 super battle droid commander and was wounded in the leg. Yoda appeared and aided the clones, using the Force to turn around a battle droid and destroy the rest of the squad. Droidekas soon appeared, and the Republic forces fled. Yoda, clinging onto CC-4477's back, deflected the lasers at a nearby tall formation of land coral, causing the droids to be crushed, and the four escaped to a cave to rest. The clones learned that they were low on ammunition, but the Jedi Master imparted his wisdom on the clone troopers to further inspire their efforts.

After hearing the sounds of the droids approaching in the distance, Yoda and the clones exited the cave. The Jedi and his men arrived on a ridge to observe the advancing droids below, which were passing through a narrow pathway. Yoda left the clones on the ridge and faced three tanks and a large number of droids alone. The Jedi Master destroyed all of them, along with 224, leaving Katuunko amused and Ventress angry. However, Ventress did not give up easily; the Dark Acolyte broke the terms of the competition and secretly sent several droidekas to deal with the Jedi Master. As Yoda destroyed the last Confederate tank, the droidekas arrived, and the Jedi Master began blocking their laser attacks. CC-4477 launched the last of the rockets at an overhanging rock above the canyon, causing an avalanche to crush the droids. Yoda then led the clones to the rendezvous point, remarking that it was not polite to be late.

Katuunko was greatly amused by the droids' defeat. Through a holotransmission, the king informed Dooku that one Jedi was not worth a hundred battle droids, but rather a thousand, and stated that he would be joining the Republic. The Count urged him to reconsider, but the Toydarian king refused to deal with those who went back on their promises, as Ventress had broken the terms of the competition. Seeing that his plan had failed, Dooku ordered Ventress to kill the king, believing that negotiations might go smoother with his successor. Katuunko's guards tried to stop the Dark Acolyte, but Ventress merely Force-pushed them aside, knocking them unconscious. As Ventress attacked the king with her paired lightsabers, she found herself confronted by Yoda, having arrived in time to save the king.

Yoda used the Force to stop the Dark Acolyte's death blow from being struck. As Ventress' droid escorts were dispatched by the clones, Yoda disarmed Ventress herself, and after examining her lightsabers, the Jedi returned them to her, having proven they were useless against his telekinesis, while commenting that she still had much to learn. Ventress was outnumbered, and Yoda suggested that she surrender. In order to escape, Ventress detonated pre-planted explosives and caused the hillside adjacent to the Republic forces to collapse. Yoda was forced to telekinetically stop the rocks from crushing all of them, and as he did so, Ventress seized the opportunity and fled to her ship. Dooku, watching the events unfold through the holoprojector, commented before taking his leave that it was a pity that he had not been there himself.

With the Confederate threat over, Yoda was able to enter into negotiations with Katuunko. The king stated that discussions were unnecessary, however, as the Jedi had already proven his worth. Katuunko presented his ceremonial sword to Yoda and entrusted him with his planet's protection while pledging Toydaria's support to the Republic, declaring that it would be an honor to fight on their side.

Battle of Axion
A short time later, Yoda fought in the Battle of Axion alongside Nahdar Vebb. Yoda realised that this battle was one they were sure to lose and ordered the retreat. Nahdar refused at first but then the clone army backed off. This was one of the very few defeats Yoda would suffer during the clone wars as he was almost always successful in battle either through his skills as a warrior or his mastery of Battle Meditation. After the battle Yoda comforted Nahdar about their loss but neglected to point out that the Mon Calamari had sacrificed more clones than necessary.

Powers and abilities
Master Yoda was without a doubt one of the most powerful Jedi of all time. He was trained as a Jedi Consular and was perhaps the most skilled user of the Force alive by the time of the Clone Wars with the possible exception of Darth Sidious. He was a Master of Telekinesis and could move objects without even looking at them. He was able to disarm the Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress with a casual gesture and was even able to move large ships by using the Force. Yoda was also a master of Jedi mind tricks and was capable of an extremely powerful Force push capable of throwing hundreds of battle droids.

Yoda was one of the few Jedi of his time who mastered the art of Battle Meditation using it several times during the Clone Wars to spur the Republic on to victory. His mere presence on the battlefeild encouraged his allies to fight harder. However Yoda's presence didn't always guarantee victory as proven during the Battle of Axion. Nevertheless most of the battles and missions Yoda was involved in were successful.

Yoda displayed the ability to absorb and deflect Force Lightning using the power against Count Dooku and later Darth Sidious. He was also able to foresee events with a clarity perhaps only rivaled by Darth Sidious, and in addition, could feel the deaths of individual people and identify them from untold distances.

Though Yoda focused mainly on the Force he was a formidable opponent with a lightsaber, one of the greatest duelists in history. Yoda was an expert at all lightsaber forms except form VIII and possibly Form VI but his preferred style was Form VI: Ataru and he was able to move with blinding speed, leaping, flipping and spinning as he battered away at his enemies defenses. Despite his old age Yoda's speed and agility was almost unrivalled by any Force user alive. He also relied on Soresu quite regularly using it along with Ataru when facing blaster weilding opponents. Count Dooku believed that if Yoda ever turned to the dark side he would be capable of eliminating even Darth Sidious.

Personality and traits
To his students, the elfin luminary Yoda could appear as either very strict or like a grandfatherly figure, testing them to mental and physical extremes one moment and showing warmth the next. Students often disagreed with him at first, but gradually came to understand his attitudes.

Among his colleagues on the Jedi Council, he was known to have a penchant for mischief and practical jokes. He would also sneak candies into young Jedi's tunics when they were unaware. To all of them, he was the humble Yoda, who offered enlightened leadership and epitomized the ideals of the Jedi Order; a grandmaster of that august body, he was widely known as a sage instructor.

Yoda respected all life but would kill when he had to. He stuck rigidly to the Jedi code but this attitude was one of his weaknesses; he was unable to see that the Jedi Order needed to be changed for the greater good.

Like most of his species Yoda spoke in an unusual way. He usually tended to place verbs after the object and subject he was talking about. Some examples of his strange speech pattern are "Share the feeling, I do" or "See through you we can". People who were unused to Yoda's speech patterns could sometimes get confused about what he was saying to them but once someone got to know him they went along with his speech patterns. It is unknown if Yoda intended to speak like this or whether he did it through habit. Most members of his species spoke the same way but a notable exception was Vandar Tokare who lived many centuries before him.

Yoda walked with the aid of a cane later in life, although he was perfectly capable of throwing it aside and moving nimbly while using the Force. One of his canes was a gift from the Wookiees. His rare gimer stick cane contained nutrients that could sustain him were he to chew on it. He also used a hoverchair for moving around the Temple quickly and more efficiently.