Yaddle

Yaddle was born around 509 BBY. A member of the same species as the legendary Jedi Yoda and Grogu, she was found to be Force-sensitive and was taken to the Jedi Temple to be trained in the ways of the Jedi. Eventually, she was promoted to the rank of Jedi Master. Yaddle devoted a large amount of her time on scholarly endeavors, spending a lot of time studying in the Jedi Archives. Despite this, she was also an active Jedi in the field as well.

At some point during the High Republic Era, Yaddle became the special tutor of youngling Cippa Tarko. Yaddle stayed around Tarko often and was kind and patient with Tarko, using every opportunity she could for a lesson. Tarko wanted to focus on what she was good at, like levitating objects with the Force, but on one occasion Yaddle insisted that it was essential to practice what you did not know. Tarko did not understand, which Yaddle explained was why she still had a lot to learn.

In 382 BBY, shortly after the Battle of Jedha, Yaddle received a message asking for assistance on Jedha while traveling with Tarko, so she reached out to Master Yoda on Coruscant and asked about the message. The connection was choppy due to Yaddle being near Jedha, where communications buoys were broken. Tarko asked if Yoda was Yaddle's brother, and she confirmed he was not and apologized to Yoda for the child's presence. Tarko offered Yaddle an ice apple with the Force, but Yaddle denied it. The Jedi Master greeted Chancellor Kyong Greylark, who was with Yoda, before the connection cut out again. Yoda told Greylark that they needed to fix communications and also that they needed to go forward with sending Jedi Master Creighton Sun and Jedi Knight Aida Forte to the planet Dalna to investigate the Path of the Open Hand cult's role in the Battle of Jedha. Because of the choppy connection, Yaddle misheard this to mean she should go to Dalna, and was not able to discern the Chancellor's instructions to go straight to Coruscant before the connection ended.

Yaddle sent a message to Sun and Forte telling them that she was instructed to go to Dalna to investigate the Path, and felt called there by the Force. The two Jedi said they have two of the Chancellor's guards with them, Lu Sweet and Priv Ittik, who Yaddle said can watch Tarko before telling them she would join them on Dalna. Yaddle met up with them outside of the Path compound near the city of Ferdan. Sun and Forte were concerned about her having a youngling with her, so she assigned the two Chancellor's guards Sun and Forte had with them to take care of Tarko, assuring them that both would be needed to handle her. Yaddle then rushed the others to search the compound quick, knowing that Tarko would eventually wear the guards down and join them. She said that she did not often bring younglings with her on missions, but that she is aware of the risks and feels led there by the Force. Aida found the compound to look like just an ordinary farming community, but Yaddle warned things were often not what they seemed. They eventually discovered Path members pumping a substance out of tanks into wagons. They decided to impersonate Path members to investigate more, Master Yaddle stealing Path garments for them from a laundry house just as Tarko returned with Sweet and Ittik. Yaddle gave them all the clothes and said it is time for them all to get to work.

After Yaddle advised the others on how to blend in, Sun attempted to speak with her but was interrupted by Tarko. Yaddle advised Tarko not to be prideful, because it was attachment to one's actions and prevented one from using the Force in a pure way. Yaddle watched as Tarko ran after a bug, and Sun was impressed by her patience. Yaddle told Sun that patience was a learned skill and warned that she felt the possibility of pain and death. She suggested that they split up, Sun and Forte going to the underground component of the compound while she and Tarko looked in the buildings and the guards protected Sun and Forte's ship, the Lazuli. She advised Sun and Forte to convince people they did not recognize them but suggest they had information from Jedha if they were noticed to open up doors for them. Yaddle told them "May the Force be with you" and ran off with Tarko.

As Yaddle and Tarko traveled through the compound, Yaddle was somewhat concerned Tarko would jeopardize their plan because of her outbursts to the Path members. She was forced to use the Force to manipulate the minds of Path members to that they would not take note of Tarko's outbursts about being a Jedi. Yaddle eventually sensed a death in the Force, though recognized it was not Crieghton or Aida. She and Tarko entered one of the buildings and met an elderly man who told them that the elderly were staying aboveground to act as a shield. He added that the others are gathering for a great work done by the Path and a weapon that would scare the Jedi. The man declared death to Force-users as they left. In another hut they met a woman who tried to give Tarko a blaster and told her it was never too early to serve the Path, but Yaddle rejected it on Tarko's behalf. The two then realized that the Path had several ground-to-air missile launchers hidden throughout the compound. As they walked, Yaddle told Tarko that the reason she brought her on the mission was for her to gain a respect for the Force by gaining a respect for life, helping Tarko recognize how awful it is to force children to kill. Tarko admitted to secretly breaking the blaster with the Force after they left so no child could be forced to use it and Yaddle comforted her. When they traveled back to the Lazuli to warn others about the missiles, they discovered that the guards were missing. Two heavily armed Path members then appeared and shot a stun blast at Tarko. Yaddle deliberated on whether to hide or fight, deciding to fight. As she fought them, Yaddle told the Path members that it was what they got for shooting a child. After quickly defeating the Path members that had attacked her, Yaddle cradled Tarko in her arms. She heard an explosion that unbeknownst to her Sun and Forte had set off, and felt Jedi fighting in the Force.

Yaddle and the Chancellor's guards readied to defend against Path members until she noticed that a group of Jedi were running towards them. Yaddle instructed Priv and Lu to use the ship to shoot down anyone that was attacking the Jedi, sending Tarko inside with them to protect her. After the group arrived, and Sun told Yaddle that they needed to get on their ship and leave or they would all be killed. Yaddle asked why Jedi Master Char-Ryl-Roy and Padawan Enya Keen were there, but Sun just said it was a long story and pointed out that Princess Xiri A'lbaran and Prince Phan-tu Zenn of E'ronoh and Eiram were also there. After asking Sweet to land, Yaddle lead everyone who was with Sun to the back of the ship and they all boarded, but as they did, a Path ship attacked. Yaddle yelled and warned everyone about the cannon fire, but the blasts still damaged the ship. After Sweet brought the ship into the air, he announced he had good news and bad news, but only said that they were taking more damage every second and that the ship would likely not fly anymore, which Yaddle pointed out was all bad news. Yaddle noticed that two more ships had joined to attack them while Sun sent out a message for help. She encouraged him to keep sending it when they only got a response from Master Ela Sutan on the ground. Yaddle tried to spot her ship in case they needed to abandon the Lazuli, but saw it get destroyed.

Eventually, Sweet warned that the ship was too damaged and was going to crash. Seeing that they would crash into the middle of the Path compound, Yaddle instructed them to emerge fighting and to split up so that they could scatter and not be overwhelmed. She instructed Sweet and Ittik to go with Sun and Forte. Yaddle found Tarko and prepared to take her with her for when they were to split off of from the group, before wishing the others good luck. Zenn exclaimed that what they were doing was suicide, but Yaddle insisted that it was fighting for life and light. After the ship crashed, Yaddle took the hand of Tarko, who Zenn and A'lbaran had helped shelter with their bodies during the crash. Yaddle and Tarko separated from the others and located an underground vegetable storage structure. Yaddle instructed Tarko to hide in it, telling her she will come get her when she is safe. Yaddle then used the Force to sense where she was needed most and started to leave, but Tarko stopped her and asked her what she should do if Yaddle never came back. Yaddle only said to trust in the Force and reminded her to stay out of sight before running off. After staying for a while, Tarko recalled Yaddle's teachings and kindness, and wanting to prove herself to the Jedi Master, Tarko left the structure to join the fight.

Later, as Sun and Forte were being overwhelmed by Path members, Yaddle saved Aida's life by pulling back a man who was trying to stab her out of sight using the Force. Yaddle then fought several Path members with her lightsaber and sent them flying with the Force to get to Aida. When she got close to the Jedi Knight, she noticed Aida was hurt and attempted to calm the pain with the Force. Yaddle urged Aida to get to her feet as she continued to defend against attackers by sending them flying. Yaddle then noticed people in the distance getting lifted into the air and thrown. She reminded Aida that she had the Force on her side before running away, eventually reaching Tarko, who had been the one throwing people with the Force. Yaddle admonished her for disobeying and not hiding, insisting it is too dangerous and pointing out this was why she needed further instruction. Aida suggested Tarko stay and help, and Yaddle gave in after expressing that she had never experienced this in all her years of teaching. Yaddle assigned Tarko to Aida's side and ordering her to lift everyone she saw high enough to make them unconscious when they fell. Yaddle then reignited her lightsaber and declared it would be a long night.

Eventually, Yaddle joined Master Sun in the fight and informed him that everyone was elsewhere fighting. Sun then warned about mysterious creatures killing off Jedi and turning them to ash. Yaddle cautioned Sun that the turmoil around him was reaching inside him and told him to trust the Force. He replied that he did not have time to and that they were losing badly, but she insisted that they had not lost until there was nothing worth saving. Tarko then ran up to her and explained that Forte left because she needed to help someone else, so Tarko wants to go help Sweet and Ittik. Yaddle instead urged Tarko to stay by her side, and Creighton reminded Tarko that Yaddle knew more than all of them. Inspired by Tarko, Creighton commed Roy, Keen, and Forte and urged them to keep fighting because help was on the way. After seeing this, and defending Sun while he did so, Yaddle told Tarko they could go find Sweet and Ittik and they ran off.

Yaddle and Tarko made their way through the compound killing droids. Tarko saw one of the Nameless creatures pin down a Jedi and kill them instantly and was instantly overcome with a vision of her greatest fear, which included her slipping out of Yaddle's grasp and into a massive chasm. Yaddle grabbed her hand and urged her to open her eyes and see the real world, telling her they need to be careful when Tarko warned of the danger. They eventually found Priv, who was injured, at the wreckage of the Lazuli. Ittik told Yaddle that a nearing enforcer droid was immune to their blasters, so Yaddle went after it. Tarko, after learning of Sweet's death from Ittik and using the Force to defend herself from Path members that were targeting her for being Force-sensitive, started to pass out. Yaddle then appeared over her and woke her up before picking her up and pulling her behind a speeder for protection. Tarko agreed with Ittik not to go anywhere without Yaddle's say. Tarko then began to be heavily affected by the trauma of the battle and hid while Yaddle fought.

Later, after the forces of the planets Eiram and E'ronoh were called to Dalna by Princess A'lbaran and Prince Zenn and turned the tide of the battle in the Jedi's favor, Yoda, who had arrived with them, stood with Yaddle, who watching Tarko sleep in Ittik's arms. Xiri and Phan-tu then warned them that explosions were set off underground. As Yaddle suggested getting help, the ground shook and they witnessed sections of the caves of the Path compound collapse into sinkholes. She and Yoda sensed a Jedi in distress and went to help. Finding the door in the ground, Yaddle and Yoda connected to the Force and sense Jedi Knight Gella Nattai and foe-turned-ally Axel Greylark. Yaddle lifted up the ground, rocks, and soil while Yoda lifted the water to try and rescue them. Enya Keen then ran toward them and pulled Nattai and Greylark from the mud and water, the two having been brought to the surface by the two Jedi Masters. Yaddle and Yoda then set the water and mud down far away, at a safe distance. Yaddle noticed that the sounds of battle had faded and that sun was rising. She asked Yoda if the battle was done, and he said it was.

After the battle, Yaddle arranged for Tarko to be fully supported and taken care of after going through the trauma of the battle. Yaddle and her later attended a Funeral at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant alongside Ittik. Before the ceremony, Yoda met with Yaddle, who was standing with Cippa and Priv.

During the High Republic Era, Yaddle was in charge of Jedi Initiates at the Jedi Temple. When a young Jedi named Vernestra Rwoh was brought to the Jedi temple, Yaddle taught her to trust her instincts, which was Rwoh's first lesson as a Jedi. In 231 BBY, she took a sabbatical on Kronk, but ended up returning to her duties earlier than expected upon realizing that she missed her time with the younglings. Back at the Temple, Yaddle encountered Vernestra Rwoh, whom she recalled teaching as an initiate and who had become a Jedi Knight, while leading a group of younglings. Rwoh had recently experienced a troubling vision on the planet Tiikae, and appeared to be lost both physically and spiritually. The Mirialan commented with surprise on Yaddle's presence at the Temple, and Yaddle responded that she had heard stories of Rwoh's deeds. Rwoh said that she hoped she was living Yaddle's teachings, to which the elder Jedi chuckled before resting her hand on Rwoh's arm and instructed her not to reject her instincts. Rwoh felt a shimmer of premonition and agreed, before Yaddle pointed her in the direction of Master Stellan Gios' office, her destination. As Rwoh walked away, Yaddle returned to lecturing her class of younglings on the responsibilities of the Jedi in a changing galaxy.

On the eve of his becoming Master Dooku's newest Padawan, around 68 BBY, Yaddle caught a twelve-year-old Qui-Gon Jinn practicing with his lightsaber in the Temple's sparring room late at night and ordered him to go to bed. In the latter decades of the Republic, the Initiates Obi-Wan Kenobi, Siri Tachi, and their friends were among the younglings that Yaddle taught. One particular lesson with their group became so raucous that she said, under her breath but heard by Kenobi, they were "a merry band of brats." At some point by the High Republic Era, Yaddle wrote theses about little known Jedi arts that were incomplete and vague. A copy of the Theses of Yaddle ended up in the High Republic Jedi site known as the Central Manse on the planet Koboh.

Eventually, Yaddle was given a seat on the Jedi High Council on which she remained for some time. Yaddle trained many Padawans, including the Thisspiasian Oppo Rancisis and the Lasat Jaro Tapal. She trained Tapal harder than anyone else he knew and the Lasat owned a copy of her theses. Rancisis eventually became part of the High Council and got a seat alongside Yaddle. During the Invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY, Yaddle was present in the Jedi Council Chamber inside the Temple on Coruscant, when fellow Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn presented himself to the High Council with daunting news that the Sith, the ancient enemies of the Jedi had returned to the galaxy; he had faced a Force-wielding dark warrior on Tatooine. Although others on the Council doubted Jinn's conclusion that he had encountered a Sith Lord, Yaddle believed him.

Soon after that meeting, Master Yaddle accompanied Jinn through the Temple as the surprising news spread among the other Jedi. Count Dooku, who had been visiting the Temple, requested further details and correctly surmised that the Council had not been eager to validate Jinn's story. The count noted that he had been warning them of the coming darkness for quite some time. Yaddle interjected that there was no cause for undue alarm and asserted her authority on the Council in making that statement; the Council's stance was one of caution until they knew more. Dooku stated that Yaddle was right about one aspect in particular—a Sith Lord was not to be trifled with. He emphasized his worry that he would not be around to protect Jinn any longer, while Jinn reassured him by stating that his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, filled that role. After Jinn left in the turbolift arrived, Yaddle asked if Dooku was doing well. He commented on how their Padawans tended to grow very quickly, a statement that Yaddle agreed with. The count then took his leave and walked away from Yaddle.

Yaddle was later present during the evaluation of Anakin Skywalker, a nine-year-old Force-sensitive child, who Jinn believed was the Chosen One that was prophesied to bring balance to the Force. The High Council initially agreed that they would not accept him into the Jedi Order, however, they reversed their decision as Jinn's dying wish was for Skywalker to be trained. In the aftermath of the Battle of Naboo, Yaddle decided to take a less active role in Jedi affairs, and stepped down from the Council.

After Jinn's death on Naboo, Yaddle encountered Dooku in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and discussed the upcoming funeral of his former apprentice. However, he stated that he would not be attending the funeral, which both surprised and raised suspicion to Yaddle as both Jedi were close friends.

Curious as to what Dooku was up to, she followed him to The Works where she discovered him plotting with the Sith Lord Darth Sidious in a building. Yaddle revealed herself and despite Dooku's betrayal, she offered him compassion, implying that he can make up for the atrocities he committed, by bringing Sidious to justice. After noting that there is still a chance to fix the wrongs, Dooku, influenced by the death of his former apprentice and the manipulations of Sidious, regretfully told Yaddle that it was too late. Yaddle eventually engaged in a lightsaber duel with Dooku, challenging his moral stance. However, Dooku defeated her in the duel, claiming that he only wanted to bring peace and order to the galaxy. Yaddle reminded him that so many had already suffered for what he called "order," but Dooku remained unmoved other than to coldly sneer that he would give her peace. The former Jedi Master then killed Yaddle with his lightsaber, an act which brought him to the dark side of the Force. As a result, he pledged his allegiance to Sidious as his new apprentice, known as Darth Tyranus.

Yaddle's seat on the Council was taken by Jedi Master Shaak Ti.

In 14 BBY, while traveling in hyperspace, Greez Dritus asked if Jedi would come out of hiding if the Order was rebuilt. When Cere Junda questioned if he meant anyone specific, Dritus told her that whilst growing up on Lateron he had heard tales of a legendary green, pointy-eared Jedi Master. When Junda asked if he was speaking about Yoda, Dritus responded that he was talking about Yaddle. Cere then clarified whether he was asking about the Jedi High Council Member, something which Greez affirmed, defensively stating that Yaddle coming out of hiding was a dream of his.

Shortly after the Battle of Fortress Vader, Darth Vader entered a portal constructed by Darth Momin to resurrect his wife Padmé Amidala. While walking through visions, he encountered Yaddle along with several Jedi with their lightsabers ready to battle him. However, Vader defeated all of the illusions with Yaddle being amongst the last to fall, slashed through the chest as the words "Let the past die" resounded in Vader's mind.

In 9 BBY, Jedi Knight Cal Kestis discovered a copy of the Theses of Yaddle in the High Republic Era point of operation known as the Central Manse on the Outer Rim planet Koboh. Recognizing what they taught and how vague they were, Kestis recalled his master, Jaro Tapal, owning a copy of the work. Kestis also discussed Master Yaddle with Jedi Master Eno Cordova, explaining that his friend Greez Dritus had asked Jedi Master Cere Junda about her on one occasion and that he suspected Greez had been enamored with her. Cordova revealed that he had known Yaddle and enjoyed her company greatly, adding that she was strong-willed and had a unique sense of humor. Cal mentioned that his master Jaro Tapal was the Padawan of Yaddle and that Tapal had said Yaddle trained harder than anyone he knew. Kestis considered this trait to be significant, from having known Tapal.

In 3 ABY, Yoda had a vision of Yaddle when he entered the Cave of Evil on the planet Dagobah in anticipation of training Luke Skywalker. In the vision, Yoda dueled his fallen apprentice Dooku, who eventually threw Yoda back with the Force. Where he landed, Yoda discovered Yaddle's corpse, her eyes white, and realized that Dooku had killed her. He asked the specter of Dooku if he truly had killed her, and Dooku confirmed it, revealing that she was the first of his many kills. Yoda asked why he did it and Dooku merely said it was because Yoda let him, as he had been too blind to what was truly happening with Dooku to stop him.

At some point after the war between the First Order and the Resistance, an unknown traveler included a portrait of Yaddle in his journal of stories and sketches. When the archivists of the Graf Archive restored said journal for publication, they added their own facts and stats to its entries, including a brief, if laudatory mention of Yaddle.

Yaddle was highly sought after for her great wisdom, and was also known for her quiet demeanor, patience and kindness. Eno Cordova thought that she was strong-willed and had a strange sense of humor. She looked up to Grand Master Yoda, who belonged to the same species as her—though they were not siblings— and was nearly twice her age, enough for Yaddle to consider him old. Yaddle had auburn hair that she wore in a pair of long plaits, green-gold eyes, green skin that was slightly brighter than Yoda's and a height of 0.61 meters. She was greatly revered in the Jedi Temple, and was regarded as legendary by some of the population of the planet Lateron and generally was considered to be very wise. Creighton Sun referred to her as the great Master Yaddle because of his high opinion of her.

Yaddle was an expert at teaching Jedi younglings. She did not believe in teaching with unrelenting optimisim, and encouraged her students to go along with whatever was brought to their life by the Force. Yaddle enjoyed teaching younglings, though she would occasionally get worn down and need a break. When she admonished younglings, she would focus on teaching them a lesson, not punishment. She also made sure to make sure her students were well rounded, and once told Cippa Tarko that relying on one's strengths and never practicing what they did not know could be a great weakness. She did not believe in forcing unfounded optimism into the younglings she taught, believing that understanding reality and dealing with injustice was essential to their training. She always prioritized the lives of children, recognizing their vulnerability, and always wanted to keep them safe. Part of this manifested as her belief that children should not fight or kill if it was avoidable. She also kept them safe by supporting them and making sure they were cared for mentally, and provided resources for Cippa Tarko to be cared for after the youngling experienced the trauma of the Night of Sorrow. Yaddle freely gave advice to former students of hers and did so with patience and compassion, even offerring it to other Jedi Masters if she felt they needed it.

Yaddle was devoted to the ideals of the Jedi and was also compassionate and forgiving, offering Dooku a chance at redemption after catching him plotting with Darth Sidious by helping bring him to justice. She also refused to fight people unless it was absolutely necessary. She unequivocally trusted in the Force, even in situations that seemed would have negative outcomes. When things seemed grim, she believed that one did not lose until there was nothing left worth saving, and believed that there was always something to save. In her last moments, she showed sorrow and disappointment at Dooku's decision to stand with the Sith. She was always determined to save the lives of people who were innocent, even if they opposed her, and especially if they were children.

While loyal to the Jedi cause, like Dooku, Yaddle had grown critical of the order to the point where she resigned her seat on the High Council. She believed that the Council should have listened to Dooku, and that Qui-Gon Jinn's death was unnecessary. Although she claimed that Dooku had been right about "many things," Yaddle also acknowledged Dooku's fall to the dark side when she told him that he was "running into the arms of evil."

Yaddle was a powerful, yet subtle Jedi. She was skilled in little-known and deadly Jedi powers such as morichro, an ancient art that enabled the user to slow the opponent's bodily functions to the point of death. She was also adept at listening to and understanding the will of the Force and allowed it to direct her to where she was needed. It also allowed her to be able to sense when someone died or when someone was in distress. She was also able to influence other's minds to the point of changing their perception and memories, and was once able to make a child believe that they had heard something other than what was said using the Force. In addition to this, she could soothe the feeling of pain from injuries using the Force. Despite her small size, Yaddle could run quickly by using the Force to jump.

Yaddle was able to perform telekinesis using the Force, and was strong enough in it to once lift a massive metal hangar doors and prevent it from crushing her, but doing so tired her greatly to the point that she was unable to fight Dooku. She once was able to lift a large section of collapsed earth and water in a sinkhole to save a Jedi and her friend, who were trapped underneath. She could use the Force to disarm people of their weapons, and would lift people up in the air and then drop them to render them unconscious.

She was capable of acrobatic feats—including jumping and somersaults—while engaging in combat. She was a very capable and skilled lightsaber duelist, as she was able to fight evenly with Dooku and was only defeated in her duel against him after over exerting her use of the Force which resulted in her being weakened and fatigued. She could deflect blaster bolts with her lightsaber, and send them flying back into her attackers. She was also capable at taking on and fighting multiple people at once using both her lightsaber skills and the Force, and quickly destroyed enforcer droids during the Night of Sorrow.

Other abilities of Yaddle's included being able to pilot a starship. She was talented in teaching and tutoring young Jedi in the ways of the Force. She was incredibly patient with them, believing that she learned patience as a skill.

Yaddle wore Jedi robes, including special robes reserved for missions, keeping her robes's wrappings simple and traditional. She wielded a green-bladed shoto lightsaber that suited her small stature. While undercover on Dalna, she wore robes that were worn by the Path of the Open Hand. She also had a comlink that she used to communicate over long distances and once had a starship that was destroyed.

Yaddle was created for the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, the first installment of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Although she is not addressed by name in the film, she is identified in the credits. Her puppet was operated by Phil Eason.

The model for Yaddle was originally created by concept artist Iain McCaig as a sketch for a young Yoda, but was later put in the movies as Yaddle, a female member of Yoda's species. For the Jedi Council Chamber scenes of the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, stock footage from The Phantom Menace was reused, but to further suggest a progress of time after George Lucas had Yarael Poof removed and replaced for Coleman Trebor, it was decided for Yaddle to be removed as well and replaced by Shaak Ti, a new character whom Orli Shoshan played with elaborate makeup before being composited into the scene in Yaddle's place.

In the animated series Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Yaddle was voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard. She notably spoke Galactic Basic Standard normally and without the iconic backwards dialect that Yoda spoke in.

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