Why Yoda K!lled his Best Friend During the Clone Wars [Legends]

In the chaos of the Clone Wars, Yoda was forced into a choice no Jedi should ever face,  killing his oldest friend to prevent a greater loss of life. 

This story plays out in Star Wars: Clone Wars — The Best Blades , a one-shot comic from 2004 in the Legends timeline, and it remains one of the most quietly devastating chapters of Yoda’s life.

The Conflict on Thustra

By the time of Attack of the Clones, many systems had begun to break away from the Republic, joining the Separatists and sparking the Clone Wars. One such planet was Thustra, home to the Sephi people. Their decision to leave the Republic led to open conflict on their own soil.

To prevent Thustra’s departure, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine ordered the Jedi to intervene. Jedi Generals Tyffix and Tyr, along with their Padawans Cal and Pix, were dispatched to the planet. After hours of intense fighting, the Jedi base was destroyed and both generals were killed, leaving Cal and Pix to fend for themselves.

Pix contacted the Jedi Council for reinforcements. Palpatine, ever manipulative, insisted that Thustra must remain in the Republic and pushed for a stronger military response. Mace Windu supported sending more troops, but Yoda intervened. He revealed that Thustra’s king, Alaric, was his friend of over 200 years. Yoda volunteered to go himself and resolve the crisis peacefully.

Yoda Chooses Negotiation Over Combat to Save Thustra

Upon arriving on Thustra, Yoda met with Cal, Pix, and the clone forces. He explained that military resistance was futile: King Alaric was a brilliant strategist, and further fighting would only lead to needless death. Instead, Yoda proposed a diplomatic approach.

Yoda and Cal met with King Alaric, who firmly believed that Thustra’s only path to safety was secession from the Republic. While the two Jedi engaged in talks, Pix remained stationed at a distance with the clone forces, ready to respond if the Sephi initiated a counterattack.

Alaric argued that the Republic was irreparably corrupt, and claimed its influence had even tainted his own nephew. Despite Yoda’s efforts to reason with him, both he and Cal were taken prisoner.

During their captivity, Alaric invited Yoda to his garden and shared his reasons for Thustra’s departure from the Republic. Meanwhile, his nephew Moje planted seeds of fear in Cal’s mind, warning that both he and Yoda were going to be executed. At the same time, another nephew, Navi, deceived Pix by falsely claiming that Yoda and Cal had already been killed.

The Tragedy Unfolds

Believing the worst, Pix led the clone forces in an assault on the Sephi military from outside the palace. At the same time, Cal attempted to escape, triggering a violent response from the guards. Yoda tried to calm his Padawan, but Cal was shot in the back during the chaos. As he lay dying, Cal refused Yoda’s offer to ease his pain and instead blamed him for everything that had happened.

Yoda then confronted King Alaric in his greenhouse. As the capital crumbled around them, Alaric drew a hidden blaster and declared that his death would ignite his people’s resolve to resist the Republic forever. Yoda pleaded with him to reconsider, but Alaric fired and Yoda deflected the bolt into the king’s chest.

With his final breath, Alaric begged Yoda to remember their friendship as it once was, not as it had ended.

Aftermath

Navi was arrested for his role in the deception, while Moje escaped and was placed on a wanted list. Thustra was lost to the Republic, and the tragedy dealt another devastating blow to the already fragile galactic government.