Throughout the first few films of Star Wars and Harry Potter, the wise elder who offers advice to the young, impressionable protagonist of the movies usually sits back and doesn't engage much in fighting or duels. Yoda was in exile in the original three episodes of the series, and Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, was obviously powerful but rarely displayed his magic. But that only meant audiences were thrilled and surprised when they finally took on a powerful enemy. So, with that said, let's look at which elder had the more surprising fight?
The more shocking event between the two was Yoda's fight with Darth Sidious. In the Revenge of the Sith scene, Sidious attacks Yoda without warning, and Yoda returns the attack before challenging him to a duel. Both contenders in the fight showed amazing stamina, and audiences were shocked by Yoda's agility since it was well beyond what had been on-screen.
In the Original Trilogy, Yoda was a puppet and served a much smaller role than he did in the Prequels. But since the Jedi changed to CGI in the Prequels, he had the ability to engage in more diverse movements, which aided in this surprise battle in Revenge of the Sith. Yoda transitioned from walking with a cane to bouncing all over the set, using the Force in ways he hadn't done before in the series.
For Dumbledore, he might not have battled in many of the Harry Potter movies, but he did showcase much of his magical ability throughout. In fact, Hogwarts was under his protection because he had such strong magic that could keep the darkest forces out of the school. Obviously, that changed as Voldemort grew stronger and enlisted the help of his Death Eaters. And Dumbledore didn't have much assistance because the Ministry of Magic wouldn't believe in Voldemort's return until after Dumbledore battled him in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
The battle between the wizards had less physical combat, as it was more influenced by magic. They performed some amazing spells, which engaged viewers as they experienced the proof that Dumbledore is just as powerful as everyone had claimed. He meets Voldemort spell-for-spell and beats him badly, only for the Dark Lord to escape. Unfortunately, as incredible and iconic as that scene was, it wasn't as surprising as Yoda's outburst.
Dumbledore was also more controlled with his abilities than Yoda, consistently showing stability, power and control in the battle. But there were moments in the Palpatine fight when Yoda struggled to match the Sith's power and strength. Much of the themes and lessons in Star Wars revolve around the strength of the dark side. Many great Jedi have battled with the influence, which is why emotional control is essential for the Jedi. So, while Dumbledore showed amazing composure and strength in his head-to-head with Voldemort, Yoda was driven by emotion to put Palpatine in his place. Neither party won the lightsaber battle, and this confirmed for Yoda that letting emotions rule his actions never benefits him. And that loss of stoicism was more surprising than anything Dumbledore did.