Yoda’s Canceled Clone Wars Adventure Would’ve Finally Explained Revenge Of The Sith’s Biggest Unanswered Question

A cut Clone Wars arc could have answered one of Revenge of the Sith’s biggest Yoda mysteries. As was seen in the sixth season, the animated Star Wars show did explain how Yoda was able to commune with Qui-Gon Jinn and how both he and Obi-Wan were able to become Force ghosts. However, The Clone Wars also intended to explore the Jedi Grandmaster’s history with the Wookiees of Kashyyyk.

Despite being planned for eight seasons, The Clone Wars was instead canceled after five seasons on Cartoon Network, received a sixth season on Netflix in 2014, and got a seventh and final season on Disney+ in 2020. As such, several arcs that had been in various stages of development were either reworked or abandoned altogether. This includes a planned arc of episodes for The Clone Wars season 6 that would have featured an adventure starring Yoda with the Wookiees, before the events of Revenge of the Sith.

Revenge Of The Sith Never Explored Yoda’s History With The Wookiees

“Good Relations With The Wookiees, I Have”

In Revenge of the Sith, the Jedi Council discusses the ongoing Clone Wars (which are coming to a close) and how overextended their forces have become. Responding to Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi’s question about the recent droid attack on Kasyyyk, Yoda determines he’ll go himself to the forest planet, citing “good relations with the Wookiees”. However, Revenge of the Sith never explains Yoda’s history with the Wookiees.

While it doesn’t get into specifics, Revenge of the Sith does show that the Jedi Grandmaster had the trust of Wookiee chieftain Tarfful and Chewbacca. This becomes quite evident following the events of Order 66 when Yoda receives aid from the Wookiees who help him evade his own clone troopers before sending him off-world to eventually rendezvous with Senator Bail Organa and Obi-Wan Kenobi. However, it seems as though The Clone Wars had always intended to fill in the gaps prior to its initial cancelation.

One Cut Clone Wars Story Would’ve Finally Explained It

Yoda Joining Forces With The Bad Batch

As was later revealed by Lucasfilm’s Dave Filoni, a collection of Clone Wars episodes in season 6 would have shown Yoda and the Republic’s 41st Elite Corps engaging with the Wookiees after a group of Trandoshans join the Separatists. The episodes would also have seen Yoda teaming up with Clone Force 99 aka the Bad Batch. Meant to answer and explain Yoda’s history with Tarfful and Chewbacca, these episodes would have also fleshed out the lore of Kashyyyk, even including some nods to the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special.

Yoda would also have been the voice of calm and wisdom between his clone troopers who wanted to cut down trees to forge a clear path to the enemy, and the Wookiees who viewed the forest and nature as sacred. While the episodes ultimately never aired, elements can be seen elsewhere such as The Bad Batch season 2 when Clone Force 99 comes to Kashyyyk during the Dark Times. Not only do they mention that they’ve been to the forest planet before (a reference to the cut episodes), but the unreleased arc’s primary Trandoshan antagonist Babwa Venomor appears, having allied with the Empire.

Will Star Wars Ever Give A Canon Explanation For This Yoda Mystery?

There Is A More General Explanation

Regardless of the overall canonical status of this cut Clone Wars arc, there is a more general and concrete explanation for Yoda’s history with the Wookiees. According to the canonical reference book Star Wars: Complete Locations, Yoda was instrumental in various past negotiations between the Wookiees and Trandoshans. He was even given the ancient title “Defender of the Home Tree” by the Wookiees.

It’s also worth noting that both Yoda and the Wookiees have very long life spans. During the High Republic Era, Yoda had an established penchant for traveling the galaxy and experiencing various cultures and peoples (sometimes not returning to the Jedi Temple for years at a time). As such, it’s not outside the realm of possibility to suggest that Yoda might have also spent an extended period living and working alongside the Wookiees, earning their trust and respect long before the Clone Wars had even begun.