Grand Master Yoda may have been one of the oldest and wisest Jedi in Star Wars, but he still made numerous mistakes, some of which had disastrous consequences. As a Grand Master, Yoda was responsible for leading the Jedi Order and having a seat on the Jedi Council. Most Jedi, including Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, looked to Yoda for advice and guidance, especially once the threat of the Clone Wars began to loom over the Order and the Republic.

Of course, Yoda cannot be solely blamed for the downfall of the Jedi Order, but his mistakes and the secrets he kept during the Star Wars prequel trilogy and Star Wars: The Clone Wars certainly didn’t help matters. One scene in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, in particular, proved that Yoda’s biggest mistake involved Anakin Skywalker. I truly believe the galaxy might have looked very different if Yoda hadn’t been shouldering so much responsibility by himself.

The Jedi Were Struggling To Hear The Force Before The Clone Wars

During one scene in Attack of the Clones, Master Yoda and Mace Windu discuss the Jedi Order’s issues with the Force. After Obi-Wan relays his findings about the clone army being created, the Jedi question why they couldn’t sense what was happening on Kamino through the Force. Concerned, Mace says, “I think it is time we informed the Senate that our ability to use the Force is diminished.”

In response, Yoda reasons that informing the Senate about their weakness will only increase the number of enemies the Jedi Order will have to deal with. At this moment, Yoda single-handedly decides that, though their “diminished” connection to the Force is an issue, it’s an issue they should be able to handle on their own.

Now, Yoda’s reasoning here is pretty sound. At the time, he believed that only the Sith Lord knew about the Jedi Order’s issues with the Force. Exposing the Order’s weakness would have been a grave mistake. I’ll give him that. That doesn’t explain why Yoda refused to address Anakin Skywalker’s issues when he did finally sense and hear something through the Force, especially a moment in time so significant and steeped in darkness.

Yoda Finally Heard Something, & He Did Nothing About It

Attack of the Clones was a major turning point in Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side. The death of his mother and his slaughtering of the Tusken Raiders changed him fundamentally as a Jedi and as a person; he let his rage and grief control him, using violence to get revenge. It’s the exact opposite of what the Jedi preach, yet, despite Anakin’s transgressions, the Jedi Order, and Yoda by extension, barely addressed it.

Given Yoda and Mace’s previous worry that they couldn’t truly sense things through the Force anymore, you’d think that Yoda hearing Anakin’s mᴀssacre of the Tuskens and being able to feel his “terrible pain” would prove that Anakin was at risk of turning to the dark side. Why didn’t Yoda take action? Why didn’t he take Anakin under his wing or warn Obi-Wan of the peril his Padawan was in?

You could argue that giving Anakin a Padawan during the Clone Wars was Yoda’s way of dealing with Anakin’s issues. Anakin’s grief stemmed from his inability to let go. Yoda and the rest of the council hoped that by giving Anakin someone to train and bond with, a relationship destined to end with a separation (a physical one, if not an emotional one), Anakin would learn to master his emotions in a controlled environment.

I don’t believe that was enough, however. Yoda knew Anakin was prone to creating emotional bonds with those he was close with. Not just his mother, but Obi-Wan too. How could he not grow closer to Ahsoka Tano? How could Yoda not see any of this coming? After his Force vision, Yoda knew more than anyone that Anakin was in danger. I almost feel like Yoda used the Clone Wars as an excuse to ignore Anakin’s problems. Why should one Jedi’s issues matter when the whole galaxy is at stake? That was Yoda’s biggest mistake.

Yoda’s Failure To Act Doomed The Jedi (& The Entire Galaxy)

I’m not necessarily saying Yoda can or should be blamed for everything that went wrong in Anakin’s life. But it’s hard to deny that he had a mᴀssive role in the Jedi Order’s destruction and the galaxy’s imperial future. Yoda should have heeded his vision, he should have dug deeper into Anakin’s issues. Anakin needed support, love, and understanding, and not enough people gave that to him.

Yoda was wise, but I’d argue that he was also emotionally unintelligent. Yoda and the rest of the council were so caught up in the Jedi Order’s rules and beliefs that they couldn’t see that certain Jedi had different needs, especially one brought to the Jedi Order at such a late age. On the other hand, if Yoda, with all his power and wisdom, couldn’t sense what would befall Anakin, what chance did any other Jedi in Star Wars truly have?