Highlights
- The Force allows Jedi and Sith to perform extraordinary feats and return as spirits after death, guiding the next generation.
- Controversial decisions regarding Leia's character, such as her Force-powered flight and appearance as a Force ghost, have divided the Star Wars fandom.
- Characters like Mara Jade and Qui-Gon Jinn continue to have an active fanbase, with Mara Jade's Force ghost providing guidance to her husband and Qui-Gon becoming a disembodied voice and later achieving a physical form.
The Star Wars franchise has introduced viewers to a flood of iconic concepts, from deadly TIE Fighters to droid armies. Yet something that unites every era of the Star Wars universe is the Force, a mystical energy that can be wielded for good or evil.
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The Force allows both Jedi and Sith to accomplish fantastical deeds. Competent users can move objects at will, experience visions of the future, and even heal others from severe injuries. Nor does the power of the Force stop at the point of death—Force users who are both pure of heart and properly trained can return as spirits, in order to guide the next generation.
8 Anakin Skywalker (Original)
When Return of the Jedi hit cinema screens in 1983, Hayden Christensen, who would come to embody the role of Anakin Skywalker, was still decades away from playing the character. As such, initial versions of Return of the Jedi featured another actor, Sebastian Shaw. Shaw was in his late seventies when he appeared as the spirit—a far cry from Christensen, whose youthful image would replace Shaw's in later reissues.
While this version of Anakin's ghost is now little more than an oddity, it provides a peek back at a time before George Lucas had refined his ideas about Anakin Skywalker. Shaw's brief tenure is now difficult for fans to find, as contemporary versions of the movie (including the one on Disney+) use Christensen's likeness.
7 Leia Organa
Much of Leia's role in Disney-era Star Wars has inspired controversy. While some decisions regarding the character can be attributed to Carrie Fisher's untimely passing, others continue to irritate certain sections of the Star Wars fandom, such as her Force-powered flight through the vacuum of space and Rogue One's deepfake princess.
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Yet, perhaps the biggest bone of contention, is Leia's appearance as a Force ghost at the end of The Rise of Skywalker. Leia is seen alongside her brother, seemingly endorsing Rey's adoption of the Skywalker name. While much of Leia's role in Episode 9 was dictated by real-world restrictions, it's an underwhelming and divisive send-off for one of science fiction's most iconic heroines.
6 Mara Jade Skywalker
While Mara Jade Skywalker's story has been overwritten by Disney's Sequel Trilogy, this Legends character still maintains an active fanbase. Mara Jade's character arc sees her going from a close ally of Emperor Palpatine to the wife and comrade of Luke Skywalker. However, in the Legends continuity, Mara Jade is killed by her nephew, Jacen Solo (whose turn to the dark side somewhat mirrors Kylo Ren's in the Sequel Trilogy).
Yet not even death could stop Mara Jade from being there for her husband. Following Luke's devastating encounter with the powerful entity Abeloth, Mara Jade's Force ghost urged him to continue living, pointing out that he still had work to do in the galaxy.
5 Qui-Gon Jinn
Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn was something of a renegade within the Jedi Order, leading some fans to characterize the character as a Gray Jedi. Yet for all of his idiosyncrasies, Qui-Gon was a proficient and honorable Jedi. Prior to his fatal clash with Darth Maul in 32 BBY, he was attempting to learn how to become a Force spirit after death.
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Because his training was cut short by Maul, Qui-Gon was initially only able to manifest himself as a disembodied voice. However, he did achieve a physical form during Obi-Wan Kenobi's exile on Tatooine and was able to provide moral support to his former Padawan.
4 Yoda
While the diminutive Yoda first appeared in Force spirit form at the climax of Return of the Jedi, fans would not see his ghostly persona playing a prominent role until The Last Jedi, over 30 years later. Yoda's unique combination of wisdom and mischievousness continued even after his death, and he was something of an irritant when he appeared to an aged Luke Skywalker on Ahch-To.
Yoda's spirit called down a lightning bolt, destroying several Jedi artifacts. He also lectured Luke about how important lessons could be learned even from the most terrible failures. As such, Yoda played a key role in encouraging Luke to further aid the Resistance in its greatest hour of need.
3 Anakin Skywalker (Updated)
While George Lucas remained in control of the Star Wars franchise, he made several tweaks and changes to the Original Trilogy. These included adding CGI elements like Jabba the Hutt on top of the original footage, changing scenes and sound effects, and controversially altering the gunfight between Han Solo and the Rodian bounty hunter Greedo. Some fans considered the modifications to detract from the original cut, but one in particular makes a lot of sense: updating Anakin Skywalker's Force ghost to match his appearance in the Prequel Trilogy.
This version of Anakin emphasizes the redemptive journey that the character has been on. For viewers watching the franchise in chronological order, it's a great callback to earlier movies, and visually demonstrates how balance has been restored to the Force, and how Anakin Skywalker died in Revenge of the Sith.
2 Luke Skywalker
By the time of the conflict between the First Order and the Resistance, Luke Skywalker was living in self-imposed exile in the distant world of Ahch-To. He was a man wracked by guilt: his attempt to rebuild the Jedi Order had ended in failure and the corruption of Luke's own nephew. However, Luke was able to contribute to the Resistance's fight against evil—albeit immaterially.
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Luke was able to appear in spirit form on Crait, where he sparred with Kylo Ren for long enough to let the Resistance troops escape from the planet. This intense effort overwhelmed Luke, who became one with the Force, although he would continue to guide Rey as a Force ghost when it came to confronting the resurrected Palpatine.
1 Obi-Wan Kenobi
Although Obi-Wan Kenobi lived a life full of intrigue and adventure, he was correct in warning Darth Vader that death would only make him more powerful. As a Force ghost, Kenobi continued to mentor Luke Skywalker in the Jedi arts and even guided him when it came to firing the shot that destroyed the first Death Star. It was Kenobi, for instance, who sent Luke to Dagobah, where the young Jedi would meet and learn from the legendary Yoda.
Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Alec Guinness claimed in an interview that he convinced George Lucas to have the Jedi killed in A New Hope (though Lucas disputes this). Indeed, Guinness suggested that he saw Kenobi's death as preferable to performing more of Lucas's hackneyed dialogue. Whatever the case, both Guinness and his character would return—and shape the course of the Skywalker Saga.