We know that Yoda’s exile on Dagobah was so secret that none of the Empire, not even Darth Vader, could find him.
However, this comic series, part of the Star Wars Infinities Epic Collection, explores a “what if” scenario where Darth Vader actually discovers Yoda on Dagobah. In this alternate storyline, not only is Yoda found on Dagobah, but there are other twists like someone else being trained as a Jedi instead of Luke.
Without giving too much away, you can dive into the story below to see how Vader finds Yoda and why Luke isn’t the one who becomes a Jedi.
Table of Contents
Luke’s Last Message to Han Before
It starts out just like The Empire Strikes Back—the Rebels are building their new base on Hoth, the same icy stronghold we all remember. But this time, the story takes a sharp turn. When Luke goes missing in the snow, Han rides out on a Tauntaun to find him… except the creature dies before Han can reach him. He has no choice, he has to head back to Echo Base alone.
Sadly, Luke doesn’t survive the night. The cold gets to him first. But before he dies, he manages to get a message to Han: Obi-Wan’s instructions to find Yoda on Dagobah. That moment hits hard.
At Luke’s funeral, Han tells Leia what Luke said. And that’s what sets everything in motion—a brand new path, one where someone else is about to meet the last great Jedi Master.
Leia’s Journey to Dagobah and Her Path to Becoming a Jedi
With Luke gone, Han feels like it’s up to him to carry out his friend’s last wish. He figures maybe he’s supposed to be the one to train as a Jedi now. So he sets a course for Dagobah, bringing Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO along with him.
But when they get there, things don’t go the way Han expected. Yoda is already waiting for them, like he knew they were coming. And it turns out, he’s not there to train Han at all.
Yoda reveals that Leia is the one destined to become a Jedi. She’s not just a leader in the Rebellion—she’s Luke’s sister. And yes, that also means she’s Darth Vader’s daughter.
Darth Vader Discovers Yoda’s Exile Location
While Leia’s diving headfirst into Jedi training with Yoda, Darth Vader is still out there hunting for Luke, completely unaware that Luke’s already dead.
At the same time, Han and Chewie head off on a mission of their own. They need credits, fast, to pay off Han’s debt to Jabba the Hutt. So naturally, they head back to Tatooine… and of course, nothing goes smoothly.
They get jumped by Jabba’s thugs, the Falcon gets stolen, and things spiral from there.
Meanwhile, Vader ends up at Jabba’s palace during his search. He questions Jabba about Han Solo, but it’s when he spots C-3PO that everything changes. Vader dismantles the droid and digs through his memory banks—eventually discovering exactly what he’s been looking for: the location of Dagobah… and the hidden Jedi Master.
Yoda’s Confrontation with Darth Vader on Dagobah
Back on Dagobah, Leia’s Jedi training is moving fast. She’s making real progress under Yoda’s guidance—and when it’s time for her final trial, Yoda sends her into a nearby cave to find the crystal for her lightsaber.
But while Leia’s in the middle of that mission, Darth Vader shows up on Dagobah. And this is where things explode.
Vader comes face-to-face with Yoda, and what follows is both a physical and mental duel. Yoda doesn’t just fight him with a lightsaber—he reaches into Vader’s mind, trying to pull Anakin Skywalker back from beneath the weight of the dark side.
The battle turns surreal, with visions of Jedi from the past—Obi-Wan, Mace Windu, and Qui-Gon Jinn—all appearing to push back the darkness clouding Anakin’s soul.
And during this brutal psychic struggle, Vader finally learns the truth: Luke is dead. That revelation cuts deep, and for a moment, you feel like Anakin might return. But it’s short-lived. In the end, Vader deals a fatal blow to Yoda, breaking his hold on Vader’s mind once and for all.
Leia’s Duel with Darth Vader and the Fall of the Dark Lord
Returning from her mission, Leia encounters Vader and engages him in a lightsaber duel. Vader offers Leia the chance to join him and rule the galaxy together, but she refuses, firmly committed to the light side of the Force.
Just as Vader is about to strike her down, Han and Chewbacca arrive in the Millennium Falcon, rescuing her in the nick of time.
In a climactic moment, Han fires on Vader, fatally wounding him. Before passing away, Yoda imparts his final wisdom to Leia, instructing her to pass on what she has learned to future generations of Jedi.
This alternate narrative concludes with Leia assuming the mantle of Jedi Knight, carrying forward the legacy of the Jedi Order in a galaxy changed by the loss of Luke Skywalker and the redemption that never came for Anakin Skywalker.
