Master Yoda failed Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars universe, and for good reason, but he ultimately failed in stopping the rise of the Sith. Attack of the Clones is when Anakin Skywalker begins his descent to the dark side, and this is when perhaps Master Yoda's greatest failure occurs.
It would be unfair to blame the entire fall of the Jedi Order on Master Yoda considering most of the Jedi made the same mistakes he did. The Jedi never really understood Anakin's prophecy, and it went equally unnoticed by all the Jedi as he slipped into Darth Sidious's grasp. Still, Yoda failed to act after a particularly revealing Anakin Skywalker moment in Attack of the Clones.
Yoda Sensed Anakin's Tusken Massacre In Attack Of The Clones
In Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones, Yoda senses Anakin Skywalker's massacre of the Tusken Raiders after the death of Anakin's mother, yet Yoda fails to act in any way. It's an astounding failure on Yoda's part, especially considering the potential they knew Anakin had with the Force. Moreover, Yoda had recently witnessed his own former padawan, Count Dooku, turn to the dark side, so he should have recognized the signs. In fact, Yoda allows Anakin to be knighted shortly after the massacre, underscoring his decision to ignore Anakin's actions.
Had Master Yoda confronted Anakin, it's possible the Jedi could have shown him that his visions of Pé's death were from the dark side and prevented his turn. This failure rests with the entire Jedi council for being duped by Palpatine, however, Yoda should have realized more than anyone after sensing Anakin's massacre of the Tusken Raiders. Master Yoda was a remarkable Jedi, but this was a catastrophic failure on his part.
Why Didn't Yoda Do Anything About Anakin's Darkness?
Yoda's failure to act in Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones after sensing Anakin's Tusken Massacre could be because he was overwhelmed with the momentous events of the Clone Wars. It may be that he simply did not prioritize dealing with Anakin's struggles until it was too late. It is also possible that he thought Anakin had enough control to spy on Palpatine and just underestimated how near Anakin's fall to the dark side was. Yoda might have thought Anakin's struggles could wait until they found the Sith Lord, only to realize it had been Palpatine all along.
There are plenty of possibilities as to why Yoda failed to take action. The most likely explanation, however, is that like the Jedi did in so many other ways, Yoda underestimated the strength of the dark side. He probably thought Anakin had the strength to resist the darkness and help bring down the Sith. Unfortunately, Yoda was wrong, and his failure is one of the most consequential events of Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones.
