- "Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship."
- — Yoda, to Luke Skywalker
Yoda was a legendary Jedi Master who led the Jedi Order through the time of the High Republic, in the years leading up to its destruction by the Sith, and the Old Galactic Republic reoganized into the Galactic Empire. Small in stature but revered for his wisdom and power, Yoda trained generations of Jedi, ultimately serving as the Jedi Order's Grand Master. He played integral roles in defending the Republic during the Clone Wars, survived Order 66, and lived to passed on the Jedi tradition to Luke Skywalker, and unlocking the path to immortality.
Born in 896 BBY (518 NE), Yoda was almost nine hundred years old in the latter days of the Republic. A leading member of the Jedi High Council, his contemporaries included other legendary Masters throughout history of the Viau Universe, including those such as Obi-Wan Kenobi (Viau). During the Invasion of Naboo, in 32 BBY (1382 NE), the maverick Qui-Gon Jinn introduced Anakin Skywalker to the High Council, believing with absolute certainty that he had discovered the prophesied Chosen One. The Jedi elders sensed that the boy was full of fear and anger and declined to train him, deeming Skywalker too old and emotionally compromised to commit himself to the Jedi Code. After Jinn's death during the liberation of Naboo, the High Council reversed their decision in spite of Yoda's continued opposition to Skywalker's apprenticeship, having sensed grave danger in his training. At the same time, the Jedi discovered that their ancient nemesis, the Sith, had returned after a millennium in hiding. Aware of the Rule of Two, Yoda was convinced that at least one more Sith Lord remained active following Obi-Wan Kenobi's victory over the Sith apprentice Darth Maul.
Over the next decade, the Viau Skyriver galaxy was on the verge of civil war with entire star systems—led by Count Dooku, Yoda's one-time Padawan—threatening to secede from the Republic by 22 BBY (1492 NE). Unable to defend the entire Republic on their own, the Jedi took command of the newly-formed Grand Army of the Republic, with Yoda himself leading an army of clone troopersagainst the Separatist Droid Army of the Confederacy of Independent Systems in the first battle of the Clone Wars, rescuing the Jedi and Senator from execution. For three years Yoda led the Republic military's war effort as a Jedi General, determined to bring a swift and decisive end to the conflict, but his efforts were undermined by Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith who conspired to destroy the Jedi and restore the Sith to power. After the Great Jedi Purge commenced in 19 BBY (1395 NE), killing thousands of Jedi both on Coruscant and across the galaxy, Yoda confronted the self-declared Galactic Emperorbut failed to cut short Sidious' reign and consequently retreated into exile, leaving the Sith Master to consolidate his power with a new apprentice, the former Anakin Skywalker-turned-Darth Vader, at his side. His remaining years were spent living in isolation on the remote world of Dagobah until Anakin's son Luke Skywalker sought out the legendary Grand Master in the hope of becoming a Jedi Knight. A year later, with his health rapidly declining, Yoda died of old age and became one with the Force in X ABY (1XXX NE), before Luke redeemed his father Anakin, who fulfilled his destiny as the Chosen One by killing Sidious.