Hello out there in Star Wars fandom! We’re back to bring you another look at Star Wars. This time, with the scarce bit of information we have, we’ll discuss Episode IX. In particular, I’d like to discuss Force-ghosts. Will they appear? What new powers will they have? And the ghost of who, exactly? Let’s get to it!
The Force-ghosts have been a bit of a side-story in Star Wars ever since A New Hope, way back in 1977. The details of what they are, what abilities they have, and who can become a Force-ghost have been building up more and more since then. I’ve written on this point before, and I’ve also speculated in the past about whether we’ll see another realm in Episode IX, such as the “netherworld of the Force”. Considering what we’re hearing about George Lucas’ original plans for the sequel trilogy, something like this seems mundane by comparison.
There are couple of pieces of evidence that point to Force-ghosts being in Episode IX.
First, is Yoda in The Last Jedi sort of gives a bit of a prelude of what’s to come. Yoda shows that the Force-ghosts are still active and interacting more and more with the physical world and other characters. Yoda as a Force-ghost conjured up a bolt of lightning, and may have also launched a burst of fire. This suggests that they can indeed interact with the physical world beyond just talking to other Force-users. This isn’t anything new, and Qui-gon’s ghost actually lifted Yoda’s physical body in The Clone Wars. This scene with Yoda sets a precedent where Yoda or another Force-ghost could defend one of the heroes from an enemy.
Second, a source at the Sun UK reported just recently that Ewan McGregor will reprise his role as Obi Wan will be in Episode IX. Is this a reputable source? Hard to say, but this piece has gotten the attention of a number of respectable outlets. The reason why this is believable to me is because this has so much potential for story development connecting with the rumored Obi-Wan stand-alone film. Rumors regarding this film, including a recent article from SWNN saying that the movie would be released on the new Disney streaming service, suggest it’s still on. Making Star Wars (and others) have pretty much rejected the rumor that the spin-off films like the Kenobi film are on hold. The interesting thing could be seen in the Kenobi spin-off part of his training to become a Force-ghost, maybe communing with Yoda on Dagobah through some sort of Force-projection. So, I believe the film is coming, but we’ll have to wait to see how exactly they release it. I find it hard to believe that they will go only streaming, but a streaming service exclusive shortly after the movies release could boost subscriptions for the service for sure.
The third reason are the rumors that Luke will be back to play a Force-ghost. Rian Johnson was quoted in talking about the potential for a journey to another realm in Episode IX, and I totally agree with this view. We have a chance to see the other side from his perspective, as well as connect to other Force-ghosts like Obi-Wan and Yoda. Mark Hamill also commented on this possibility. Nothing is confirmed at this point, but I believe the smart money is on Luke coming back in some way. I think it would be great if he–at minimum–comes back to tell Rey where to go next in her journey, much like Obi-Wan did for Luke in Empire. I think there will be more than that though, with Luke maybe even engaging in some fight on a spiritual plane with some other being. Who knows?
Assuming that the reports that JJ wants to tie the three trilogies together, Force-ghosts are the way to do it. I’d love to see a closing scene with every Force-ghost present, mirroring Return of the Jedi. It’s way too early to tell, but you can rest assured that we’ll keep an eye on it and report what we find. Stay tuned for more!
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