Above is a picture of my Clone Wars maquette (a little statue) of Master Yoda. I bought it at a comic book store many years ago and sometimes display it in a curio cabinet in my house along with other things I've collected. I have a couple of nice things that I like to put in the cabinet. My friend James once remarked, "Why do you have that dumb statue of Yoda in there next to the other nice stuff? It makes me think of that phrase 'one of these things is not like the other...'"
Anyway, my maquette is well constructed, looks nice, is very nerdy, and I like it! I bet Sheldon Cooper owns one. Yoda doesn't need any explanation as anyone that follows Star Wars knows exactly who he is, so I'm just going to say this: one of the things I like about Yoda in The Clone Wars is that he really doesn't fight. He's simply a teacher and takes that role very seriously. I just wish someone had told him how to brush his teeth because Yoda's teeth are atrocious. Also, has anyone ever seen a female version of Yoda's race? I'm kind of wondering what they look like.
Below, please find some pics I posted describing a scene where Yoda is doing what Yoda does best.
In this scene Yoda explains to the younglings that they were not trapped by the cave, but by their minds. He turns to each and points out what they have learned.
Byph found courage.
Ganodi found hope.
Gungi found patience.
Zalt found trust.
Katooni found confidence.
Petro found selflessness.
And even when Yoda faces a Sith apprentice in Asajj Ventress, he continues to teach. If you have the time, please watch this short clip. It's almost laughable how quickly Yoda deals with Ventress (who is a handful for just about anyone else). Yoda was a badass.
Tomorrow is my post on the Zillo Beast-the ultimate Godzilla tribute done by the Clone Wars!
Mace Windu demonstrating the Vaapad fighting style.
In my own writing, I like to create my own metals, my own magic systems, and my own races. I suppose that fighting styles are up there too (demons do not go quietly into the night). Here's one from the Clone Wars that caught my eye and probably answers the question that always nagged me: Could Mace Windu defeat the Emperor if Anakin hadn't been a douchebag? The answer is "Yes" because Mace Windu was not only one of the most powerful Jedi, but also the creator of the Vaapad fighting style.
Juyo/Vaapad, a.k.a. "The Way of the Vornskr" is the seventh of seven forms recognized as canon for lightsaber combat by the Jedi Council of the Old Order. Juyo itself was described as the most vicious form of lightsaber combat and was said to involve significant internal focus on the part of the user. Members of the Sith, such as Darth Maul, employed Juyo without reservation. You guys remember how awesome Darth Maul looked, right? Well that's Juyo. Mace Windu created the style Vaapad from Juyo. He explained it as a state of mind rather than just a fighting style, allowing the wielder to channel his own inner darkness into the duel, and accept the fury of the opponent.
"Six there were for generations of Jedi. The seventh, is not well-known. Powerful form it is. Deadliest of all. But dangerous it is, for its master as well as its opponent. Few have studied. One student alone, to mastery has risen." --Yoda
Here's a clip from the 2003 Clone Wars that shows Mace Windu
just being completely awesome. The animation is poor but it's
really fun to watch. You can kind of see the makings of the
C.G.I. Series that aired on Cartoon Network years later.
Witnesses of a true practitioner of Juyo say that it is filled with both fury and malignant grace. Skilled combatants of Juyo were said to be able to eviscerate a lone enemy. It's use was controversial among the Jedi Order as many felt it violated the "there is no emotion, there is peace" tenet of the Jedi Code. Have a great Thursday and may the Force be with you.
