Why Couldn't Yoda Beat Palpatine? It Had Nothing to Do With the Force

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Jedi Knights #1! One of the most iconic battles in Star Wars history is between Yoda and Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith. That battle literally held the fate of the entire galaxy in the balance, and while it may not have been as visually stunning (or emotionally gutting) as the battle between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, it was certainly more significant. The fight was as badass as it was important to the overall story, but it also left fans wondering: why couldn’t Yoda beat Palpatine? Now, Star Wars may have an answer, and it has nothing to do with the Force.

In Star Wars: Jedi Knights #1 by Marc Guggenheim and Madibek Musabekov, readers are thrown into the not-too-distant past of the main Star Wars franchise, as this book takes place shortly before the events of The Phantom Menace. At this time, Obi-Wan is still a padawan, and he is in the middle of a training session with Master Yoda. They aren’t working on Force-telekinesis or lightsaber combat; they’re focusing on the ability to peer into the future through Force-visions. As Obi-Wan does so, he sees a number of alarming potential futures, including one where Yoda falls to the dark side.

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This issue brushes over the idea that Yoda could fall to the dark side by quickly focusing on another part of Obi-Wan’s vision, which showed his master, Qui-Gon Jinn, being murdered by an assassin. That aspect of the vision falls more in-line with the story of this series as it is established in this first issue, so it makes sense why the comic focused on that rather than ‘Sith Yoda’. However, the idea of Yoda becoming a Sith Lord is certainly a standout moment in this comic for Star Wars fans, as it forces them to consider: what if Yoda actually did fall to the dark side?

When Star Wars fans are forced to consider the idea that Yoda could fall to the dark side, the first question they’d ask is an obvious one: how? What could possibly drive Yoda - arguably the Jedi most committed to the light side of the Force - to become a Sith? Well, Yoda’s battle with Emperor Palpatine might hold the answer to that question, as it’s possible that Yoda would have fallen to the dark side if he beat Palpatine in battle, and the fear of that happening is what held Yoda back from winning.

Yoda was Afraid of Falling to the Dark Side If He Beat Palpatine

Fear of the Dark Side Could Be What Kept Yoda from Winning Against Palpatine

It seems as though, in the end, Yoda’s fight against Palpatine had nothing to do with their respective strength in the Force - it was a mental game. Palpatine wasn’t holding anything back, and he was potentially drawing on Yoda’s own desire to kill him as a dark side power source, and Yoda more than likely knew that’s what Palpatine was doing. While Yoda only wanted to kill Palpatine for the greater good of the galaxy, he was still attempting to commit an act of murder, which is inherently bad.

Without even meaning to, it’s fair to assume that Yoda was flirting with the dark side during his battle with Palpatine, and that probably scared him immensely. Not only was Yoda inadvertently giving Palpatine more dark side power to draw from (as it’s been confirmed that Palpatine uses the hatred those have for him as a power source), but he was risking falling to the dark side himself if he continued fighting. And, if Yoda won, it may have been because he gave into his darkest nature while wielding the Force, exposing him to the dark side.

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While purely theoretical, it seems Yoda was accidentally drawing from the dark side and ‘feeding’ it to Palpatine, and when he felt that happening, Yoda could no longer focus on winning the fight, as he was too preoccupied ensuring he didn’t open himself up fully to the dark side. And, upon seeing a version of Yoda who had fallen to the dark side in this issue of Star Wars: Jedi Knights, it’s clear to see why Yoda was so frightened of what he may have become if he beat Palpatine.

The ‘Dark Side Yoda’ Obi-Wan Saw Might Not Have Been Yoda At All, but Palpatine

If Yoda Beat Palpatine, It’s Possible Palpatine Would Have Possessed Him with "Essence Transfer"

There’s also another interesting possibility as to the origin of this ‘Dark Side Yoda’: it’s not Yoda at all, but Emperor Palpatine himself. As confirmed in The Rise of Skywalker and Star Wars Legends’ Dark Empire, Emperor Palpatine has the dark side power of Essence Transfer. This allows Palpatine to project his spirit into others' bodies through the dark side, effectively ‘riding’ the dark side energy his potential host emits, allowing Palpatine to possess them.

That’s why Palpatine was always fine with someone striking him down (like Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi or Rey in The Rise of Skywalker), as they would have done so in anger, and Palpatine could have used the dark side power they generated to possess them. Perhaps the version of Yoda Obi-Wan saw in his vision is from a potential future where Yoda did beat Palpatine, but since he would have beaten him while inadvertently channeling the dark side (as previously theorized), Palpatine was free to possess him.

Star Wars Should Absolutely Explore a ‘Dark Side Yoda’

Yoda Might Have Been Afraid to Fall to the Dark Side, but Star Wars Fans Would Love It

The theory that ‘Dark Side Yoda’ is actually Palpatine inhabiting Yoda’s body is certainly a strange one, but based on everything Star Wars has confirmed about Palpatine and his dark side powers, it’s definitely possible. However, it’s also possible that Obi-Wan Kenobi’s vision in Star Wars: Jedi Knights had nothing to do with Palpatine at all, and was merely a peek into a version of Yoda who had fallen to the dark side on his own - perhaps, even, at some point before the events of this comic.

By showing Yoda as a Sith Lord, Star Wars has only piqued fans’ interest in exploring a potential chapter in Yoda’s life when he actually fell to the dark side. The period between The High Republic and The Skywalker Saga would be the perfect time period for a story like that to be told. Perhaps Yoda briefly fell to the dark side before clawing his way out of the darkness and back to the light. That would be an amazing Star Wars story, and this image of ‘Dark Side Yoda’ only makes fans want it even more.

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While it’s certainly possible that Yoda fell to the dark side at some point in the past (and is a story Star Wars should absolutely tell), it’s just as possible that this vision Obi-Wan had is a ‘what if’ scenario centered around Yoda’s fight with Palpatine. If Yoda beat Palpatine, he may have fallen to the dark side - whether that meant of his own doing or because he got possessed by Palpatine - and that thought may have frightened him to his core - and that fear is potentially why Yoda couldn’t beat Palpatine during their iconic Star Wars battle.

Star Wars: Jedi Knights #1 by Marvel Comics is available now.