The Acolyte creator, Leslye Headland, has confirmed that a Season 2 of the cancelled Star Wars show would've revealed a new side of Yoda. Yoda is commonly considered one of the wisest and most loyal Jedi Masters, always fighting on the side of good. After mentoring generations of Jedi to join the light side of the Force, Yoda is typically seen as the shining beacon of all that's good and moral in the Jedi Order, but the wise Master has had his share of questionable moments.
Yoda has been featured throughout several eras of Star Wars storytelling, including in the franchise's earliest on-screen history in The Acolyte. Set in the last days of the High Republic era, The Acolyte served to show audiences the origins of the Dark Side and the Sith, which emerged under the shadow of the dominant Jedi Council, which was at its peak during these years. Thanks to Yoda's slow-aging, he was featured in a brief cameo in The Acolyte's final scenes, hinting at a larger role for the character if the show had continued.
Unfortunately, The Acolyte was cancelled after one season, but the show's creator has revealed what Yoda might have done next if it had continued. When asked on The George Lucas Talk Show whether Yoda would have "[helped] with Vernestra's cover-up," Headland responded with "for sure," confirming the Jedi Master would have helped to conceal some questionable Jedi activities.
The activities in question involved Jedi Master Vernestra (Rebecca Henderson) using Sol (Lee Jung-jae) as a scapegoat for the deaths of Indara, Torbin, Kalnacca, Jecki, Yord, and many others. The truth is that Sol was killed by Osha (Amandla Stenberg), who embraced the Dark Side after learning his role in the death of her mother, and sided with Qimir (Manny Jacinto).
However, to avoid any more scrutiny landing on the Jedi Council from the Galactic Senate, Vernestra blamed Sol, painting him as a wayward rogue. Sol was already dead and thus could not dispute her claims. Additionally, Vernestra was revealed to have a special connection to Qimir, as he was her former apprentice, and thus her cover-up may also have been an attempt to protect him.
Vernestra is shown coming to Master Yoda in The Acolyte's finale, saying "we need to talk." It appears that Vernestra was preparing to confide in Yoda what she'd done to cover up Qimir's and Osha's actions, and now Headland's comments confirm that Yoda would have assisted her, essentially showing off the Jedi Master's dark side as he opted to lie and deceive in order to hide their organization's corruption.
Headland was sure to add that fans shouldn't "come at [her] in the comments" because "[Yoda] does it in the Clone Wars."
It's true that Yoda had a hand in the downfall of the Jedi by choosing to mobilize the Clone army despite his suspicions about them, plunging the Jedi into all-out war. For the longest time, the Jedi Order was considered a peacekeeping force, so engaging in war was against everything the order stood for. It ended up biting back after Palpatine seized control of the Clones and detonated Order 66, effectively wiping out the Jedi.
The Acolyte told the Star Wars tale decades earlier, revealing the beginnings of the Jedi Order's fracturing as it came under investigation by the Senate. Starring Amandla Stenberg, Manny Jacinto, Lee Jung-jae, and Carrie-Anne Moss, The Acolyte sadly lasted only one season, leaving fans with many questions after its explosive 2024 finale.
A Dark Side, Yoda Has
Yoda's appearance in The Acolyte finale set up the iconic Star Wars character for a bigger role in a potential Season 2.
Audiences know that Yoda was an ethically sound character in future Star Wars instalments, but not one who hadn't made mistakes. Even when questionable, Yoda typically does what he believes is right and necessary, particularly for the survival of the Jedi Order.
He only mobilized the clones in order to rescue Mace Windu, Anakin, and other Jedi on Geonosis, but once the genie was out of the bottle, it couldn't be put back, leading to a lifetime of regret for the Jedi Master. Similarly, if The Acolyte had gone ahead, Yoda covering up the truth about Sol and Qimir would likely have helped downplay suspicion in the Senate's investigation, allowing the Jedi Order to survive.
It would certainly put Yoda in a compromising position (although it wouldn't be the first time he's kept a secret), particularly as deception is a trait of the Dark Side. However, The Acolyte showed audiences that the lines between the Light and Dark sides of the Force aren't always clear, and Yoda would have been a particularly interesting character to explore that moral quandary through, given his role in later Star Wars stories.
