Summary. Yoda's decision to go into exile was not a cowardly move, but a choice to save the Jedi and defeat the Sith. Yoda realized that the Jedi's teachings had become outdated and a new generation of Jedi could learn from his mistakes.
While on the floor of the Senate, looking up at the cackling Emperor above him, Yoda clearly realized that he couldn't beat Palpatine in one-on-one combat. As considerable as his own power in the Force was, Palpatine's at that moment was even greater, and to continue fighting would likely only result in his demise.
Due to the strengthened Dark Side, Darth Vader, and Palpatine, Yoda has lost hope of being able to topple the Empire, calling it a "threat too big for me to defeat."
When Anakin fell to the dark side and became Darth Vader, Yoda was saddened, but firmly believed he was beyond redemption and forgiveness, and ordered Obi-Wan to hunt down and kill him. Even as a Force spirit, Yoda continued to believe that Vader was irredeemable and there was no good left in him.
Yoda still stands as one of the most powerful characters in Star Wars, yet even he couldn't defeat Palpatine. After their battle in Revenge of the Sith, Yoda felt beaten and fled into exile on Dagobah, where he hid away for 19 years.
Master Yoda is one of the most powerful Jedi to ever live, fighting alongside the other Jedi for hundreds of years and eventually coming to serve as a member of the High Council during the Order's last days.
Star Wars Explained - A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away... Why didn't Yoda train Anakin Skywalker if he really thought that he was "the chosen one"? Yoda didn't want Anakin trained. He considered him to be dangerous, full of fear which could potentially be catastrophic.
Yoda's presence on Dagobah was likely hidden due to his mastery of Force Stealth and the planet's connection to the Force. Yoda, with his enhanced Force abilities and potential home-field advantage, would have had the upper hand against Darth Vader if they engaged in a lightsaber duel.
Although Sidious and Vader were “sensitive” to the Force, Dagobah had a cave so full of the Force that it hid Yoda's presence from the awareness of both the Emperor and his apprentice. Yoda chose to live in close proximity to this cave as it made him completely undetectable.
He understood he lost the ethereal battle before their physical fight even began. Thus, Palpatine never viewed Yoda as a major concern, even though the Jedi Master fought him to a de facto draw during the events of Revenge of the Sith.
Yoda had to shoulder that decision for years. However, he ultimately understood the importance of life, and the power he could have used to defeat Dooku would have been much better used to preserve two lives. Over the years, Dooku would commit countless atrocities and also suffer incredibly embarrassing defeats.
During Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith, one pivotal climactic moment shows that Yoda very briefly gives in to anger, nearly falling to the Dark Side. After seeing everything destroyed by Order 66, including all the things he'd worked so hard to help build, Yoda would have every reason to want to strike down Palpatine.
Yoda's efforts against the Separatists were undermined by Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith who conspired to destroy the Jedi and restore the Sith to power.
Even though Yoda has appeared in countless comics, movies, and television shows, Star Wars has never really given an official reason for his death. However, the long-accepted cause among the fanbase is that the former Jedi master simply died of old age.
Darth Sidious. Of all the Force users in the galaxy, only Darth Sidious, perhaps the most powerful Sith Lord of all time, rivaled Yoda's mastery of the Force and strength with a lightsaber during the waning days of the Clone Wars.
The Skirmish in the Senate was a confrontation that took place in 19 BBY between the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious and the Jedi Grand Master Yoda. The two veterans of the Force engaged in a ferocious lightsaber duel, with each making liberal use of their powers.
Yoda was one of the most powerful Jedi Masters to ever live, whose amazing abilities could have been terrifying if he had ever turned to the Dark Side of the Force. However, even without actually turning evil, Yoda was still able to inadvertently bring about the fall of the Jedi Order by the end of the Clone Wars.
Windu has created and fully mastered Vaapad, a variant of Form VII. Yoda mastered the original variant known as Juyo. Both of them were able to fight with Palpatine on equal ground, matching him blow for blow. It is stated that Yoda beat Mace in a sparring match.
So… I'm going to go with 900 years old. The last words Master Yoda utters to Luke Skywalker before his death in Return of the Jedi were: “There is another Skywalker.”
It seemed Yoda had it all as a Jedi, but he also had a major weakness that most Jedi Masters shared: complacency. Yoda and his peers were too used to the Jedi Order's success. Yoda's complacency meant he was too late to take on the Dark Side until it was too late, and Darth Sidious had already risen to power.
Although, the two didn't really like each other at first, Yoda and Yaddle eventually grew very close, and over time their relationship even blossomed into a long lasting romance until Yoda's own death. The two had one son, Yoder Minch, a Jedi Master who would have a profound impact during the Yuuzhan Vong War.
