Force ghosts are one of the most unique parts of Star Wars. Even after a Jedi has died, they can still live on through ethereal manifestations when the moment serves. Whether it’s Obi-Wan appearing to Luke in the original trilogy all the way up to Leia and Luke welcoming Rey to the Skywalker family in the last shots of The Rise of Skywalker, they allow the legacies of Jedi who came before to echo throughout the future.
But the concept of ethereal beings who can appear whenever — and wherever — raises a few questions. How much control do ghosts have over their appearances? Are they omniscient? A new comic may hold the answer.
In Yoda #10, the tenth and final issue of the canon comic miniseries Star Wars: Yoda, we see Yoda speaking to Obi-Wan moments before Obi-Wan appears to Luke on Hoth — the conversation that leads to Luke coming to Yoda for teaching. This seems to imply that Obi-Wan’s Force ghost has the ability to control where he goes, haunting his way across the galaxy thanks to his extensive connection with the Force.
However, this reveal raises a few problems. As Redditor Kokonut-Z points out, if ghosts can really go anywhere seemingly instantly, why can’t the ghost of Anakin, or any other Jedi, appear to Ahsoka and tell her where Ezra is?
It’s definitely confusing, especially since we’ve seen all sorts of Force ghosts in many situations that certainly make it seem like they have agency throughout.
Maybe there’s a better explanation for this contradiction. Force ghosts appear because of a character’s extensive training with the Force, something we see with Qui-Gon, who was only halfway through his training when he died but continued learning after death, allowing him to appear later on.
But it would make more sense if these ghosts were at the whim of the Force — they appear when the Force wills their appearance necessary, like when a character needs guidance or reassurance. It would explain Qui-Gon’s appearance to Obi-Wan, right after he accepts he can’t hide from the Force and the Jedi forever.
Maybe Yoda telling Obi-Wan he needs to visit Hoth isn’t an instruction of next steps, but an observation of the ways of the Force, allowing him to sense that someone on Hoth needs him.
