Until recently, Star Wars fans had not seen Yoda battle General Grievous in canon. That all changed with a comic from 2023. This issue shows the two engage in lightsaber combat. While we may see Yoda as the superior fighter, we have some reason for uncertainty.
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Yoda Fought General Grievous in Canon
In May 2023, the Yoda #7 comic revealed the duel between Yoda and General Grievous. As part of a canon miniseries, the issue was written by Marc Guggenheim with art by Alessandro Miracolo. It gave fans insights into a fight that had not yet occurred in the Star Wars storyline.
The plot focuses on Yoda and Anakin tracking down a new Separatist secret weapon–“A New Threat.” The adventure takes the two of them to the planet Enthenium, the location of a Separatist base. This is where Yoda encounters Grievous and grapples with him.
We can review the arc of the issue in this video, starting with Yoda on Dagobah. If we scroll to 5:40 in the clip, we see Yoda peeking down from a ceiling vent as Grievous gets an update on “Operation Titan.” After Grievous boasts that this secret plan will be their “boldest stroke yet,” Yoda jumps down to inspect a computer about these plans.
But then Grievous appears, and the fight is on. Grievous expresses his confidence, inquiring whether Yoda knew he was trained in lightsaber combat by Dooku. Yoda is not concerned, commenting, “A lightsaber is a Jedi’s weapon. Fit to wield it, you are NOT.” Yoda has his green one drawn, and the two clash blades.
We see a moment where Grievous thinks he will overpower Yoda. Yet, Yoda flips in the air and lands a blow on Grievous’s head. Grievous calls it a “lucky strike,” and the duel continues until Yoda draws on some of his Force powers. As Yoda states, “You may fight with a Jedi weapon General…But possess our skills you do not.”
Yoda sends Grievous tumbling backward and seems about to beat Grievous. However, the General’s droids appear and open fire. Yoda escapes while telekinetically taking one of Grievous’s lightsabers. It appears Yoda has won out.
Yet, Yoda retreated and did not earn a clear-cut victory, which has prompted some debate about this fight.
How Do We View This Fight?
Most posts on Reddit about this fight reflect how Yoda was much more powerful than Grievous and easily could have won. We may agree that “Yoda was toying with Grievous” and that he only retreated “because Grievous then got the backup of a large number of droids.” Some think it was beneath Yoda to even duel with Grievous, given the former’s immense Force powers.
A few dissenting voices, though, point to how Grievous had training that could have thrown Yoda off balance. This video shows Count Dooku training Grievous to be unconventional and “use the unorthodox” in his lightsaber duels. Grievous even demonstrated how he could fend off some of Dooku’s use of the Force.
As other fans have indicated, Grievous was such a powerful “military commander and warrior” that he could “handle roughly five or more Jedi single handedly.” This comment coincides with his depiction in the original Clone Wars cartoon. As we watch here, at least one Jedi is outright fearful of Grievous before dispatching with him, and then Grievous outmatches four other Jedi.
However, this series is not considered canon. If we stick with those guidelines, we pull the advantage back to Yoda. Although Grievous was extremely strong physically and skilled at lightsaber combat, Yoda’s Force powers were overwhelming.
Too lengthy to recount here, we can reference Yoda’s powers of telekinesis, Force push, deflection, agility, and, of course, lightsaber combat. These abilities hold up against any combatant.
Grievous and Yoda’s Fight
In the Yoda #7 comic, we get to witness the lightsaber fight between Grievous and Yoda. From most perspectives, Yoda won or could have easily won and merely toyed with Grievous. Yet, in the issue and outside of it, we can recognize Grievous’ power and lightsaber dueling ability. He could stand up to Yoda, but not prevail.