Yoda was the oldest and wisest Jedi who ever lived, prompting several essential stories about the Grandmaster outside the Star Wars movies. From the time of the High Republic to the fall of the Galactic Empire, Yoda had countless adventures that shaped the Star Wars saga between the films. The variety of Yoda stories across different mediums is astounding and offers multiple ways to see the character in action. These stories also add greater depth to Yoda's character by showing how different aspects of his character were shaped by shocking revelations and unfathomable challenges.
This makes Yoda's life outside the movies crucial to understanding his journey as a Jedi Master, answering questions that were never fully explored on the big screen. Yoda's relationships with other Star Wars characters are fully developed outside the movies as well, enriching various character arcs across the saga. 10 Star Wars stories showcase Yoda at his best, follow him at his lowest point, and create engaging tales that are essential to the franchise.
10 The 2D Clone Wars Micro-Series Featured An Action-Packed Yoda (Legends) 
Yoda's first TV appearance came in Genndy Tartakovsky's Star Wars: Clone Wars, which showcased the Jedi Master in his most action-packed form. The very first shot of the series had Yoda igniting his green lightsaber as he rode into battle, and the 2D animation meant the series had no limits on the action. Clone Wars season 2 contained an arc where Yoda saved Luminara Unduli and Barris Offee almost single-handedly, while the final season 3 episodes had him team up with Mace Windu to fend off the Separatist invasion of Coruscant. Yoda may have been powerful in the prequel trilogy, but Clone Wars took his abilities to the next level.
9 Yoda Experienced A Vision Of Order 66 In "Sharing The Same Face" 
Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 1, episode 1 "Ambush" was adapted by Jason Fry into a short story for Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Stories of Light and Dark. It reveals that Yoda had a Force vision of Order 66 at the beginning of the Clone Wars, sensing that one of his clone troopers, Jek, would eventually have "feelings of disbelief and regret" only for them to be immediately "replaced by the need to obey." This is a reference to the inhibitor chips designed to make the clones execute Order 66 without question, and unfortunately, Yoda and the Jedi Council were unable to put the pieces together in time.
8 Jedi: Yoda Pit The Grandmaster Against An Old Friend (Legends) 
Yoda made many friends over his 900 years of life, and he was forced to confront one of those friends during the Clone Wars. Jedi: Yoda saw him lead an army against a king he had befriended 200 years before, and while he sought a peaceful resolution to the conflict, forces on all sides made it near impossible. The story demonstrates the challenge of a person living for so long and seeing the galaxy change around them, making the conflict especially personal for Yoda. It also highlights that the Jedi were no longer peacekeepers, taking up arms against their former friends rather than trying to forge peace between both sides.
7 The Clone Wars Season 6 Revealed How Yoda Became A Force Ghost 
Yoda experienced a second, more detailed vision of Order 66 in The Clone Wars season 6 as part of his journey to becoming a Force Ghost. Knowing that Yoda would need to preserve his consciousness after death, the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn guided his old friend to a group of Force Priestesses who challenged him to see if he was worthy. These episodes finally explained Yoda's conversation with Obi-Wan Kenobi at the end of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and brilliantly explored the Force's nature. Yoda learning the technique in a flash of light also provides a possible explanation for how Anakin Skywalker became a Force Ghost.
