Summary
- Yoda doesn't fear the dark side openly during the High Republic era, even when facing dangerous adversaries like the Nihil and the Nameless. He doesn't believe it will consume someone to the point of no return, unlike his later belief.
- Yoda works with a former Jedi Knight who fell to the dark side in investigating the Nameless. This shows that Yoda was not as fearful during this time.
- The High Republic Phase III has the opportunity to explain Yoda's fear of the dark side and his character change. It could be influenced by the Jedi's fight against the Nameless and a betrayal in Yoda's partnership with Rell.
Star Wars: The High Republic Phase III can explain why Yoda came to fear the dark side. The High Republic era takes place approximately 200 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. During this period, Yoda is 700 years old, a Jedi Grand Master, and a prominent member of the Jedi Council. High Republic-era Yoda is every bit as strong and wise as audiences have come to expect from his previous appearances in the prequel trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and the original Star Wars trilogy, but there’s one hugely important difference.
During the Clone Wars, Yoda and the rest of the Jedi feared the dark side to such a degree that it affected their decision-making and trust in the Force. When Anakin arrived, heralded as the so-called “Chosen One,” Yoda recognized Anakin’s fear and said: “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.” In the aftermath of the Clone Wars, once Anakin turned and the Jedi lost, Yoda came to fear the dark side’s power even more. In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda tells Luke Skywalker that once one turns to the dark side, it will “dominate their destiny” and consume them. Yoda’s fear was understandable – but he had a different outlook during the High Republic era.
