The Star Wars films have always had a high death count. Stormtroopers have been cannon fodder and the Rebel Alliance suffered heavy losses taking on the Empire. As a result of Order 66, even the Jedi went nearly extinct. Nevertheless, some of them were able to learn the path to immortality.

First introduced in the original Star Wars trilogy, Force spirits (often referred to as Force “ghosts” out of universe) were able to commune with the living after death. Force ghosts continued to appear in expanded media and in The Rise of Skywalker. While preserving one’s life force normally required special training, Anakin Skywalker was able to become a Force ghost without having received any training before his death. Here is how Anakin Skywalker may still have learned how to become a Force ghost.

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Characters Who Have Become Force Ghosts

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When Darth Vader attempted to strike down Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope, Kenobi’s physical form instantly vanished, much to Vader’s surprise. Obi-Wan became the first Force ghost on-screen in Star Wars, guiding Luke Skywalker throughout the Galactic Civil War. With Obi-Wan’s guidance, Luke destroyed the first Death Star and found Jedi Master Yoda on Dagobah. The conclusion of the original trilogy, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, also established Yoda and Anakin Skywalker as Force ghosts.

At the end of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Yoda told Obi-Wan that an “old friend has learned the path to immortality.” This referred to Kenobi’s Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, who was able to communicate with Obi-Wan in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and appeared as a Force ghost in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Finally, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo were seen as Force ghosts in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. As evidenced by all the Star Wars films, only those who aligned themselves with the light side of the Force were able to achieve spiritual immortality.

Why the Sith Were Unable to Attain Immortality

Despite their obsession with attaining every power in the galaxy, the Sith were unable to become a Force ghost. The Force has always been an energy field generated by all life across the galaxy. The Sith were primarily motivated by their own selfish desires with complete disregard of the damage they inflicted on others. Because the Sith focused on using the Force for their own gain, they could not truly become one with the Force. The Force was not meant to be bent to a power-hungry individual’s will.

When Darth Vader died, it was the redeemed Anakin Skywalker that became a Force ghost and not his dark side alter ego. While the Sith were unable to become Force ghosts, they were, however, able to tie parts of their consciousness with certain objects. These objects included Sith holocrons and unusual masks, which influenced those it came into contact with. Unlike Force ghost, they were able to be destroyed.

Palpatine was never immortal, but was able to escape his death in Return of the Jedi. It was revealed that Palpatine had transferred his soul into the cloned body seen in The Rise of Skywalker. The body was not suitable in the long-term for Palpatine, as it could not contain his immense power in the dark side of the Force. The Sith Lord planned to transfer his spirit into Rey by having her strike him down. Ultimately, Palpatine’s plans went on to fail, and he was defeated once and for all.

How Anakin Became a Force Spirit Without Special Training

Anakin was only a Jedi Knight in his early 20s when he fell to the dark side in Revenge of the Sith. He did not learn how to preserve his life force before death, and yet, he appeared as a Force ghost in Return of the Jedi. The appearance raised a lot of questions, as it went against the notion that characters first had to complete special training. As Anakin was the Chosen One, he was unusually strong with the Force. It is possible that Anakin’s redemption and sacrifice were enough for him to become a Force ghost.

However, Qui-Gon Jinn provided an example of a Jedi completing their training even after death. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the deceased Qui-Gon told Obi-Wan he was unable to show himself because his training was incomplete; Qui-Gon was only heard by Obi-Wan as a disembodied voice. However, in the spiritual known as Mortis, which acted as a conduit for the Force, Kenobi was finally able to see his Master.

Qui-Gon told Yoda to complete what he could not and continue to learn more about the Force. By the time of Revenge of the Sith, Yoda announced that Qui-Gon had “learned the path to immortality” even though Qui-Gon had been dead for over a decade. The secrets Qui-Gon Jinn unlocked allowed him to manifest himself in an almost solid form. Similar to Qui-Gon, Anakin may have completed his training after his death. In Star Wars, death in the physical world has not necessarily meant the end.