The ONLY Jedi That General Grievous FEARED

General Grievous was someone to be feared and not afraid of anyone, almost. General Grievous actually did fear one Jedi in particular, and it was not top lightsaber fighters like Anakin or Mace Windu. The one and only Yoda is who Grievous feared because he could not keep up with Yoda’s fighting style and connection to the Force. 

General Grievous Was Feared by Most

As fans may know, the renowned General Grievous was first a warlord before apprenticing under Count Dooku. Grievous became the Supreme Martial Commander of the droid army during the Clone Wars. His military background and honed fighting abilities made him a figure to be feared in the Star Wars galaxy.

Grievous used several lightsabers in combat and also struck fear into his opponents. If we include Legends Grievous, he stands even more fearsome, with an ability to “mimic an opponent’s fighting style” and defeat the likes of Mace Windu. 

Hence, Grievous would most likely fear no one. However, he did fear Yoda. The main reason why was not because Yoda was a Grand Master but because of his fighting style. 

Yoda’s Fighting Style Struck Fear into Grievous

Yoda followed the Ataru form of lightsaber fighting. Since Ataru consisted of using acrobatics like somersaults and leaps to throw off opponents, it is the primary reason why General Grievous feared Yoda. Other Jedi like Qui-Gon Jinn practiced it too, but Yoda was considered to “have mastered Form IV to its highest level” and “virtually unstoppable” against any opponent. 

Yoda’s mastery of this combat form struck fear into Grievous, whose skills paled in comparison. Grievous’ lightsaber fighting was not at the same level as Yoda’s. Even Count Dooku “hated the way that Grievous used lightsabers” not only because the latter was a cyborg but also because he had “inferior skill” as reflected in his reliance on several lightsabers when dueling. 

Yoda could outmaneuver Grievous, and Grievous knew and feared it. We get a sense of Yoda’s master maneuverability in his fight against Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones. Yoda easily leaped back and forth over Dooku, and his twirling strikes made Yoda an extremely difficult opponent to follow. 

As this video describes, Yoda’s size also enhanced the Form IV style. As we know, Yoda was small, so he made for an even more elusive opponent–one that Grievous could not handle. Yoda’s acrobatics were unique to him and allowed him to “overwhelm” his opponents. Hence, Grievous avoided Yoda because he could not defend against this type of action. 

Why Else Did Grievous Fear Yoda?

Another major reason why Grievous feared Yoda is because Grievous knew how attuned to the Force Yoda was. Yoda could not only defeat him with his lightsaber but could draw on the Force too.

In the Yoda #7 comic from 2023, we got to see the long-awaited duel between the two of them. Yoda was on the verge of beating Grievous before droids fired upon them. Yoda used his leaping abilities but also demonstrated his oneness with the Force, something that Grievous lacked. 

Yoda said it best, “You may fight with a Jedi weapon General…But possess our skills you do not.” Yoda also added that Grievous did not possess the Jedi “connection to the Force.” Yoda was to be feared because he excelled at that Force connection, and Grievous knew it. Yoda took one of Grievous’s lightsabers as a reminder of that lesson. 

Grievous and Yoda

Although many Jedi feared Grievous, he feared one Jedi in particular. Yoda’s Ataru form of lightsaber fighting made him unpredictable, elusive, and too challenging for Grievous. Yoda’s attunement to the Force also made him a fearsome opponent for anyone, not just Grievous.