A lot of critics of the Jedi Council say they are nothing but slaves to the Senate, but Yoda is a prime example of why that’s not true.
Warning: contains spoilers for Star Wars: Yoda #1!A common criticism of the Jedi is that – by the time of their fall – they were just tools of the Senate, but Yoda‘s new mission is proving that assertion wrong. The Jedi may have grown complacent, but they weren’t a monolith, and as the one member who was there from their greatest moment to their tragic fall, Yoda is proving the Jedi’s greatest ideas and principles remained alive during a period when it’s often claimed the Jedi had entirely lost their way.
This isn’t something that is just stated by Sith and other Dark Side force users. It was a belief of many in the galaxy that the Jedi and the Jedi Council specifically had become too warped by the Senate’s politics. They believed that the Jedi merely acted on behalf of the Senate and weren’t true peacekeepers of the galaxy. Prior to Palpatine’s rise, there was a strong belief that the Jedi would step in or stand down purely at the Senate’s pleasure, only saving and protecting others when politically convenient.
In Star Wars: Yoda #1 by Cavan Scott and Nico Leon, Yoda disproves this by going on a mission that has nothing to do with the Senate. On this planet, a village is under threat from individuals who want to use their land. The Jedi Council discuss whether or not it is worth stepping in, or whether it is even worth the time of a Jedi Master to handle. Yoda never gives the situation a second thought. He volunteers to go himself and protect the innocents who are under threat. He even decides to stay on the planet and continue to protect the people there by living with them and learning about their culture.
Yoda Puts Innocents First
It’s inevitable that the Jedi Order is influenced by the politics of the Senate. The two often work hand in hand, and it seems the real-world practicality of the Senate rubs off on the Jedi Order from time to time. But by and large, they are still a force of good in the galaxy. Tthe Jedi who argues for totally ignoring this mission is the clear exception on the Council, not the rule, with their most respected Jedi leading by example when Yoda takes a direct hand in protecting the innocent.
This didn’t seem like a particularly challenging mission for Yoda. Any Jedi Knight could have handled it with ease. But Yoda decides to go himself, because he exemplifies the Jedi’s mission of being humble yet defiant in the face of injustice. He doesn’t need the Senate or anyone else’s approval to follow his conscience and the force. In fact, the Senate probably would have disapproved of him going because he is so important to the council. But what Yoda does here is a prime example of how the Jedi Order still operated independently of the Senate when the need arose, even when the people they sough to protect weren’t ‘important’ beyond their inherent right to live in safety.
Star Wars: Yoda #1 is now available from Marvel Comics.
