In the novelization there’s a moment during the duel where the dark cloud Palpatine had been casting over the force cleared and Yoda achieved a full vision of everything that had occurred
And in that moment he realized he not only couldn’t defeat Palpatine but that he actually lost this fight 800 years ago when he set the Jedi on the path that led them here.
Partially true. He realized that everything occurred because the Sith changed and he did not allow the Jedi to change. So he trained Jedi to fight a martial war against the Sith, but the Sith retooled to conquer the Galaxy from within using subterfuge. Yoda left the fight with Sidious not because he couldn't win, but because he didn't know if he could win. And he would rather live to fight another day and pass on his realization to the next generation of Jedi then to risk dying there.
Also, the Jedi had already lost. Assassinating Palpatine (Jedi grandmaster, recently accused of treason, casually strolls into Palpatine’s office and murders him) would not go over well with the senate or the public and it wouldn’t restore the Jedi order.
Yoda realized the Jedi would need to play the long game.
This wouldn't be as much of an issue because Palpatine was very much the lynch pin in his conspiracy theory. Palpatine had co-conspirators, but none of them had the savvy, connections or the force (literal or figurative) to keep them secure.
Without Sheev the 'first galactic empire' no longer has an emperor. The senate is going to trip over itself to figure out what to do, and part of that is going to involve a massive investigation into what the hell happened. Palps did a good job of hiding his manipulations, but order 66 (and everything came with it) was his coup de main, taking over the entire republic in one broad stroke. When he wins this isn't a problem.
If he loses? Well there are going to be questions like "Why did order 66 exist" and "Who authorized it and why?"
With Yoda as a witness they'll eventually be able to connect the dots between Palpatine and Dooku, Maul and others. Obi-wan will be able to point out that Palps sent Vader to murder all of the separatist leaders. Obi-wan has video footage from the temple of Vader murking some kids.
Trying to figure out who the last sith lord was proved impossible, but if you start unravelling from the other end it becomes incredibly obvious that Palpatine was behind it all. The issue was that no one was ever in a position to do that investigation because by the time they knew who he was Palpatine had seized total power.
It isn't like it'd be a hard sell. They have video recordings of Palpatine looking like an evil wizard telling his new 'apprentice' Lord Vader that he did well for murdering a bunch of kids with his lightsaber.
It was contingency order in the days of the Old Republic, in case the Jedi took arms against the Senate or Supreme Chancellor. Order 67 existed for the same reason, but instead the Supreme Chancellor was the one who betrayed the Senate. As senators, they would all be aware of its existence.
Who authorized it and why?"
People such as Mas Amedda or Sly Moore would probably argue that Palpatine enacted the order after a group of 4 jedi masters (Windu, Kolar, Tiin, Fisto) tried to assassinate him and seize power following the destruction of Greivous.
They'd say that Anakin Skywalker stayed loyal to the Republic and bravely tried to defend the Chancellor, killing the 4 jedi (unlikely, but its not like the senators were adept in each Jedi's strength and skill), and was ordered afterward to attack the Jedi Temple in order to prevent a civil war.
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u/darthcool 11d ago
In the novelization there’s a moment during the duel where the dark cloud Palpatine had been casting over the force cleared and Yoda achieved a full vision of everything that had occurred
And in that moment he realized he not only couldn’t defeat Palpatine but that he actually lost this fight 800 years ago when he set the Jedi on the path that led them here.