Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Changed Force Ghost Rules | Screen Rant
The Star Wars sequel trilogy didn’t leave Force ghosts behind, but it did change how these interact with characters that are still present in the physical world. In 1977, the world was introduced to a galaxy far, far away in the film now known as Star Wars: A New Hope, the beginning of what would become one of the most successful franchises in entertainment. Since then, the Star Wars universe has expanded to television, comic books, video games, and even theme park attractions, but its strength is definitely the film series.
The Star Wars saga is divided in three: the original trilogy, the prequels, and the sequel trilogy. The prequels arrived to expand on the backstory of Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker, from his years as a young slave in Tatooine, to his rise as a powerful Sith lord. The sequels were a result of the acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney, as the studio aimed to expand the Skywalkers’ story and introduce a new generation of heroes and villains at the same time. The sequel trilogy received a lot of backlash for multiple reasons, and even changed some elements introduced in the original films.
Force ghosts made a comeback in the Star Wars sequels, and though their purpose was the same as in the original trilogy, there were some changes in what they can do, expanding on the abilities of those who became one with the Force.
Force ghosts were introduced in A New Hope, though only as a disembodied voice, and are mostly remembered for their appearance in Return of the Jedi. In it, Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared to Luke Skywalker to offer some advice and drop some truth bombs, such as Leia being his twin sister. Obi-Wan, along with Yoda and Anakin Skywalker, showed up at the end of the film, and that was the last time Force ghosts appeared in the saga (as they were only mentioned or a disembodied voice in the prequels).
Their next full appearance was in Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, where Yoda visited Luke Skywalker in Ahch-To as he prepared to burn the Jedi library. Yoda then summoned Force lightning to burn the books, something that hadn’t been seen before from a Force ghost. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker saw Luke’s return as a ghost in a similar situation and in the same setting: Rey, looking to exile herself in Ahch-To, burned her ship down and was ready to burn her lightsaber when Luke’s Force ghost appeared and caught the legendary weapon.
Before the Star Wars sequels, Force ghosts didn’t physically interact with the living world, but Yoda and Luke arrived to prove that they are definitely capable of doing so and possibly more. The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker made Force ghosts more active, but for now it’s unknown what else they can do in the physical world. Though this isn’t bad as it expands on the abilities of Force ghosts, some might find it to be contradictory and not true to the original films, but ultimately, that’s up to every Star Wars fan.