Saga Theory: Force ghosts are only visible to Force-sensitive beings

A lot can happen in 3 years..not as much content as is packed into that ridiculous show. Anakin having an apprentice would matter tremendously. Primarily because it would be one more person Sidious has to manipulate in order to control him. If Anakin is knighted "months" into the war, where did those months go? Anakin's power has doubled in a matter of months? Continuity tarnished.

 

1. Ahsoka quit the Jedi Order at the end of season five, so there's no way Palpatine can manipulate her since she left Coruscant and went out into the galaxy. He took advantage of Barris Offee's betrayal to the Jedi Order to cause a rift and thus create animosity towards the Jedi Order, which was evident at the end when Ahsoka was exonerated.

2. Anakin was knighted following his first fight with Ventress. A few other Padawans who were close to taking the trials were also given a promotion to Knight.

3. How is Anakin becoming stronger within a year of his last fight with Dooku tarnishing anything? We know that throughout the war, Anakin kept improving his skills. Each time he fought Dooku, the fights always managed to end in either a draw or Dooku having overwhelming odds against Anakin. Hell, Anakin still can't beat Dooku when they do fight in ROTS, until he loses control and uses his anger against him. Prior to that, he isn't able to beat him.

 

It certainly seems that Luke is the only one who saw the Force ghosts in the OT. However, Leia was Force sensitive but did not seem to notice them at the end of ROTJ. I would guess that only those who are Force sensitive but who have had at least some training in using the Force have developed the ability to see them.

Yes, Qui-Gon didn't appear in ROTJ because he couldn't. He didn't get that far in learning the ability before he was killed.

But, in regards to Mortis, I was under the impression that the Force ghosts there were just subconscious manifestations that the characters dreamt about. The only saw them in their sleep if I recall correctly. Clearly, Shmi was never alluded to as being Force sensitive, yet she appeared as one of these ghosts. The same goes for Ahsoka, who saw a vision of herself as an adult. She wasn't even dead yet.

 

Or possibly The Ones, using those as disguises.

 

If it comes down to people knowing them before they became ghosts then Anakin was messing with Luke showing up as his young self.

 

?!

Luke knew Anakin, young or old, it was never how Luke saw him when he was alive either way.

 

Also, I think GL said that Force-sensitives can only retain their identities for a certain amount of time before they eventually become one with the Force, so even if Qui-Gon could be seen as a Force ghost, he may have reached his Force ghost expiration date before ROTJ.

 

Though it is not commonly known, Force Ghosts have a Best Seen Before date on the back of their lightsabers.

 

Where did he say that? As far as I know the "Legends" EU authors came up with that on their own.

"Yoda will always be with you."

 

Well, I've hardly read any EU stuff, so while it's possible I got it there, I don't think so. I'm sorry that I can't think of the source. Lucas's interviews all run together in my mind. I'm thinking maybe Dave Filoni said GL said it when he was working on the Yoda Arc, but that's just going on what feels right to me.

In regards to the line, which I thought was -- "Yoda and I will always be with you" -- I don't know if that's supposed to me that they'll be with Luke as Force ghosts or that they'd always be part of who Luke is, and so he'd never be without him, but if you're right about the meaning of Obi-Wan's line, then Yoda and Obi-Wan should appear to Luke in the ST (well, unless Luke doesn't face any obstacles or crises, which doesn't seem too likely since it's a dramatic film).

 

Thing is, since the Force is generated and sustained by all living things, and that all living things are linked by the Force, basically everyone is Force-sensitive to one degree or another. A more accurate way to put it might be that those of greater Force-sensitivity can see Force ghosts. Others might have an impression of their presence, but not have the ability to properly identify them, much less communicate with them.

 

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but what exactly is the OP's definition of a "Force-sensitive being"?

 

Regarding whether Force ghosts have an expiration date, I'm not sure if EU authors (Tim Zahn) came up with it on their own (someone check the annotated version of HTTE - there may be a note about that?), but I think I recall something similar coming up in earlier drafts of ROTJ. I am not totally sure, though. I'll have to look in MoROTJ.

 

Yeah, in early drafts of ROTJ, the Force ghosts either pass on eventually, or return to physical life in their old bodies. That latter option doesn't appear to be open in the SW universe as currently constructed.

Which is convenient for narrative purposes, as it means that Luke can't let Ben Kenobi fight his battles for him--but it also means that death is much more permanent. And it makes a bit of a mockery of Obi-Wan's last words on the Death Star in SW 1977.

Also, I'm pretty sure that in one of the early drafts of ROTJ, Ben Kenobi and Anakin choose to be rebodied at the end, but Yoda, the much more ancient Grand Master, doesn't.

("To the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure.")

 

I think it was done because it was to put Luke on his own accord, as well as avoid dealing with PT elements. But yes, in the rough draft Obi-wan and Anakin become corporeal again. Yoda did as well, but this was changed. Then Lucas decided....

"Even though at some point Yoda and Ben interfered, I eventually decided that they couldn’t connect physically with what Luke was doing. I felt that one of the major issues in the third film is that Luke is finally on his own and has to fight Vader and the Emperor by himself. If you get a sense that Yoda or Ben is there to help him or to somehow influence him, it diminishes the power of the scene."

--George Lucas, Star Wars-Return Of The Jedi: The Annotated Screenplays, 1997

So Luke was on his own and all reference to Obi-wan being lost to the Netherrealm of the Force was dropped.

 

Your theory may be correct.