Why Dooku Believed Yoda Was Trained in the Dark Side - Star Wars Explained

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[@lorenzog7811]

I would think as grand master he would absolutely study the dark side. It was forbidden to most others because they simply wouldnt be able to handle it. I believe windu did too

[@chrishansel95]

"Have you ever heard of the story of Darth Plagueis the Wise, He was so wise and powerful he was able to manipultate midochlorians to create life itself", How do you think Grogu was made?

[@blackc1479]

Windu didn't so much study it, more like he always had a bit of a dark side urge, and he learned to channel and control that side of himself into something more positive. That was why he liked to fight, part of his nature, and I think a bit of a pressure valve. I always loved that scene in dark rendezvous. I doubt Yoda ever studied it per se, but at his levels of power and understanding it would be easy to intuit how to use it. He would have long since gotten to know the dark parts of himself.

[@davidtuttle7556]

​@@blackc1479Rewatch the ROTJ scene where Luke returns to Dagobah. Yoda did indeed have a very deep understanding of nature of the dark side. It is also clear Luke that Yoda understood it. Thats why he asked what he asked. Luke later made that same journey of discovery. Yoda and Luke imo are seriously OP.

[@blackc1479]

@davidtuttle7556 yeah, I see where you're coming from, he had done his own" test" at some point. He knew what it was, but the way portrayed was just that him and the nexus were both there, and he was hiding in its force shadow. But now, yeah, the way it could be interpreted was that he also knew on a deeper level what it could do. Worth noting to that iirc a jedi also died there. No doubt adding more complexity to what it was he understood about it.

[@senateurpalpatine]

The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.

[@LOZi175]

“If one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic narrow view of the Jedi.”

[@decepticonxhunter4850]

It's a rather hypocritical statement, considering Palpatine only studied the dogmatic view of the Sith.

[@RevDrCCoonansr]

The actual proverb is ... There are many sides to the mountain. Where you stand determines which side you know. I didn't like the way Lucas twisted it for Sidious. He should have dropped "dogmatic" and "narrow" and it would have fit with the honied tongue he was slobbering all over Anakin with.

[@LOZi175]

@@RevDrCCoonansr Cool! Did not know that. Thx!!! ✌🏼

[@Sky_lars]

​@@RevDrCCoonansr He was trying to convince Anakin that the Jedi was a cult (which is how it functioned, not maliciously, but still with the taking kids from parents and making them monks) and turning him against the idea of the Jedi order.

[@OdellAtkinson]

@@RevDrCCoonansr Well, trying to get a hack to not write hack-writing is a tall order 66.

[@davidsmith7962]

I believed that Yoda studied some things from The Dark Side. I also believe that Yoda did this to further learn what to do when encountering certain Dark Side abilities.

[@JediMaster362]

It makes sense. For example, in Attack of The Clones, he absorbs Dooku's Force Lightning, and redirects it. If he didn't study about Force Lightning, he would have been caught off guard.

[@MP-vc4nu]

He did studied the dark side, it only appears when he’s smoking ketamine

[@monkpool]

@@MP-vc4nu🤣

[@ConnorMarc]

I like the fact that Yoda struck fear and horror into the heart of Dooku. LoL

[@RedonkulousCaptious]

When you maxed out your levels in badass Sith Knight and your kryptonite is 3 foot green muppet lol

[@theforcedragon3781]

Interesting! And even more evidence to back this up is that the Evil yoda in S6 said “Yoda hates me yoda plays not with me anymore yoda thinks mes not worthy” showing that Yoda has at least studied the dark side.

[@persuasivebarrier2419]

“There are no bad yodas, only bad owners.”

[@alec8172]

Bad Yodas there are not, bad owners there are ​@@persuasivebarrier2419

[@blackc1479]

Its worth noting that in yodas younger days, the sith were still fresh in the orders memory. There likely were some long lived jedi that had actual first hand knowledge of both fighting them, falling and redemption and gathering their lore for storage. That almost certainly would have influenced the jedi, and their training methods.

[@mitchbaker5995]

That's what I thought it would make since that at the time that yoda joined the order they would have still been teaching new jedi how to fight darksiders

[@jamaxk1373]

He was the only living one trained to actually face sith since his master had faced sith. Windu was trained in saber techniques similar since he was the weapons master.

[@Thundergun5]

It's also worth noting that the Jedi believed the Sith were extinct. They used that word, "extinct"... considering that the jedi were pretty arrogant about that, I seriously doubt they were working on Sith contingency plans... they BELIEVE that battle has already been fought and won.

[@Thundergun5]

And it's also worth noting that George Lucas is not a great story teller and the SWU relies heavily on retcon from other contributors just to remain interesting

[@DoneBrokeDatBack]

The Brotherhood of Darkness (the Sith order that Bane killed along with countless Jedi) was only a little over 100 years before his birth. So very, very fresh.

[@thewildwolf007]

Don't forget how old yoda is, if yoda trained at the temple as young as din grogu did, then he was trained less then 150 years after the last sith war. Chances are he was trained by people who fought in the war so they might of wanted to teach him some things just in case the sith ever came back.

[@yoda__kush6779]

Yoda was found on a planet by a wandering Jedi master he wasn't taught at the temple in the ways of the younglings just before the clone wars were he was over a 100 when found too

[@jamaxk1373]

Not chances. That is fact his master faced sith

[@lifeisadream1992]

Yoda is like 700 years old​@@yoda__kush6779

[@yoda__kush6779]

@@lifeisadream1992 yes he was over 700 years old but I'm saying he wasn't found and taught till he was probably 100-150 by his master who himself was probably a pre russan reformation Jedi before they took on the refinement of the code we know today

[@IndianaJoe0321]

The last Sith war ended in 1032 BBY. Yoda was born in 896 BBY and was trained by N'Kata Del Gormo. Yoda later became a Jedi Master in 796 BBY. Although N'Kata Del Gormo may not have fought during the Sith War, he may have been trained by a veteran of the War. There is not info on this topic.

[@opzitUvDarKO2]

when dooku used Force lightning against Yoda he thought he had the upper hand, but when Yoda countered by absorbing his Force lightning,I would credit this more to Yoda's mastery of the force itself... Just like in avatar The last Airbender, if you study and master the different elements you will come to find out that all elements can be broken down into smaller separate elements... The energy that is channeled through Force lightning could be broken down reabsorbed redirected perhaps.... Similar to lightning bending.... Yoda realizes that there is no LIGHT side there is no DARK side in actuality. Only light and dark intentions that manifests itself through the use of the force.. there is Only the Force and all that it is made up of, which incidentally is everything.... So yeah space magic 🤓👍🏾. .

[@tombondcrispy6585]

This is the way

[@shiningarmour6805]

Electric Judgement has no malice, it is _pure_ energy, so it's easy to absorb Sith Lightning has tremendous amount of malice, you can break down the energy, but your spirit is burnt by the malice. This is why Jedi, and even Sith, should only deflect it. Not embrace it. To absorb it means to *understand* the hate and break it down.

[@GafftheHorse]

If there was no light and no dark, how could 'the dark side cloud everything' which Yoda said at least once was preventing the Jedi (council at least) from seeing clearly and finding out who was manipulating things.

[@goldenfoxy7137]

Sounds like the philosophy of a Grey Jedi ngl

[@opzitUvDarKO2]

@@GafftheHorse as far as the Canon goes which has been changed in retcon'd several times now, there are individuals that are wielders of the force but aren't bound to The same doctrine as professed by practicing Jedi... And they are referred to as great Jedi those who practice the force in all of its entirety, But the wheeled it in a balanced way and don't limit themselves to certain ASPECTS of the force, EVEN SOME ASPECTS THAT OTHERS MAY FIND "UNNATURAL" but only unnatural based upon said doctrine... Just like there are individuals who use certain tools as It was meant to, In those who can use it for harm or unrighteous gain... So those who practice the so-called dark side are merely just using the force in unscrupulous ways therefore clouding things because it is not something the Jedi practice in our either unfamiliar with or again find unsavory.

[@dartharaneus67]

Yoda knows the Dark Side well enough to have realised long ago that it simply had nothing to offer him that he could want. In his case, it wasn't so much a matter of strength in resisting the Dark as it was a complete lack of temptation. But I would argue that this acquired sense of balance in the Force could only have come from some knowledge of the Dark Side at a point in his life. Because only from knowledge of both sides could a true choice have been made and a balance reached. And when I say balance, I'm not implying that Yoda would be a Grey Jedi. I'm saying that he knew enough about both sides to make his choice and stick to it.

[@michaelkimberling7307]

Being able to switch between light and dark could also be a quirk of his species. Also as legends Jedi master Kavar said, “The Darkside is always there” to deny that the Darkside exists opens you up the possibility of being corrupted by it.

[@flavaj13]

I think Quigon Jin said something similar in the book of him and apprentice Kenobi's adventures in, Star Wars: Master and Apprentice

[@cherryvapr6969]

True to life too, anger you don't feel is still there; if you're acting from it regardless of your beliefs it will damage those around you. Better to be aware of your emotions and incorporate them into making objectively correct choices.

[@Jayteaseepiirturi]

I shall abandon the idea of a special property of Yoda's species as that would be too easy. I would rather say, seven centuries is a long time to do the right thing and the wrong thing. I refuse to believe Yoda has never screwed and has had to pay the price for it. The only way to know Dark Side is to be Dark Side. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. With something like that, it comes down to the question: Who and what are you? Take Darth Vader. Or, Anakin Skywalker, if you will. Take Revenge of the Sith and Return of the Jedi. Dark Side was ALWAYS Anakin's choice. Abandoning Dark Side for Luke? ALSO HIS CHOICE. Like I said: Who and what are you?

[@bryank7500]

Yoda also sent Luke to face the dark side. Luke fought and found himself but came back to the light side. That is why Yoda was impressed.

[@kaimagnus5760]

Maybe when Yoda said "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” and "Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny." he was speaking from personal experience.

[@wjdyr6261]

They never mention if pride and arrogance lead to the dark side, which it should. Everyone experiences fear and anger

[@kaimagnus5760]

@@wjdyr6261 I would argue any strong negative emotions can lure one to The Dark Side. To me The Dark Side isn't so much Evil as it is lacking in control. The Light Side is like a Campfire, controlled but vital to many things. Whereas The Dark Side is a Wildfire. And if left Unchecked it will destroy everything in its path. Including the one who started it.

[@RealWorldGames]

Yoda also said he "feared " Anakin's training

[@petemustangman]

I taught you everything you know. I didn't teach you everything I know.

[@tootall4u750]

The Stupendous Wave, I’ve been really enjoying your videos and insights into all things Star Wars. I’m so impressed by the depth and breadth of your knowledge and understanding of Canon, lore, legends etc etc. I can’t imagine just how much reading/research you’ve had to do in order to come up with everything you share. I’ve come to appreciate Star Wars even more and I’ve always been a BIG fan. Even if certain movies or series were “meh” I still liked them because it would at least reveal more canon/details/insights into the Star Wars universe, so watching your videos is like getting another bite off the sandwich lol. Anyways, keep up the great work and I’m sure glad I stumbled upon one of your videos and have been enjoying going back into your archive watching 1-2 new/old videos almost everyday. Cheers mate!!

[@dascrazy7400]

Yea im impressed with his ability to upload twice a day

[@TheStupendousWave]

Thank you so much! That means a lot!

[@magicaltour1]

Yoda and Sideous being similar seems to have always been the intention. It works great thematically, as we see that Luke and Vader both have masters whose council they seek.

[@Twerkulies]

Well seeing as there's things only available to council members, I bet there's some dark side knowledge only shared between grand masters. Then again, it's also possible to study something without taking part in it. For example, you go to medical school, learn everything but did not partake in anything. You still studied and understand it, and did not do anything physically. Maybe during a time he was like Bendu, neither light nor dark.

[@user-yc9vv9xb8s]

The stupendous wave you won, made Star Wars, what if scenarios you can do it again please make. What if Anakin Skywalker was trained by the force itself video you can do it

[@jrsmuse]

I'm truly impressed by the myriad of ways you can restate the premise.

[@Sun_Tzu_Art_0f_War]

Love your videoes Stupendous Wave

[@Xyma-YT]

By the way: Yoda did NOT Lose to Palpatine / Sidious! it came to a draw at the end of the fight... He just / only Failed to beat Palpatine / Sidious, but he definitely did NOT Lose!

[@unrelentingtable1240]

Nah Yoda's ass got beat

[@volbound1700]

Palpatine won. Sure it looks like a draw from fight but Yoda going into hiding and Palpatine taking over the Empire clearly shows that Palpatine won. I also get the vibe that Yoda was severely injured in the fight and that is why you don't see him doing anything again other than training Luke with a cane.

[@winstonsmith8482]

@@volbound1700 dislocated his hip! not good when 900 years old are you!

[@serpion5x]

He was unable to beat Palpatine. Given the situation, that is absolutely a loss.

[@Formless-Entertainment]

I like Yoda, he was winning the lightsaber duel but lost the force battle. He retreated for a reason, not because of reinforcements.

[@martykuypers8608]

They had a lot of Sith holocrons in the restricted section in the temple. So I'm sure he studied them and that's how he learned about the dark side. He should have studied them more because he couldn't match Sidious' power in the force. That's what Dooku did and it helped turn him. Dooku after Yoda absorbed his force lightning and shot it back at him he was able to deflect it which is really impressive.

[@crownprincesebastianjohano7069]

Dooku evidently was able to absorb Lightning as well. According to Legends anyway, and inferences in canon novels, only Yoda surpassed Dooku in knowledge and abilities in the Light Side. What made Dooku so dangerous was the sheer knowledge he had of both Light and Dark.

[@rdub1035]

This ain’t Harry Potter

[@olubeveridge898]

How arrogant do you have to be to believe that you are more powerful and better than someone 900 yrs old. And then you believe the only way he can beat you is by learning something from the dark side. That’s another level of arrogance if you ask me.

[@user-uh4ec6rg6b]

His knowledge of the darkside nexus on Degobah didn’t come from a vacuum. He may well have had history with that nexus prior to Order 66 . Makes sense in a thousand year lifespan . He literally was around when the rule of two was implemented.

[@luisfernandonegretelugo7667]

Awesome video bro

[@Gor85]

It's extremely possibly he studied dark side. He wanted to learn,in case he needed him. Glad to see he's not perfect. Always a pleasure to watch your videos.May the Force be with you too😊

[@TK199999]

When Yoda faced his Darkness, it said that Yoda didn't play with his Darkside anymore and that he found it unworthy. Highly suggesting Yoda did study at least his own darkside and may well have gone far down that path. In fact its highly suggested too that Dooku saw the same creature we say in the Clone Wars epo.

[@forceofwill1761]

In the sequel trilogy when Yoda's ghost sets fire to the tree he used lighting and also said " mischief am I" as he danced with glee. I also believe that the Jedi and Sith divide the force there by making it alot less powerful that it could be ,if you could balance the light with the dark because the sum of both would be greater than it's parts

[@vesuviustitanus4006]

"Learn the abilities of your allies and you will become stronger, Learn the abilities of your enemies and the way he thinks, You become a true master of both."

[@hansvonheileger5791]

This makes all the sense! It would even explain why he went into self exile after the clone wars... specifically on a Dark Aligned Planet.

[@capesword111]

I'm impressed that he would take an interest in those he opposed, even if it did influence him in ways he wouldn't approve of. It's important to be aware of both sides of a conflict if one wants to be truly effective. You can't really fight back the arguments of someone like Siddious if you don't know the perspective he's coming from, and what makes it work and the problems with it. Both sides of the Light/Dark conflict have some issues with them, but being aware of both makes it easier to work with a side, or go your own way.

[@jamesgodfrey1322]

Electric Judgment, also known as Emerald Lightning, was a light side Force technique used to spray electric bolts of variable intensity from the hands and fingers. At one time, it was classified as a forbidden Force power within the Jedi Order; however, some Jedi such as Plo Koon,

[@jacobnash9755]

Plo Koon knows a variant of that force power that is commonly taught on his home world to force users. However, it is not the same, just similar.

[@nickolaszissimos1189]

Yes, one cannot make it to such a power level as Yoda without being able to use both light and darkness. The key is balance, and obviously Yoda had it. True power does not come from the light nor the darkness but rather from balance. To be able to keep switching sides at will means one has learned a great deal of both and how to use and utilize both equally. To achieve balance one must accept every single part of themself.

[@nathanjohnston9762]

The dark side is like a hammer. You can use it to build a house, or you could hurt people if you are an irresponsible person.

[@nickolaszissimos1189]

@@nathanjohnston9762 So true, it must be used in a responsible and controlled way.

[@jvin248]

There is a reason Yoda had that convenient Dark Side Cave on Dagobah for Luke to enter. Perhaps it was simply a sith who tracked yoda to the planet as alluded to, or it was his Dark Side laboratory Yoda used like a gym membership to buff up his skills.

[@parkerstroh6586]

this man has cracked the code

[@timian210]

That... actually makes sense.

[@nicholasjh1]

I think he picked dagobah to have the dark side mask his presence

[@kitfo18]

I would imagine that it is a ability of his species. This is the secret of what makes his species so powerful in the force. I would also go as far as to say that it is the light side that keeps them alive for so long and that is why no one has ever seen one of the dark side.

[@jordanmurray4061]

he lives on a planet with the most dark side energy in the galaxy. the tunnel he sent Luke through, where he struck down vader and saw himself under the mask, in "the empire strikes back", was pure dark side energy. it was a test to see if luke was ready, and a metaphor for facing the darkness within oneself. going through it to find the light again.

[@GOLDBlueGR33NObeliskVsRed]

Yoda used tutaminis to store the force lightning but he also inverted it back to dooku. That bending warping and converting of dark force to a possible grey force was unexpected dooku was forced to use tutaminis to deflect it

[@marciofelipejustino2563]

Tutaminis é minha habilidade dos jedi favorita cara usar a energia de volta no adversário é brabo pra caramba

[@andrewgavin3083]

Study he certainly did, but I think the true clue to his power and why he so easily switched back to the light is his simple phrase when he faced his own darkside "Part of me you are, but I choose not to feed you" I think you should have included that one

[@shkotayd9749]

Force absorb (Tutaminis) was rare? It was known as an ability taught early on in the Order and one most Jedi could use to some degree. Most couldnt do THIS or catch bolts and more, but most had it to some degree to catch and disperse energies. As the Order kept Sith holocrons and other artifacts at the Temple itself. I do think more than just Yoda studied what their opposites might have done. Prior to Maul showing up, they thought the Sith were extinct, and only Dark Jedi or other dark side users were about.

[@brokenbridge6316]

This wouldn't surprise me at all. This subject is quite interesting to discuss.

[@williamoverton7775]

The moment that made me see the dark side was when the lightning reflected in his eyes right then he unleashed the dark side in a desperate struggle.

[@UnexpectedWonder]

It's like a Grandmaster of the Martial Arts. It makes sense for both Yoda and Darth Sidious to be similar as two Grandmasters.

[@briarleigh8077]

To me after watching this video I feel like yoda knew all aspects of the force and knew that one couldn’t just be all light or dark but rather a blend of both and a true master of the force as himself probably knew that you had to balance the two, I feel like that’s why he was able to slip into the dark side and slip back out so easily and not let it control him.

[@MusicalBoarder]

I kinda wish the movies incorporated the style of the force like they did in the old republic cinematics with the ghostly effect when pushing or blocking something using the force. ads a cool feel to using the force instead of just like invisible strings. See the Hope cinematic for reference to what I mean with Sateel vs Malgus.

[@stephalephanosisraa]

Excellent episode. There should be a reason Yoda explored the dark side. My feeling is a comic will need to be written about the death of Yoda’s master at the hands of a dark Jedi. Had he only known this ability he would have survived. This should be written. *Waves hand at Dave Filoni* This should be written.

[@nemesisbreakz]

Yoda even stated that there are other disciplines to follow other than the jedi. Disciplines that could benefit the jedi. If Yoda did learn the dark arts and can stave off the darkness, that makes him even more powerful and intriguing.

[@allenr316]

"Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat" Sun Tzu. When it comes to the Dark Side, it may be riskier, but is no less true.

[@CrashD6]

Like you said, "Yoda wasn't as perfect as we thought", he was far beyond our expectations, to transition into the dark and back to the light at will is an ability far beyond any Jedi Master or Sith Lord If you reach the ceiling as a Jedi, there is no need for the shortcuts of the Dark Side

[@ronsimpson143]

In legends, before Disney fucked it up, Kyp Durron had turned to the dark side and come back. Someone used force lightning against him, and he turned it. He said (paraphrasing) that once you know how to make it, it cannot harm you. That made me think that Yoda HAD gone to the dark side.... or had come FROM a dark side species and turned to the light. Perhaps his species is from the new galaxy shown in Ahsoka?

[@coreylarcomb4879]

One must understand all of the force to be a true master. Rather than training in the dark side, it's more like learning it, but not applying it with the understanding it corrupts.

[@GhillieGuide]

The other very canon answer is that the hubris of the sith means that dooku could only imagine that level of power coming from the dark side

[@KaijuBiologist]

I agree. It makes sense for him to be, at bare minimum, familiar with some dark side techniques. Know your enemy, know yourself, and be undefeated in battle. (Sun Tzu)

[@definiteg4909]

It is interesting that Yoda does have abilities that are known to be a part of the dark side that he used to counter dark side users

[@lazytommy0]

yoda understood that the dark side itself was a lie. always promising power but only delivering falsehoods and deceptions, simply illusions of gold and grandure that could never deliver anything but ruin.

[@MonkeiKing]

I've wondered since the first time I heard this if yodas people came from a place in space that had been heavily drenched in darkside energy and the yoda dooku see is what his people normally look like and thats the reason there isn't more of them around. It takes ones that are really powerful naturally in the lightside to escape its influences and not end up basically insane evil force imps

[@schroder1972utrecht]

i think yoda's species is inherently darkside, those who are good(lightside) are put in exile, where they from? Peridea? wildspace? unexplored region?

[@2Times22]

And still Sidious managed to be practically invisible for so many years,posing as the chancellor,and none of the Jedi-not even Yoda(who according to your video here might know little bit of the dark side)none of them exposed him or understood what he was doing...Unbelievable what he did to them...If you think about it its crazy..!!!

[@Aaron-fl2iv]

A crowd sourced fan fiction would be amazing.

[@johnalexander2551]

I think it was always manifest that every action a Jedi takes is a separate choice to be good or evil. Like when Luke throws down his light saber and refuses to kill Annikin. This represents our ability to choose every time we do something as well. We will have to wait and see if Yoda ever did any questionable things.

[@tylerjwhitaker89]

i agree yoda, ashoka(due to betrayal ), plo koon (uses a similar force lightning ability)learn from the best they say.

[@meson183]

Clever thumbnail, Looks like you blended some Gollum with Yoda to make an 'evil' Yoda.

[@asmithgames5926]

It makes sense with how Yoda knew which warnings to give Luke regarding the Dark Side.

[@dfoster6828]

Yoda IS still perfect. Learning the dark side force is the same as knowing your enemy. Yoda chose not to blind himself and in that process became even stronger in the force than anyone could fathom. 👍🏽💥❤️

[@user-dd9gm6qu8g]

It’s quite simple. Yoda is a known tactical genius. Spent many years fighting many different enemies. When you have spent a lot of time and survived in the trenches you start to learn things. Even apply them to your own methods. Another thing that any good intelligence/general person would know and follow this simple rule. “Know your enemy like you know yourself”. By applying this knowledge would it not be fair and safe to assume that for research and intelligence purposes he would risk himself so that he could hope to understand his enemy better so that he would be able to develop better tactics to either defeat them OR FIND A COMMON GROUND TO END THE CONFLICT. Just my take on it. I lean more to the latter of my statement. But he definitely had plans in place for both outcomes. Understanding one’s enemy is the first step in ending a conflict.

[@Xyma-YT]

9:30 - it Looks Like Yoda's Lightsaber Looked pretty familiar to Anakin's Lightsaber ; only smaller / tinier!

[@nevasoba5953]

I read LoE after I saw RotS. I was a fascinating book seeing a shade of dark in Yoda.

[@djphat1736]

Yoda did exactly what was needed for the moment. No more no less. He kept the appearance that he was old and frail. Even among those that "knew" better. He never walked without a cane and never exerted himself further than needed. Like we all know he can walk just fine without a cane. So in the end, it worked PERFECTLY against Dooku. He simply had no idea. I'm willing to bet good money that Yoda "let" Darth Sidious hit him with that lightning. JUST to make him over confident. Feeding that sith need to believe they are superior.

[@paulturcotte1977]

Yin and yang the is a dot in each side and line that separates them both one give in to one side or the other. It harder to be the line separates.

[@CursedLink666]

Understanding and studying the force is pretty much part of his job, and the dark side is a significant part of the force that can't be ignored. If anybody's old enough to understand how it will tempt a person and how to resist those temptations, it's Yoda. Imo if he's not studying the dark side, then he's neglecting a large part of the force.

[@scottboa2738]

In order to have balance in the force, one must train in both the light and dark sides. Not just the light side, as the Jedi believed. The early ancestors of the Jedi, called Je'daii, understood this. Many studied scorcery, such as the legendary Je'daii Temple Master Dam-Pow. Luke Skywalker tried to teach this to Rey. You need balance in order to be a good Jedi.

[@Dece132]

800 years I would imagine just being that old you'd want to learn how to counter your nemesis's skills

[@SensSword]

8:20 basically Yoda embraced Jungian psychology and tamed his shadow. Or, if you're a Naruto fan, he got his inner kyuubi to fight for him, not against. Timeless archetypes always make good stories.

[@timothyhenegar7484]

Yoda: Hm, so sure you are. That to the Dark Side I would fall. Morph, disfigure, become that which would shape and consume me. Forget peace, embrace passion, desire you assume. When knowledge itself is enlightenment. For enlightenment illuminates all even in darkness the Force does. True mastery of Dark Side is in stealth, not brute power. For the mind a fascinating thing is to manipulate. The only real dark side, be (farts). That which is silent but deadly. (Farts) ree hee hee hee hee.

[@madelynpryor9797]

You don't live for nine hundred years as a Jedi and manage to avoid those dark side points. You're going to fall, maybe more than once, but redemption is what it is and may be why Yoda feels the way he does about the dark side and it's allure. He's speaking from experience. I like this theory a lot.

[@warpdriveby]

I think sometimes the distinction that what one can do with the force is by the intent and state of the wielder than whether it's a "technique" of the dark side. Force lightning requires hatred and malice borne of pain and rage to channel it not magic words or symbols in a holocron. I guarantee yoda could do it if he were to embrace and harness the "shadow side" of his character. I'm not saying there's not some specific knowledge needed on top, but that's a much lower bar for a Jedi than the change it would require within.

[@Semirotta]

I would say that Yoda has definitely looked into the dark side, but only to study and very momentarily. One must know the enemy.

[@gjcart26]

This is wonderful... 😊

[@TheStupendousWave]

Thank you! 😊

[@brandonthomas2119]

Wisdom in the Force gained.

[@Mellowcanuck33]

I would think as you gain power in the light....the dark side gets equally treacherous. If you need to know what to avoid? You need to study its boundaries.

[@crownprincesebastianjohano7069]

Dooku was very curious and studied the Dark Side from the time he was a young Knight until he left the Order. He had access to the sum of the Jedi's knowledge of the Sith. So did Yoda and it should make some sense that at some point in his 800 years as an active Jedi with access to the archives that he did the same. After all, Yoda used Force Lightning. That is an ability that takes not only sheer natural ability, but also training and mental preparation. While we can attribute his ability to absorb Lightning to his vast knowledge of the Light Side (Dooku could do this too), using Lightning takes active training. It took some decades for Dooku to master Force Lighting and to use it voluntarily. Yoda trained to be able to use it and it is likely he studied many other disciplines as well.

[@hanswolfhausen8347]

I think, well duh! 800 + year old Grand Master of the Jedi Order. He wasn't the first and he wouldn't be the last. Also, he exiled himself to a planet strong in the Dark side of the force. He didn't stick out like a sore thumb but blended in so effectively. Perhaps it is Yoda's very species that allows him so much control and restraint. Don't forget, Windu also trained in some of the dark side lightsaber combat techniques.

[@YTWatcher2255]

Simple logic behind it all. There is no darkness without light. In order to hold the balance, you cannot be too dark nor too bright. So just for the sake of theory, in order to grow stronger in the light side, you need to have a base in the dark. Yoda also said, that the dark side is the easy way to reach power but the light side is stronger, but requiring more training. He used different words to Luke, but that was basically it. You can only know something like that when knowing both sides of the coin.

[@NickolosBreedlove]

It explains why he could stand the darkness on dagobah

[@ManuFortis]

It's really quite simple. You cannot know the light or good of anything, without knowing the darkness/evil aspect as well. One who is trained and raised only in a sterile environment of 'good' will never be able to truly understand and identify 'bad' or 'evil' when they are confronted by it. They may think they can, and may actually get some correct identifications at times, but it's those times they don't that hurt the most. Likewise, one who is raised in and has known nothing but the hate, pain and anger that is wrought upon them by others who are 'bad' and 'evil', won't be able to accept or understand the good that is around them. They'll find the worst in all of it, everything, all the time. It's only those who have made themselves grey in contrast between the shadow and the light, who will be able to walk a true path that is not swayed by the eccentricities and extremes of both. This is in my personal and honest opinion, why Yoda was an asinine fool. For the age he is, to not have ever been curious about the other side of things, would make him a fool, not an asinine one wholly, but a fool none the less. But because that possibility is all but improbable, it means he must have been curious at least at some point. And instead of embracing the grey as he should have, if he was truly wise; he instead doubled down on his foolishness. Which is what makes his foolishness asinine. Yoda and 'the council' are basically a 1:1 representation of what happens when those who deem themselves virtuous without knowing the depths of their own potential horror gain power of any sort. And it's why the prequels despite being hated as much as the sequels were, are actually the best 3 movies of the story. People hated it back then, because it was a mirror image of society and what it was becoming. (Jar jar, didn't help) They claim all sorts of other reasons, but those are just excuses they make up because they are not aware of how much like Yoda they are; fools. The sequels have a similar thing going for them as well, but once again, people are fools. And it doesn't help those some of those fools got involved in making those 3.

[@grampydeathblade2217]

He could be acknowledging the dark side we all carry within us and by acknowledging and accepting it, he is able to access it without falling to the dark side.

[@andogrando487]

I feel like all high level force users tend to gravitate towards the "gray jedi" archetype - where they realize the forces isn't light or dark, the force just is it's the intent with which the energy of the force is applied

[@ralpharn]

Interesting question you asking... very interesting. Let's recall this: end of E5, Luke goes to Dagobar to train with Yoda, after that (open your eyes!) return to begining of E6 cosplaying Sith... using ForceChock and mindTricks. Who had teach him all of that? Yoda or Obi... Does Yoda Jedi at all? He-he-he...

[@SAINT200690]

Know your Enemey... Friends Close and Enemies even Closer!

[@rjh7700]

I think that it would be perilous to ignore the dark side. I think that he intentionally confronted the dark side within him for the sake of becoming a better Jedi. ' In order to know what it means to be good, you must know what it means to be evil'

[@juice_man4439]

I’m sure Yoda studied the dark side. He was alive for 900 years, at some point his curiosity had to lead him to look into it. There were several jedi who fell to the dark side during his life, he likely wanted to know what he would be going up against if he ever had to fight one of them. Especially if the Jedi who fell was someone powerful, such as a council member that could actually pose a threat. With all the sith holocrons the Jedi possessed, he probably looked over them and saw how they fought, and developed counters to abilities the sith liked to use. The real question is did he study it to just familiarize himself with a potential encounter with a dark side user or did he even possibly experiment with the dark side himself

[@knightmare2135]

Perhaps in his earlier years he was a Jedi Sentinel or even a Jedi Shadow

[@aaronv6561]

Could it be, in Yoda's 8 centuries of living, he fully embrace his shadow, as Carl Jung philosophized? And in doing so, he would be able to balance the force, as his eventual apprentice Luke did? I think so.

[@temjiu9915]

If you think about it generally, Any warrior who wants to excel will study his enemy. In the nature of the force unfortunately, the dark side is very tempting, and most wouldn't be able to study it w/o falling. So it makes sense that only the strongest jedi could study it and not fall to it. Even some of the greats fell at one time or another, such as Luke (in the books). So it doesn't surprise me that the greatest of the Jedi had studied it, nor does it surprise me that some of the greatest of the sith were once Jedi (knowing the light side as well as the dark).

[@lokibrux]

Yoda, the master of the pull out game.

[@ironman44320]

There is no light side without the dark side. No one becomes so powerful without a little temptation to misuse that power. I believe everyone regardless of how powerful, carries some darkness within them. It seems unlikely that one would truly become a master without gaining a little knowledge or understanding of the dark side. If nothing else encounters with practitioners of the dark side would expose one to enough of the dark side that they'd always carry it with them.

[@rosspasqualetti4362]

You missed the low hanging fruit. During the trials Yoda went through to conquer his darkness... The dark Yoda says, Yoda never plays with me anymore.

[@Sixty-Nine1987]

One does not simply counter, or just outright dismiss a powerful ability used against one's self, unless one has extensive knowledge of it to such a degree to be able to do so in the first place..

[@nathanjohnston9762]

Jedi Masters did study the dark side. They had forbidden libraries of sith holocrons that only a council member could access. They had to understand the dark side in order to defeat it.

[@cyrilcooper4173]

The biggest appeal to the dark side is power. The reason Yoda is so easily able to pull away from it is because He doesn’t covet power. He would and should be able to study it to understand the enemy but he never would become power hungry.

[@Chalepastel]

I believe Yoda is smart and wise enough to realize that it's a good idea to study what your enemies think about you and your ideologies