Return of the Jedi'sending, showing Master Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker as Force ghosts, has become iconic in Star Wars, but it also created a significant problem in Star Wars movies and TV shows. Return of the Jedi was not the first Star Wars movie to reveal the existence of Force ghosts. After meeting his end in A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi continued to speak to Luke through the Force and then appeared as a visible ghost in The Empire Strikes Back.
Since then, there have been several Jedi who have returned as Force ghosts, including Luke Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Leia Organa. Despite the frequency with which Force ghosts are now appearing in Star Wars, not every Jedi becomes a Force ghost, as doing so requires specific training. This fact, combined with Anakin Skywalker's Force ghost appearance in Return of the Jedi, raises one major issue in the franchise that continues to this day.
Becoming A Force Ghost Requires Specific Training
Since the original trilogy, Star Wars has repeatedly reinforced that becoming a Force ghost requires specific training. This was made clear in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, when Yoda told Obi-Wan that he had training for him while he was in hiding on Tatooine during the Dark Times. Yoda revealed that this training was with Obi-Wan's former Jedi Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, making it clear that this training would happen with Qui-Gon as a Force ghost and would therefore help Obi-Wan become a Force ghost himself when the time came.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars doubled down on the specific training required to become a Force ghost, as Yoda encountered Qui-Gon's Force ghost in the show and set out on a mission to learn this Force power. In Yoda's case, this meant first proving his worthiness to the Force priestesses, which he ultimately did. The Revenge of the Sith novelization, written by Matthew Stover, provided additional context, as Qui-Gon explained to Yoda that this power "comes only by the release of self, not the exaltation of self. It comes through compassion, not greed. Love is the answer to the darkness."
Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 6 explains how Yoda became a Force ghost and how he can manipulate the Force in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Anakin Skywalker Became A Force Ghost... Without Training
While Yoda and Obi-Wan had clear training to become a Force ghost, though, Anakin Skywalker seemingly became a Force ghost without any training. Yes, Anakin was the Chosen One, and therefore had a considerable amount of power, but even he could not have achieved this incredible Force feat without some sort of assistance. This was in fact even more confusing with Anakin than it would have been for most other Jedi, as, not only had Anakin seemingly not received this specific training, but also, he had spent the last 20 years as a Sith Lord.
Not only had Anakin seemingly not received this specific training, but also, he had spent the last 20 years as a Sith Lord.
There is simply no way that Anakin learned this power before turning to the dark side, given the fact that even his own Jedi Master, Obi-Wan, did not learn this power until well after Revenge of the Sith. This is also not something he would have been able to learn from Palpatine after becoming a Sith. The ability to become a Force ghost is exclusively a Jedi power; Sith cannot become Force ghosts.
Over the decades, the Star Wars franchise has introduced countless Force powers - light, dark, and balance. Here's your guide to the canon abilities.
How Star Wars Has "Fixed" Return Of The Jedi's Force Ghost Problem
Over time, Star Wars has worked to explain Anakin's ability to become a Force ghost, although the exact details remain fuzzy. In the short story "Brotherhood," written by Mike Chen and included in the collection of short stories From A Certain Point Of View: Return of the Jedi, Anakin experiences the following:
"'Anakin.'
A voice. Yet this was different, clearly not a specter of the past. This didn't come with any memories or visions of things gone by. Instead, it was as if the words whispered directly into his ear, as if he wasn't a phantom lost in the ocean of the Force, but whole in body and spirit as he once was: a powerful Jedi Knight, combat-ready with drawn lightsaber and wide stance, staring down dozens of battle droids without a single worry.
In fact, this felt just like that. But different.
Because this came right now.
'Anakin.'
That voice.
'Obi-Wan.'
This moment suggests that Anakin somehow learned how to become a Force ghost just before his death. This seems to bend the rules in terms of what has been established about Force ghosts so far in Star Wars, but it isn't all that surprising that Anakin would be the Jedi to be an exception to a rule.
This exception could also be explored in more detail sooner rather than later. In the Ahsoka season 1 finale, Anakin appeared as a Force ghost once more, this time watching over Ahsoka Tano (and, incidentally, Sabine Wren) on Peridea. With Ahsoka season 2 confirmed to be in the works, it's possible that Anakin could explain how he acquired this power and perhaps even teach Ahsoka the ability as well.
This also may be part of a pattern wherein becoming a Force ghost is more common.
This also may be part of a pattern wherein becoming a Force ghost is more common. After all, in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, both Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa appear as Force ghosts. Leia is the much more surprising of the two, given her time as a Jedi was minimal compared to Luke's, but it's conceivable that Luke would have learned this ability from any number of Force ghosts, and he could have taught Leia.
Despite the importance of Force ghosts throughout Star Wars and the work that has been done to explain them, plenty of mystery remains regarding this major Force power. Particularly in Anakin's case, the exact manner in which he acquired this ability hasn't fully been revealed. Force ghosts undoubtedly aren't leaving Star Wars any time soon, though, suggesting that this problem in Return of the Jedi can still be more fully explained.
The third film released and the sixth film chronologically in the Star Wars Saga, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi is a sci-fi epic adventure film that continues the adventures of Luke, Leia, Han, and friends as they battle against the Empire. After a narrow escape but crushing defeat at the hands of the empire, the rebel alliance learns that a new Death Star has been constructed above the moon of Endor. With the war reaching its conclusion, the heroes will team with the forest planet's inhabitants and prepare themselves for one final showdown with Darth Vander and the Galactic Empire.
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