Jedi Master Yoda is one of the most recognizable characters in all of Star Wars, but his famous assertion that “size matters not” may have actually been a lie this whole time. Yoda originally appeared as a mysterious master who helped train Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back. However, through more Star Wars movies and TV shows, it’s become clear that Yoda was far more than someone who trained Luke. He was the former Grand Master of the Jedi Council and had lived for over 900 years before he died in Return of the Jedi.
Yoda’s small stature always made him an interesting character, along with his funny way of speaking. However, the Star Wars prequels highlighted just how skilled Yoda was, as he went toe-to-toe with Darth Sidious in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith – even if he did flee. Yoda knew the Jedi had made mistakes, and he was one of the few who took responsibility for those mistakes. Despite his small frame, Yoda had a lot of compassion and empathy for others, and that may also be why he and his species are so strong in the Force.
When Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace debuted, many Star Wars viewers were confused by the idea of midi-chlorians. Prior to their introduction, the Force was seen as this mystic entity, not something rooted in science. However, George Lucas pushed back against that and introduced midi-chlorians. These microorganisms exist in all living things, and those with particularly high amounts of midi-chlorians (or who have a high M-count) were more likely to be attuned to the Force and be Force-sensitive.
In the case of Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn said that Anakin had the highest M-count he had ever seen, supporting his theory that Anakin was the Chosen One. With the death of most Jedi following the execution of Order 66, it’s not surprising that the science behind midi-chlorians was also lost. So, when Luke Skywalker met Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, the idea of midi-chlorians had died alongside most of the Jedi, and Yoda telling Luke his M-count wouldn’t have been useful to his training.
Yoda is exceptionally strong with the Force, with his midi-chlorian count being around 18,000. For reference, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s M-count was about 15,000, and Anakin Skywalker’s was 20,000. The major difference between Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Yoda is their species. While Anakin and Obi-Wan are human, Yoda’s species is still unknown, though all three of these beings – Yoda, Master Yaddle, and Grogu – are all Force-sensitive. Because of their small frames, it’s possible that Yoda having such a high midi-chlorian count made him even more powerful.
When looking at midi-chlorian counts, it may not just be about the number they have, but how concentrated they are in someone’s body. With someone like Anakin, if he had the same midi-chlorian count but was a member of Yoda’s species, it’s possible that his strength in the Force would be even greater than it already was. While audiences cannot know for sure, it seems like Yoda, Yaddle, and Grogu are all naturally talented and in tune with the Force, which gives weight to this theory.
As previously mentioned, in Star Wars canon, only three members of Yoda’s still unnamed species have been seen. Yoda has been seen to be one of the wisest and most powerful Jedi, because of his long life span and his leadership skills. However, after getting to see more of Master Yaddle in Tales of the Jedi season 1, it showed just how strong she was with the Force. She was able to fight off Count Dooku and lift a heavy door all on her own.
Additionally, Grogu has shown an incredible ability to grow in his Force-wielding abilities, after only spending a short time training with Luke Skywalker at his Jedi Academy. His greatest show of strength came in The Mandalorian season 3 finale when Grogu was able to protect himself, Din Djarin, and Bo-Katan Kryze from an explosion. While Grogu has stopped his Jedi training, it’s possible that his powers will continue to grow as he gets older. It’s not known what Grogu’s and Yaddle’s M-counts are, but when concentrated in their small bodies, it may inflate their power.
When Yoda said his iconic line to Luke Skywalker about his size not mattering, audiences didn’t think anything of it. However, as the Star Wars galaxy has grown, and after the introduction of midi-chlorians, it’s possible that Yoda was lying to Luke. It may be simply because explaining the concept of midi-chlorians to who Yoda believed to be the last Jedi was seemingly pointless. If Luke was the last Jedi alive, why should he care what his midi-chlorian count was?
It’s also possible that Yoda hadn’t considered that his size mattered when it came to his midi-chlorian count. Yoda wasn’t into the science aspect of being a Jedi like Qui-Gon Jinn was. While he knew of midi-chlorians and their importance to the Jedi, he instead focused on training Jedi and using his wisdom to help them become the best Jedi they could be. To Yoda, the midi-chlorians didn’t matter when it came to teaching Luke to become a Jedi.
While midi-chlorians are still a hotly debated topic amongst Star Wars viewers, there’s no doubting their importance for identifying potential Jedi. Additionally, Star Wars had brought back midi-chlorians for The Bad Batch season 3, where Dr. Hemlock is using individuals with high M-counts to help his Project Necromancer. It’s unclear if Yoda’s size is a contributing factor to his strength as a Jedi, but either way, there is no doubt that Yoda is one of the wisest and strongest Jedi seen in Star Wars.
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