Yoda is one of the wisest and most powerful Jedi to ever exist in Star Wars. First introduced in The Empire Strikes Back back in 1980, Yoda remains one of the most popular and intriguing characters in a galaxy far, far away.
Some of Yoda's abilities with the Force are well known, like the fact he learned how to become one with the Force so he could become a Force ghost after passing away. Another ability most know is that he can absorb and deflect Force lightning, a power he used when dueling both Count Dooku and Darth Sidious. These are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Yoda's powers, though. He possesses many hidden powers that allow him to be one of the strongest and wisest Jedi in the galaxy. This includes powers he exhibited in both canon and Legends material.
Impressive as he may be, Yoda is not invincible. Like any living creature, Yoda has his weaknesses. These could be weaknesses related to his abilities in the Force, but they could also be related to personality traits and beliefs that led the Jedi Order astray and to a certain degree contributed to their fall.
It's time to take a look as we explore the 15 Hidden Powers Yoda Has That Only True Fans Know About (And 5 Weaknesses).
Hidden Power: He Can Read The History Of A Person's Soul
One of Yoda's rare powers was the ability to read the history of a person's soul. The Force allowed Yoda to do this merely by touching another individual. A significant instance in which Yoda used this power was in the canon novel Dark Disciple when the Jedi Council wanted to test the faith of Quinlas Vos.
Yoda touched Vos and read the history of his soul and saw through it that he had fallen to the dark side. Vos was powerful enough to shield the rest of the Jedi from this truth during his trial. Through his ability to read the history of another's soul, though, Yoda was not duped and was able to see the truth by touching Vos.
Hidden Power: He Can Telepathically Communicate With Jedi Across The Galaxy
Fans were ecstatic when Yoda -- voiced by Frank Oz -- appeared in the animated series Star Wars Rebels. Even though Yoda was still in his self-imposed exile on Dagobah, Rebels made Yoda's appearance work by having him telepathically communicate with Ezra Bridger in seasons 1 and 2. In both instances, Yoda telepathically communicated with Ezra while he was inside the Jedi Temple on Lothal.
It is suggested through this that Yoda could mentally converse and even appear before any Jedi across the galaxy as long as they were within a Jedi Temple, still active in the Force, and had not forsaken the ways of the Jedi. That second time, Ahsoka Tano also briefly saw Yoda. He waved at her and she smiled at him, offering the closure the two never received during the Clone Wars.
Hidden Power: He Can Create Jedi Holocrons
Holocrons are prized items designed to hold invaluable information and ancient lessons about the Jedi Order and the Sith. Only through the power of the Force can a holocron be activated and its information made accessible. By the time of the prequel trilogy, few Jedi still possessed the knowledge of how to create a Jedi holocron. Yoda was one of the few Jedi who still had this knowledge and he even created a Jedi holocron of his own. This was one of the last Jedi holocrons ever made, containing information about the Jedi Code.
In Legends, Jedi Knight Jax Pavan -- a survivor of Order 66 -- located the holocron made by Yoda. Pavan took the holocron before Darth Vader could find it in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
Weakness: His Use Of The Force Is Diminished By Darth Sidious
During his mission to uncover the truth behind the assassination attempts on Padmé Amidala's life in Attack of the Clones, Obi-Wan Kenobi discovered that a clone army for the Republic had been created at the order of Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas a decade earlier. He reported this information to Yoda and Mace Windu.
Both Jedi were stunned by this revelation. Despite their prowess in the Force, both Yoda and Mace Windu had remained oblivious until Obi-Wan's report that a clone army for the Republic had been created, much less by a former Jedi Master. It was through the machinations of Darth Sidious and his strength in the dark side that even Jedi as powerful as Yoda and Mace Windu had their abilities in the Force diminished, unable to see the truth of the clone army and much else until it was far too late.
Hidden Power: Force Empathy
Force empathy was an ability used by Force-sensitives to uncover an individual's emotional state, including their deeper motivations and secrets sealed off by hidden emotions. Yoda was considered to be the strongest user of Force empathy among the Jedi. It was this power in Attack of the Clones that caused Yoda to go after Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker on Geonosis as they pursued Count Dooku.
Yoda sensed the severe tension between Obi-Wan and Anakin after Padmé Amidala fell from the LAAT Gunship. Anakin desperately wanted the clones to land the ship and make sure that Padmé was all right while Obi-Wan commanded the clone to continue their pursuit of Dooku. It was this tension and the dangerous consequences it would bring that persuaded Yoda to go after the Jedi as they confronted Dooku.
Hidden Power: Summoning Lightning
Through his duels with Darth Sidious and Count Dooku, it was well known that Yoda could absorb and deflect Force lightning with his palms. However, Yoda's ability as a Force ghost to summon lightning and use it to strike the material world was an ability kept hidden until The Last Jedi. As Luke Skywalker struggled yet again to go through with burning the sacred tree housing the sacred Jedi texts, Yoda beat his former pupil to the punch by striking the tree with lightning.
Yoda's ability to do this is a game-changer to what is known about Force ghosts. It raises questions of how much Force ghosts can do to affect the material world, not to mention whether the power shown resides within all Force ghosts or only within one as powerful as Yoda.
Hidden Power: He has Mastered All Forms Of Lightsaber Combat
Audiences didn't see Yoda wield a lightsaber until his duel with Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones, but Yoda was already more than proficient in lightsaber combat. In fact, Yoda was trained in all seven forms of lightsaber combat and had full mastery and knowledge of all of them. He was considered to be the best instructor at the Jedi Temple when it came to lightsaber combat, knowing which forms were most appropriate for each of his students.
Yoda's preferred style of lightsaber combat was Form IV, an aggressive and fast-paced fighting style ideal when dueling a single opponent. Form IV is what Yoda used against Dooku in Attack of the Clones, which explains why Yoda was jumping all over the place and at such fast speeds.
Weakness: Emotional Detachment
One of the Jedi Order's greatest failings was their obsession with emotional detachment, a belief held strongly by Yoda. Padmé Amidala asked Anakin Skywalker about this philosophy in Attack of the Clones. As Anakin essentially explained, Jedi were encouraged to love and protect all individuals equally in their duty as peacekeepers of the galaxy. They would be unable to perform this duty if they valued the lives of certain individuals above others.
While it makes sense in theory, the insistence of Yoda and the Jedi Order on this matter largely contributed to their downfall. When Anakin sought Yoda's help about how to handle his feelings, Yoda told him to just let go of his feelings. Forbidding Anakin to have emotional attachments and forcing him to hide and swallow his emotions played a huge role in him falling to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader, and betraying the Jedi Order.
Hidden Power: Battle Meditation
Battle meditation was a unique Force ability that allowed one to strengthen the morale, stamina, and fighting prowess of allies while also weakening these same qualities in the enemy. Yoda used battle meditation to aid the Wookies and the Republic's army of clone troopers in their fight against the Separatist droid army during the Battle of Kashyyyk.
Yoda is shown using this ability during the Battle of Kashyyyk not only in Revenge of the Sith, but also in an issue of the Legends comic Star Wars: Republic: Hidden Enemy. This was crucial to the Wookies and clones defeating the Separatist droid army. Battle meditation couldn't solve all of the conflicts on Kashyyk, though, as Order 66 caused the clone troopers to turn on Yoda and the other Jedi masters there, along with any Wookies who tried to help the Jedi escape.
Hidden Power: He Can Stop Strikes From Giants Of Living Stone
The canon comic Star Wars 30: Yoda's Secret War, Part V sees Luke Skywalker battling an enemy from Yoda's past. These enemies are giants of living stone. Such creatures were giants made of blue stone containing the Living Force, which allowed the stone giants to come alive and be formidable adversaries. Yoda had the power to stop strikes or attacks from these giants.
Luke learned of the giants and of Yoda's battles against them in the journals of Obi-Wan Kenobi that Luke took from his old mentor's hut on Tatooine. The young Skywalker's journey takes place before The Empire Strikes Back, which meant that he began learning about Yoda and his impressive abilities before meeting him for the first time on Dagobah.
Hidden Power: Force Visions
Force visions allowed certain Force-sensitive individuals to see visions into the past and future. Yoda was an individual who had the ability to experience Force visions. While on a journey to discover the secrets to becoming one with the Force in Dave Filoni's Clone Wars series, Yoda experienced a vision showing the fall of the Jedi Order. His vision was eerily similar to the events that would later unfold at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant in Revenge of the Sith.
The visions were not completely accurate, though, as they showed Ahsoka Tano perishing inside the Jedi Temple when in reality she would go on to survive Order 66. Yoda knew the visions were not exactly what would happen, as the future was never truly set in stone. Yoda tried to pass this wisdom along to Anakin when he grew scared of visions in which Padmé passed away in childbirth and declared he wouldn't let the visions come true.
Weakness: Force-Bond With Count Dooku
When Dooku was a padawan with the Jedi Order, he was trained by Jedi Master Yoda. Through this relationship, Dooku and Yoda developed a powerful Force-bond that forever connected them. Years later, when Dooku was Darth Tyranus -- loyal apprentice and right-hand to Darth Sidious -- this Force-bond made Yoda vulnerable.
On his quest to learn how to become a Force ghost in season 6 of Dave Filoni's Clone Wars, Yoda traveled to Moraband, the ancient home world of the Sith. When Darth Sidious realized Yoda was there, he ordered Dooku to come to his side at once, realizing that they could use the Force-bond between Dooku and Yoda to end the Jedi Master's life once and for all. Yoda proved himself resourceful and survived their attack, but it wouldn't have been able to happen in the first place without the Force-bond shared with his former apprentice Dooku.
Hidden Power: He Can Detect Force Illusions
When Yoda was on Moraband, Count Dooku and Darth Sidious used Dooku's Force-bond with Yoda to make an attempt on the Jedi Master's life. Part of their attack was tempting Yoda with an illusion of Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas tortured and in captivity. Ever since Yoda and the Jedi Order learned that Sifo-Dyas had commissioned the creation of a clone army for the Republic on the planet Kamino, Yoda and the other Jedi had been desperate to learn the truth of what really happened to Sifo-Dyas and all of the mysteries surrounding the clone army.
It initially seemed like the answer to all those questions was in Yoda's grasp when he saw a captive Sifo-Dyas on Moraband. Fortunately, Yoda was wise and intuitive enough to detect that it wasn't really Sifo-Dyas, but rather a Force illusion created by Sith Lords Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranus.
Hidden Power: Jedi Mind Tricks
It might seem obvious that Yoda could perform a Jedi mind trick as many Jedi -- Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Rey, and several others -- are shown to be able to do it. Yet, Yoda is never shown performing a Jedi mind trick during any of the movies.
In Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars series, Yoda cast a mind trick on Padmé Amidala's head of security Captain Typho. Yoda was traveling with Padmé and Captain Typho on a mission for the Republic, during which they received a distress signal from Jedi Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee on the planet Ilum. Their ship was close to Ilum, but Typho didn't want to go for fear of how the detour could endanger Padmé. Not wanting to let his fellow Jedi be harmed on Ilum, Yoda eventually used a Jedi mind trick to convince Typho into taking them to Ilum. Padmé saw what Yoda was doing but didn't interfere, as she wanted to help the Jedi on Ilum as well.
Hidden Power: Telekinesis
Telekinesis -- the ability to move objects through the Force -- is a power Yoda showed when he was first introduced in The Empire Strikes Back, most famously when he lifted Luke Skywalker's X-Wing out of the swamps of Dagobah, even though Luke claimed it was an impossible task. As impressive as it was, though, it took a great deal of energy and effort for Yoda.
In the first episode of Dave Filoni's Clone Wars series, Yoda showed us telekinesis that was much more effortless. He swiftly disarmed Asajj Ventress of her red lightsabers merely by gesturing at her weapons. It was a hidden power to individuals like Ventress that Yoda could use telekinesis with such little effort, making him a difficult opponent to face.
Weakness: He Is Not Able To Defeat Darth Sidious
Despite mastering all forms of lightsaber combat, Yoda was unable to defeat Darth Sidious when they dueled in Revenge of the Sith. Neither of them managed to outright defeat the other. It ended in a draw of sorts, with both living to fight another day. Had Yoda succeeded in defeating Darth Sidious, the Galactic Empire likely would've been destroyed not long after its birth and the galaxy would've been saved from years of tyranny.
Without Sidious, the Empire wouldn't have been able to survive, especially so soon after its formation. Darth Vader wouldn't have been able to save the Empire and lead it, as he just lost most of his limbs and was about to perish on Mustafar. It was only through Sidious sensing his apprentice was in danger that he traveled to Mustafar and saved Vader's life. Thus, if Yoda had been able to defeat Sidious in lightsaber combat, the galaxy likely would've been saved years of devastation and torment.
Hidden Power: Force Valor
Force valor explains why despite his old age Yoda was able to effortlessly move so nimbly when he dueled Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones. One moment Yoda was slowly walking with a cane. Not long after he was flipping through the air, twirling his lightsaber, and moving at unthinkable speeds. He was using lightsaber combat Form IV--an aggressive and fast-paced fighting style--but he was only able to do so because of Force valor.
Force valor can improve one's speed, accuracy, and overall strength. The infirmities of old age did not slow down Yoda as he used Force valor to agilely duel Dooku. He also used Force valor when battling Darth Sidious in Revenge of the Sith.
Hidden Power: Force Push
As the name suggests, Force push allowed one to push back individuals and objects via the Force. Yoda unleashed Force push when he confronted Darth Sidious in Revenge of the Sith. The Jedi Master flung Sidious across the room via Force push, proving that despite his age and recent trauma, Yoda was still an impressive adversary.
In Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars series, Yoda also used Force push alongside Mace Windu to blast away Super Battle Droids during the Battle of Coruscant. Yoda's ability to utilize a Force push was connected to his strength in telekinesis. A Force push relies on manipulating telekinetic energy. The greater a user's telekinetic abilities, the more potent their Force pushes would be.
Hidden Power: Force Wave
A Force wave was essentially a more potent version of a Force push. It knocked back anything within a blast radius of a Force user, creating the effect of a widespread wave that could knock back multiple opponents at once. Like with a Force push, the stronger one's ability with telekinesis was, the stronger one's Force wave could be. A powerful enough Force wave was described by many as basically a telekinetic explosion.
Working together, Yoda and Mace Windu used a Force wave to knock back the swarms of Super Battle Droids from the invading Separatist army during the Battle of Coruscant in Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars series. Their Force wave was particularly strong, as it combined both of their impressive strengths in the Force.
Weakness: Arrogance
Yoda was one of the wisest Jedi to ever live with, but he also became arrogant, especially in the years leading up to the fall of the Jedi Order. After Darth Maul revealed himself to the Jedi in The Phantom Menace, Yoda became aware that the Sith were not extinct after all. He believed Maul perished at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi, but Maul's master was still out there.
The Sith were rising again and were possibly more powerful than ever before. Yoda was also aware that his and other Jedi's abilities in the Force were diminished because of the Sith's rise, blinding Yoda to essential truths like the fact that a clone army for the Republic had begun to be created a decade ago. Despite all of these red flags, Yoda was arrogant enough to believe the Jedi couldn't be destroyed and should still cling to antiquated beliefs like emotional detachment. He learned from these mistakes to become a humbler and wiser Jedi in the original trilogy and The Last Jedi.
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What other weaknesses and hidden powers did Yoda have in Star Wars? Sound off in the comments!