# Yoda - How powerful? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 6, 2002, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoda-how-powerful/102147 "2002-04-06T05:50:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Vorae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@Vorae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vorae)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2002, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoda-how-powerful/102147/21 "2002-04-07T21:10:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Balduran \* > **I dunno, just pulling that out of my ass.** Don’t apologize. That’s where most of my arguments come from. _My_ ass, that is. ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2002, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoda-how-powerful/102147/22 "2002-04-07T21:44:54Z")
Personally, i think the whole midichlorians idea is crappy, i prefer to think of the force exactly how Ben Kenobi defined it, “The Force is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us… penetrates us… binds the galaxy together.” As for the dark and light sides, i think its just a matter of preference, assholes use the force for nefarious purposes, learn the forbidden force powers, and generally use their powers for selfish reasons. Hopefully, Lucas has something up his sleeve involving the midichlorians, but judging from the craptastic TPM i’m not going to hold my breath. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2002, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoda-how-powerful/102147/23 "2002-04-07T21:45:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lumpy \* > \*\*Another big factor was that Rebel spies were able to steal a complete set of schematics for the Death Star. The destruction of the first Death Star was a near-miracle, the equivalent of a mosquito killing a brontosaurus. \*\* So you’re saying the rebels are malaria? Take that, Solo! ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2002, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoda-how-powerful/102147/24 "2002-04-07T22:12:51Z")
Who says I’m apologizing **Vorae**? 🙂 And yeah, TPM did to the force what Highlander 2 did to the quikening ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoda-how-powerful/102147/25 "2002-04-08T03:08:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Perhaps because it would be morally repugnant for a light jedi to learn the lightning bolt trick as it can only be used for evil 'Sez you. I bet it’d be great for chasing squirrels out of the attic 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Yondan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/278dde/32.png) [@Yondan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yondan)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoda-how-powerful/102147/26 "2002-04-08T14:22:56Z")
I am right there with **Fenris** in my dissatisfaction with Lucas’ thickheaded mishandling of what ought to have been one of the finest myths of our times. It’s a shame, really. However, I would like to point out that pacifism, serenity, and love for fellow creatures have been fairly effective tools for social-political change too. Y’know, Gandhi, Jesus, Lao-Tzu, King, those guys. As to the OP, I think it’s a really neat question, but misguided. The definition of power changes with age and experience, as the balance between physical ability and moral/intellectual/emotional wisdom shifts. I don’t believe Vader would ever be able to face Yoda, because he is too consumed by hatred and anger. He has his hands full just dealing with Luke, after all. The struggle is really between Yoda and the Emperor, and is played through their apprentices, who bring very different strategies to the game. One is aggression and power, and the other is forgiveness and compassion. But this level of conflict has never been given a real chance to develop, being subsumed by the childish impulse to indulge in “better” special effects and a more action-focusd orientation at the expense of developing the integrity of a mythic story line. Yoda could have been a truly great teacher-character, but instead has been reduced to a little green wisdom tooth, a la Pat Morita. Darth Maul is a fine example of waste, as well. A great demon look totally unsupported by anything in the way of evil behavior. By contrast, Tim Roth exhibited more sheer evil in a sneer (see either “Rob Roy” or “The Musketeer”) than Maul did with a full head tattoo and six horns. As I said, it’s a shame, but it’s clear that, without Joseph Campbell’s aid, Lucas simply doesn’t have what it takes. What should have been a story rich with nuance and meaning has become increasingly slathered with layers of simplistic truisms and ham-handed perversions of wisdom. ---
**Author:** ![Fingolfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@Fingolfin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fingolfin)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoda-how-powerful/102147/27 "2002-04-08T15:49:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Speaker for the Dead \* > \*\*We all know Yoda was incredibly powerful, and could use the force like we use our hands. However, in a one-on-one lightsaber battle (not dissimiliar to the battle between Darth Maul and Qui-Gonn or Obi-Wan and Darth Vader), could he defeat the Vader? Maul? The Emperor himself (assumably the most powerful Sith Lord since Exar-Kun)? \*\* I don’t know. I do know that Gandalf could kick his scrawny little ass! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoda-how-powerful/102147/28 "2002-04-08T16:16:15Z")
Yoda was incredibly powerful. After all, he made a spaceship fly! If that doesn’t convince you, he can also make a boat travel across the surface of a lake, AND he can make a television set display moving pictures! ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoda-how-powerful/102147/29 "2002-04-08T17:56:54Z")
Well, if the rumors are true, Episode II will clear some of this debate up–Yoda’s supposed to have a fight scene in it. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoda-how-powerful/102147/30 "2002-04-08T19:28:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jophiel \* > But if all the powers are just coming from microorganisms or organelles in the body (not sure which they are) then why is there a light/dark side? Well, I’m not a _Star Wars_ geek at all (I’ve got my hands full being a _Transformers_ geek already 😉 ), but maybe the midichlorians are a _response_ to a high level of Force power? Like, Person A has a lot of Force, so he has lots of midichlorians as a result? On the other hand, if the midichlorians generate the Force, maybe the “lightness”/“darkness” comes from the host person, who directs the energies. Eh, I thought it was a stupid bit in _Phantom Menace_ anyway… ---
**Author:** ![razer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@razer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/razer)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoda-how-powerful/102147/31 "2002-04-08T20:20:52Z")
hmmmm… taking books and comics out of the picture (havent read enough of them)… just because Yoda is good at hiding doesnt make him the “best” jedi does it? doesnt even make him the best teacher… in fact the only thing that i know of for sure is that he gives REALLY good advice so Vader would kick his little green but. But he would become “more powerfull that yu could imagine”. Just taking Obi’s word on that last part as i am still sceptical about how powerfull a traslucent apparition is. ---
**Author:** ![maikai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@maikai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maikai)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoda-how-powerful/102147/32 "2002-06-05T03:45:17Z")
> [@](#): > > Personally, i think the whole midichlorians idea is crappy, i prefer to think of the force exactly how Ben Kenobi defined it, “The Force is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us… penetrates us… binds the galaxy together.” In episode I Qui-Gon said that “Without midi-chlorians we would have no knowledge of the Force.” This means that the Force is indeed the energy field that Obi-Wan descibed. The midi-chlorians just give the Jedi access to it. Yes, I am a midi-chlorian defender [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoda-how-powerful/102147.md?page=1)