I am curious as to why Yoda ran away and immediately says "To exhile I must go" (or whatever). He didn't seem that injured. Why didn't he go back and continue to fight? Or atleast go get other Jedi (ObiWan in the very least), return and defeat Palpatine? It seemed to me that Yoda gave up fairly quickly...."oh well, I tried *shrug*"
I was thinking/hoping that Yoda would have been injured to the point of near death...but that wasn't the case here.
Yoda left Becuz unlike Anakin, who stupidly got his legs and a arm chopped off trying to regain high ground, knows when to give a rest. Plus he lost his saber. And if the battle had continued on for much longer, he would've eventually been overwhelmed by storm troopers.
Yoda needed to win and win thoroughly, which he could'nt do.
Well, he did fall pretty far and the Emperor didn't. As people say, he also lost his saber. I was wondering the same thing though ... he should be ready for a rematch in no time. If he lost it was only due to luck.
Anyhow, there is a deeper answer. As he grasps the edge of the pod with his claw ... he can't hold on then slips off. It's symbolic for the tide turning and coming so close but not being able to stop what's happening. Can you believe it, symbolism in a Star Wars movie? Perhaps Spielberg put it in there. Supposedly he was heavily involved in that scene.