Yaddle/Legends

"If stopped for a moment to listen to the unifying Force, see what was coming you might have."

- Yaddle to Qui-Gon Jinn

Yaddle, also known as "The One Below" was a Jedi Master serving on the Jedi Council during the events of the Invasion of Naboo &mdash; she was notable for being the only non-Human female, next to Depa Billaba, on the Council at the time. In addition she was also the same species as the ancient and powerful Jedi Master Yoda, the name of which is still unknown.

Jedi training
Yaddle herself was 477 years old during the events of the Invasion of Naboo, young compared to Yoda's approximately 864 years. She was known for her compassion and patience, as well as her mastery of the ancient and forbidden Jedi art of Morichro, a method for slowing the biological functions of a living being to almost a standstill, but could be dangerously close to the dark side of the Force if used to kill &mdash; a skill she taught to very few of her Padawans, due to its obvious capability for being misused. Yaddle also harnessed the power of Force Light. She came across such obscure knowledge through Jedi holocrons while serving as head of the Librarian's Assembly.

Imprisonment, mastery, and escape


About 300 BBY, Yaddle was a Padawan of the Jedi Master Polvin Kut, when the two of them traveled to the Koba system to deal with the threat of a local warlord named Tulak. The two Jedi, however, were betrayed by spies and ambushed by the forces of the warlord; Kut was killed and Yaddle was captured. Tulak then imprisoned the diminutive apprentice in a dungeon, far below the surface of the planet Koba. There Yaddle would stay for more than a century, honing her mastery of the Force, ready for her eventual chance to escape&mdash;which came when a massive groundquake struck, allowing her to forge to the surface. Instead of immediately returning to Coruscant, however, she remained on the planet and helped the Kobans rebuild their decimated society. These efforts attracted the attention of Tulak's heir, Kalut, who fought with Yaddle. Yaddle defeated the tyrant and in the process liberated the people of Koda once and for all.

When Yaddle eventually returned to Coruscant, the Jedi Council determined her survival of a century of imprisonment and subsequent liberation of Koda were sufficient grounds not only to promote her instantly to the rank of full Jedi Master, but also to offer her a temporary seat on the Jedi Council.

Serving the Republic
During this time, Yaddle trained dozens of Padawans, including Oppo Rancisis, a Thisspiasian who later also went on to serve on the Council, and Empatojayos Brand, who survived the Great Jedi Purge. She was also a proficient healer and diplomat and went on many missions to mediate disputes. Sometimes, these disputes happened to turned violent, such as the summit of Eriadu, and at such times Yaddle demonstrated her proficiency with a lightsaber.

Yaddle spent some of her time on Coruscant, but also instructed at an auxiliary Jedi training center on Kamparas for Jedi Knights that did not live on Coruscant full time.

Yinchorri attack on the Jedi Temple
Just prior to the Invasion of Naboo, Yaddle was part of the council who sent a number of Jedi to the Yinchorri system to deal with the troublesome Yinchorri. With many of the Jedi Councilors gone, and with the Yinchorri being manipulated by a third party, the Jedi Temple was attacked by the Yinchorri. Yaddle, weilding an orange Lightsaber, helped defeat the vicious invaders. Yaddle was also able to contribute to the mission through her knowledge of the Jedi Archives.

A Noble Death
Yaddle, who was 484 at the time of her death, was killed shortly before the Clone Wars, when she used the Force to absorb a deadly chemical weapon, in the process saving the city of Naatan (in which Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker were staying), but also dying instantly. The chemical weapon, called a bioweapon, was released by Granta Omega.

Yaddle's place on the Jedi Council was filled by her successor, Shaak Ti.

Behind the scenes



 * Yaddle was operated in The Phantom Menace by Phil Eason. Along with Yarael Poof, she was specifically removed from the Jedi Council during the conception of Attack of the Clones because George Lucas envisioned the members of the Council fighting and thought that animating Yaddle along with Yoda, and possibly Poof, would be too costly and time-consuming.
 * The model for Yaddle was originally intended as a sketch for Yoda, but was later put in the movies as Yaddle.

Appearances

 * Yaddle's Tale: The One Below
 * Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan: Last Stand on Ord Mantell
 * Tag & Bink: Revenge of the Clone Menace
 * Jedi Council: Acts of War
 * Cloak of Deception
 * Episode I Adventures 1: Search for the Lost Jedi
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Episode I: Obi-Wan Kenobi
 * Star Wars Republic: Emissaries to Malastare
 * Star Wars Republic: The Hunt for Aurra Sing
 * Star Wars: Zam Wesell
 * Jedi Quest: The Master of Disguise
 * Jedi Quest: The Shadow Trap
 * Jedi Quest: The Moment of Truth

Notes and references
Yaddle