While Star Wars fans got to hear Anakin Skywalker’s voice in the Rise of Skywalker, they never did see his Force Ghost. In fact, other than a mention in Secrets of the Jedi by Mark Sumerak, Anakin Skywalker’s spirit hasn’t really been referenced much.
Well, that’s changed. This week, Anakin’s Force ghost has finally showed up in a new publication. And furthermore, that may not be the only appearance of Anakin Skywalker after Return of the Jedi.
The Anakin Skywalker Force Ghost May Appear in the Ahsoka series
News from Hollywood Reporter this week tell us that Hayden Christensen will reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker for the upcoming live action series Ahsoka. Will he be just a flashback? Or will he be a Force Ghost? It’s not known at the moment, but many of us hope that he will return as a Force Spirit.
However, as I mentioned earlier, Anakin Skywalker’s Force Ghost has already appeared!
SPOILERS AHEAD! DON’T READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT SPOILERS
Ready?
Anakin Skywalker’s Force Ghost Appears in a New Star Wars Comic
For the past few years, Cavan Scott has written several comic book series revolving around Vader’s Castle on Mustafar. There are three series so far: Tales from Vader’s Castle, Return to Vader’s Castle, and the most recent miniseries installment, Ghosts of Vader’s Castle.
This fun comic series features multiple artists and spooky stories, often centered around Darth Vader. Jaxxon the Lepi, Lina and Milo Graf, and Thomas Hudd are several of the main characters featured in these tales. Most of these stories have taken place before the conclusion of the original trilogy.
However, Ghosts of Vader’s Castle takes place after the fall of the Empire, and after Darth Sidious’s “death”. Of course, Darth Vader is dead. Vaneé, Vader’s servant has been present in all the series and is present in this one as well.
The Grafs have been having strange dreams as of late, leading Milo Graf to travel to Mustafar. I won’t tell the entire series—it’s better to read it for oneself. But the primary plot involves Lina traveling to Mustafar to save her brother from Vaneé’s machinations.
All throughout these miniseries, we see Darth Vader and spectral and evil forms of Anakin Skywalker’s spirit. Much of these can be attributed to vapors or Dark Side magic of Vader’s castle.
However, Ghosts of Vader’s Castle gives us an ending with a real spirit. It is Anakin Skywalker’s Force ghost in all his glory. And furthermore, he isn’t just an image—he actively helps our story’s characters.
It’s our real, first image of Anakin Skywalker as a Force Ghost, doing real good in the Galaxy.
It’s my hope that in future series, whether comic, book, or television series, that we see Anakin Skywalker doing active work as a Force Ghost.
What do you think? Let me know on Twitter!