CT The official Anakin's Spirit poll

According to old EU, Obi-Wan and Yoda found his drifting consciousness before it faded into the Force, and helped him maintain his identity as a ghost

The real life reason is that it was probably the idea that ALL Jedi become ghosts after death, rather than being a rare technique

 

That still makes the most sense - Anakin appears as a ghost, therefore confirming that in his dying moments he'd become a Jedi once more, and was no longer the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Nothing more to it than that.

It's not contradicted by the PT as it stands, except for a pretty vague reference to the Qui-Gon deleted scene, which made the whole Force Ghost thing far more elaborate, but what does remain doesn't go into this elaboration. The only supposed contradiction anyone picked up on was that the Jedi of the PT don't disappear/fade away when they die as Obi-Wan & Yoda did, but neither did Anakin in ROTJ anyway.

 

This is just my opinion, and I've shared it before, but I think Anakin comes back because he is the Chosen One. Being born of the force, he didn't need to learn "the trick". It was his default.

 

I think these were the Lucas quotes (compiled by darth-sinister) that implied Anakin had to learn it from Yoda & Ben:

 

Shaw

 

The poll needs an option for "both"! I remember Shaw well, he was the 'default value' for many years after all, but I now accept Christensen as the ghost because logically it makes far more sense than the Shaw image.

 

Both versions can be and have been well explained in terms of logic. For me, it's a question of visual symmetry and symbolism and on those grounds I favour Shaw.

 

The poll isn't about whom you favour.... lol it's about which version pops into your head first. No bias, just what is the image you have when you hear "Anakin's ghost"

 

Hayden. Plus it ties the OT back in with the PT which is never a bad thing.

 

Ok Seagoat, I'll rephrase for you.

I visualize an older, fatherly figure in that scene when I think of it, and the only representation of that type of character that we have is Shaw.

Short answer: Shaw.

 

When it's done in the opposite fashion, sure. The PT should have been made to be congruent with the OT; not vice versa. And I don't mean by throwing Chewbacca or lines like "so uncivilized" in there. I do see GL's reasoning for young Anakin in ROTJ up to a point, though, and I think long-term, it makes sense for people who may see the films 50 years for now. It certainly wasn't a necessary change, though, as you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that Shaw was Anakin.

 

Sebastian all the way! I am tired of Anakin's entitlement! So Yoda and Kenobi get to stay old, but Anakin who nearly destroyed the Jedi Order gets to be young?!

 

Hayden because that was his prime, aka when he was a Jedi. If he came back as a force ghost alongside two other Jedi, I would imagine it is in his Jedi form.

 

Shaw.

 

Shaw

 

Hayden

 

How is Hayden more logical than Shaw though?

 

Jedi Daniel I'd make this a normal reply, but that feature isn't working for me. Weird

Anyway, because when he was redeemed, he reverted to the form he was in when he was last on the light side

If you're saying that the fact that he was 46 when he physically died makes it senseless to see him as young, then it likewise makes no sense that his ghost isn't a limbless barbecue

 

Obi-Wan didn't have a scar after he died in ANH. Wouldn't have one all the way across his stomach but should have one on his side by your logic right? Seeing Anakin young just ruins the growth OT Anakin went through imo.

 

Yes it can, Jon, you're assuming.

 

Force Smuggler We don't see Obi-Wan's stomach due to it being covered up by his ghost robes

Cushing's Admirer Hm.... I cannot deduce how. Would you mind explaining please?

EDIT: Ohhhh ok, I see what you both mean. The ghost is healed to their full bodily health when they appear, so if Anakin's ghost is old, then yes, he would be healed. I think I get it

 

Both Force Ghosts can make perfect sense and yes NOT mechenical. Hayden does NOT because by most justifer's logic Yoda and Ben should be young too and are not.

Shaw as he was made sense. He was Anakin whole and restored and *mature*.

 

Then that is your opinion and I will respect it

 

I think it depends on how the viewer perceives what Force-ghost appearances are meant to represent, which of course is subjective - there's no one "right" answer. I can understand why someone would think it made sense for Anakin to appear the age he was when he died, but healed of his injuries. For me, though, I tend to think that Force-ghosts appear as the person views him or herself. So most people would appear how they looked when they died, since that's what they were used to seeing in the mirror. Anakin had never seen what he looked like older and unscarred, and he associated his masked/burned appearance with Vader rather than his light side self, so he just reverted back to what he remembered looking like before he fell.

But like I said, I can see both sides of the debate.

 

Luke states though about trying to bring his Father back to the good side (Light side of the Force), in which he was successful since there was good in him. When doing this, he is redeemed and appears as an old man.