Grand Master Yoda broke one of the Jedi’s most important rules during the Clone Wars conflict, and it eventually led to the decimation of the Jedi Order. Though Yoda was one of the oldest, wisest, and most powerful Jedi, he was also an undoubtedly flawed being. The way he and the rest of the Jedi Council handled Anakin Skywalker's induction into the Order, Ahsoka Tano’s trial, and the Jedi’s relationship with the Senate and Chancellor Palpatine were major mistakes that affected the Order’s future greatly.

That’s not to say that Yoda should be infallible – that’s impossible, and part of being a Jedi is learning from your mistakes and bettering yourself. Yoda, however, let himself forget some of the Jedi’s most important beliefs in a frantic quest for peace, opening up the Jedi Order to fear, manipulation, and the dark side. One important rule that Yoda – and other Jedi who served in the Republic’s Grand Army – broke during the Clone Wars was particularly significant.

Yoda Teaches Luke That The Jedi Use The Force For Defense Only

In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda teaches Luke Skywalker how a Jedi should use the Force. He says, “A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense … never for attack.” If the Jedi of the Star Wars prequel era were genuine peacekeepers, that might have been true, but we all know that the Jedi, who essentially served as the Republic’s military leaders, unequivocally did use the Force to attack. Granted, most of their opponents were droids, but there were instances in which they certainly weren’t simply defending themselves or their men.

Of course, when The Empire Strike Back was first released, audiences didn’t know any better. We didn’t know why the Jedi were decimated and why Yoda and Obi-Wan seemed to be the only ones left. Now, however, with the additional context of the Star Wars prequels and the Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV series, it’s become clear that Yoda was teaching this to Luke because he deeply regretted the Jedi’s conduct during the Clone War and their role in the galaxy-wide violent conflict.

He wanted to break the cycle. Perhaps he never acknowledged his hypocrisy directly, but it is clear Yoda recognized his past mistakes when he was mentoring Luke. And, as we all know, Luke took Yoda’s lesson to heart in Return of the Jedi – and it changed the galaxy forever.

The Jedi Would Often Use The Force To Attack Others During The Clone Wars

One moment that takes place during the Clone Wars conflict stands out more than any other. Though it doesn’t happen in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie or TV show, Christie Golden’s novel Star Wars: Dark Disciple relays how the Jedi Council – led, of course, by Yoda – decided that the best way to end the war was to kill Count Dooku. They recruited bad-boy Jedi Quinlan Vos and former Sith assassin Asajj Ventress to carry out their dirty work. Was that self-defense, or an unprovoked direct attack?

It doesn’t matter that Quinlan and Asajj were unsuccessful. What matters is that the Jedi even considered the plan at all. This was unmistakably the point of no return for the Jedi, but it wasn’t the only egregious plan the Jedi ever had during the Clone Wars. They targeted General Grievous numerous times, carried out secretive undercover missions, and led their troopers into countless battles. The Force was always with them, helping them battle droids, destroy Separatist ships, and wield their lightsabers.

Watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 1, episodes 13 and 14, and season 3, episode 10.

While the Jedi argued that they were the peacekeepers during the Clone Wars, it's doubtful the Separatists truly saw them that way – in fact, one Clone Wars episode deals with this directly when Pé Amidala and Ahsoka visit a prominent Separatist family to try and negotiate a peace treaty. Another arc sees the Jedi crash-land on a previously neutral planet, bringing war with them. If both sides are being manipulated by a greater power, and they each believed they were justified in their actions, could the Jedi ever truly call themselves peacekeepers? I don’t believe so.

Yoda Led One Of The Most Brutal Attacks Before He Sent Himself Into Exile

Though we don’t often get to see Yoda pull his lightsaber, one scene stands out more than any other. No, it’s not his duel against Darth Sidious, though it does take place in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. I’d argue it’s probably one of the most brutal scenes in the entire Star Wars prequel trilogy.

Of course, the Jedi were forced to protect themselves when their once-loyal clone friends turned against them as a result of Palpatine’s Order 66 directive, especially when it first started. On Kashyyyk, Yoda immediately senses something is wrong and decapitates the two clones standing behind him. This is a horrifically violent moment in and of itself, but in that scene, Yoda’s actions are understandable. That was pure self-defense, though Yoda’s reaction was rather distressingly devoid of emotion.

If Ahsoka managed to survive Order 66 without killing the clones attacking her, why couldn’t Yoda and Obi-Wan do the same?

Later, though, once Yoda has reunited with Obi-Wan Kenobi, and they attempt to enter the Jedi Temple, they cut down an entire host of clone troopers. Again, one could argue this was self-defense as well, but this time, they should have been more prepared. If, as we saw in The Clone Wars season 7, Ahsoka managed to survive Order 66 without killing the clones attacking her, why couldn’t Yoda and Obi-Wan do the same? Why didn’t they take a moment to consider that the clones were being manipulated somehow?

Even the greatest of Jedi can make mistakes – nobody is perfect. I don’t necessarily want to condemn Yoda for his actions during the Clone Wars, as he didn’t truly know what was happening in the shadows. That doesn’t mean I can’t recognize that Yoda’s decisions had a direct influence on the Jedi’s role in the war and the Order’s eventual downfall, however.