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Star Words: Episode II, Part 28
Apr. 5th, 2018 02:07 pmWe knew from first sight that Darth Maul would be a formidable fighter. Seeing Dooku's advanced age, it's easy to assume that his strength would be more in the realm of political machinations and cunning. What a startling revelation to watch him easily defeat Anakin and Obi-Wan, and again Anakin, in turn. As they lie helpless at his feet, someone else must come to the rescue. And that someone is the "great warrior," Master Yoda.
We've just seen him directing troops in battle, an unexpected role for someone who later declares "Wars not make one great." And yet who would understand that principle better than one who has stood in the midst of war and seen its devastating effects firsthand? Yoda might be the wisest Jedi in the Order, but he still has some hard lessons to learn.
But as he confronts the former Jedi he once called Padawan, Yoda has a few lessons still to teach Dooku. First the count tries to attack him with massive debris; Yoda easily brushes it aside. Then, bragging about his superior powers, he attempts to blast Yoda with lightning. It was just revealed by Obi-Wan's ingenuity that a lightsaber can deflect such an attack, but Yoda doesn't even need a conduit. He absorbs the lightning directly into his own hand.
"Much to learn, you still have."
Indeed. We've seen highly skilled Jedi performing extraordinary feats, but till now we could only guess what the great Yoda is capable of. Now, at last, he fights. And it's exhilarating. His smaller size is irrelevant. He's everywhere at once, virtually weightless, a little green blur.
And yet, still. "Wars not make one great." The duel does not end on a jubilant, triumphant note. Dooku flees by playing dirty, forcing Yoda to choose between capturing him and protecting Anakin and Obi-Wan. It makes you wonder if he is thinking of this very conundrum when Luke is torn between finishing his training and rescuing his friends, asking if he must "sacrifice Han and Leia." And Yoda firmly replies, "If you honor what they fight for, yes!"
The way of a Jedi is never an easy one. How do you walk that delicate balance, defending peace and justice without ever giving way to aggression? Yoda's fighting methods, for all their impressive qualities, are largely defensive. He is never the first to attack; he deflects rather than attacking. Still, I suspect that he looks back on this first battle of the Clone Wars as a personal failure. How could he have done differently? There are no easy answers. Sometimes the most intriguing stories give us questions without any answers at all.
Next, we finally hear from Darth Sidious again...
We've just seen him directing troops in battle, an unexpected role for someone who later declares "Wars not make one great." And yet who would understand that principle better than one who has stood in the midst of war and seen its devastating effects firsthand? Yoda might be the wisest Jedi in the Order, but he still has some hard lessons to learn.
But as he confronts the former Jedi he once called Padawan, Yoda has a few lessons still to teach Dooku. First the count tries to attack him with massive debris; Yoda easily brushes it aside. Then, bragging about his superior powers, he attempts to blast Yoda with lightning. It was just revealed by Obi-Wan's ingenuity that a lightsaber can deflect such an attack, but Yoda doesn't even need a conduit. He absorbs the lightning directly into his own hand.
"Much to learn, you still have."
Indeed. We've seen highly skilled Jedi performing extraordinary feats, but till now we could only guess what the great Yoda is capable of. Now, at last, he fights. And it's exhilarating. His smaller size is irrelevant. He's everywhere at once, virtually weightless, a little green blur.
And yet, still. "Wars not make one great." The duel does not end on a jubilant, triumphant note. Dooku flees by playing dirty, forcing Yoda to choose between capturing him and protecting Anakin and Obi-Wan. It makes you wonder if he is thinking of this very conundrum when Luke is torn between finishing his training and rescuing his friends, asking if he must "sacrifice Han and Leia." And Yoda firmly replies, "If you honor what they fight for, yes!"
The way of a Jedi is never an easy one. How do you walk that delicate balance, defending peace and justice without ever giving way to aggression? Yoda's fighting methods, for all their impressive qualities, are largely defensive. He is never the first to attack; he deflects rather than attacking. Still, I suspect that he looks back on this first battle of the Clone Wars as a personal failure. How could he have done differently? There are no easy answers. Sometimes the most intriguing stories give us questions without any answers at all.
Next, we finally hear from Darth Sidious again...
