Warning! This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – After the Fall #1 While it was a rule that every member of Star Wars‘ Jedi Order was obligated to live by, the ‘no attachments’ aspects of their wider doctrine held especially high importance to one Jedi Master in particular: Yoda. Master Yoda stressed this rule with all of his students, as he truly believed that attachments would inevitably lead one to the dark side. And now, a new twist in Star Wars may have finally explained why Yoda felt so strongly about this particular aspect of the Jedi code.
The most notable example of Yoda stressing the importance of a Jedi ridding themselves of any and all possessions – including connections with the people they love – was shown in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. When Anakin Skywalker went to Yoda for guidance after he was having dreams that he believed were visions of the future depicting Padmé dying in childbirth, Yoda only told him that he should learn to let go of what he loved and allow them to die rather than attempt to save them.
Yoda’s advice to Anakin was harsh, and arguably cemented Anakin’s distrust in the Jedi that ultimately led to his fall to the dark side. However, Yoda wasn’t trying to be heartless, he was simply utilizing the experiences of his past to help better shape the Jedi of the future. So, what happened in Yoda’s past that led him to uphold this frame of mind so strongly? Well, it could have something to do with two Jedi who fell in love during the High Republic era, and their story is sure to end only in tragedy.
Yoda Broke the Jedi’s Ban on Attachment Long Before Anakin Skywalker
Yoda succumbed to forbidden attachment as a Jedi Grandmaster long before Anakin Skywalker fell in love with Padmé, yet Yoda did nothing to help him.
1 Star Wars: High Republic Jedi Could Be Falling To The Dark Side Due To Her Attachment
In Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – After the Fall #1 by Daniel José Older, Harvey Tolibao and Nick Brokenshire, the Jedi – and even the entire galaxy – are still recovering from the fall of Starlight Beacon that happened one year ago. Starlight Beacon was a symbol of hope in the galaxy that offered much needed Republic resources to the outer rim. But, it was destroyed by the Nihil – a gang of marauders who organized into a legitimate collective – who then took over a large portion of galactic space.
Many Jedi were killed when Starlight Beacon fell, and many more were missing/presumed dead – including a Jedi Padawan named Lula Talisola. Before the Fall, Lula befriended a Force-sensitive named Zeen Mrala, who would later study under the Jedi herself. Eventually, that friendship blossomed into something more, and the two felt a romantic attraction towards one another. So, when Lula went missing, Zeen was devastated, and vowed to use the Force in any way necessary to get Lula back.
Star Wars’ New Love Story May Have Prepared Yoda For Anakin Skywalker
This issue of High Republic Adventures ends with Zeen actually finding Lula, though initially accidentally. Zeen thinks Lula is being kept by a Nihil warlord, and after Zeen bursts into their chambers screaming, “Give! Me! My! Lula!!”, it’s only then that she discovers ‘her’ Lula was the warlord all along, and that she was now working for the Nihil. Despite this, Zeen kisses Lula with a passionate embrace, not caring who she was aligned with, simply happy to be with her once again. This was a touching scene, to be sure, but also a disturbing one. Zeen clearly doesn’t care about using the Force to uphold the ways of the Jedi, and is seemingly even willing to follow Lula into corruption if it means being with her, which are things that wouldn’t have happened if Zeen hadn’t allowed herself to form an attachment to ‘her’ Lula.
While their Star Wars story is still unfolding, it seems all too possible that Yoda – a prominent Jedi Master during the High Republic era – would see Lula and Zeen as prime examples of why forming attachments must be avoided for all Jedi, and why Yoda gave the advice he did to Anakin Skywalker all those years later.
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – After the Fall #1 by Dark Horse Comics is available now.
