Star Wars reveals Master Yoda's surprising views on love

Anakin's mistrust of the Jedi Order is well known. For years, he concealed his relationship with Padmé Amidala, fearing expulsion from the Jedi Order if their marriage were to be discovered.

However, according to Screenrant, in The High Republic novel Temptation of the Force by Tessa Gratton, Master Yoda's reaction to Anakin's relationship may have surprised him. According to the novel, Jedi Master Elzar Mann revealed that he and Jedi Master Avar Kriss were in love, hoping Master Yoda would guide him on what to do. According to Elzar, Avar Kriss's feelings for him were different, as she believed the Force had a hand in her attraction to Elzar:

"She said she loved me, and that it was through the Force that she felt it. Not attachment, not anything selfish or that would prioritize her feelings for me, for us, over other lives or the rest of the song she hears in the Force. But a love that... is the Force. Expansive. It makes the galaxy better to love."

- Ezar Mann

This description of Avar's feelings for Elzar differs greatly from the love that has become synonymous with Anakin and Padmé's relationship. Anakin and Padmé's bond started as friendship when they were kids, but Anakin quickly grew attached to her and loved no one but her for years, even when the two were apart. Obi-Wan Kenobi knew that Anakin loved Padmé, but he never shared this information with anyone because he believed that Padmé made Anakin happy when nothing else could.

Unfortunately, the fear of losing Padmé right after he lost his mother, Shmi, began haunting Anakin, and his love became toxic. Attachment and selfishness, emotions that Avar Kriss admitted she didn't feel for Elzar, were the primary facets of Anakin's all-consuming love for Padmé.

But is there a chance that Master Yoda may have understood where Anakin was coming from? Based on his reaction to Ezlar's confession, it seems like Master Yoda would have tried to guide Anakin on better managing his emotions for Padmé. Master Yoda would have explained the difference between love and attachment to Anakin, as he did to Ezlar:

"Depends on what is meant by love, I believe..."

- Master Yoda.

While Yoda admitted that even he didn't know the real meaning of love, he believed that if love could bring Ezlar closer to the light side of the Force, then there was nothing objectionable in it:

"But if you find the answer for yourself, and it opens the Force to you more widely, brings you closer to the light, then wrong you cannot be..."

- Master Yoda.

The problem is that Anakin's love for Padmé was pulling him away from the light and pushing him towards the dark. There are many more reasons for this downfall, and the Jedi bear responsibility for failing to address Anakin's issues properly. However, perhaps Yoda's definition of love might've helped Anakin continue his relationship with Padmé more healthily for him and the Republic.

Unfortunately, Anakin's issues were exacerbated by his inability to trust the Jedi Order and his mistrust in them wasn't completely baseless. They didn't trust him from the day he arrived at the Jedi Temple; in return, he didn't trust them. A conversation with Yoda could have helped Anakin, but he couldn't bring himself to tell Obi-Wan, so telling Yoda anything was out of the question.

Ultimately, Anakin's problems were complicated, and the Jedi were unable to deal with his emotional complexities. In the end, everyone suffered for it.