Star Wars: The Clone Wars sets a precedent for Yoda’s Force ghost powers and abilities in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Before The Last Jedi, characters who appeared as Force ghosts, such as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Yoda in Return of the Jedi, were only shown to be capable of speech. However, Yoda’s Force ghost appearance in The Last Jedi and Luke Skywalker’s apparition in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker showed that Force ghosts were capable of manipulating the Force to a rather great extent. As with many things in the Star Wars universe, an answer as to how this is possible can be found in The Clone Wars.
The events of Star Wars: The Clone Wars not only act as a narrative bridge between Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. The Clone Wars also serves as a medium through which to further understand the Force, the Jedi, the Sith, and more Star Wars lore. One of the biggest mysteries it answers is how the Jedi went from believing that they lose their individuality upon death as they become a part of the cosmic force to being able to appear as Force ghosts to those who are in need so that they may guide their old friends through difficult times.
The Clone Wars Revealed Force Ghosts Can Influence The Physical World
In The Clone Wars season 6, the final three episodes create an important arc. In the episodes “ “Voices,” “Destiny,” and “Sacrifice,” Grand Master Yoda is ed by Qui-Gon Jinn through the Force. Though Qui-Gon is yet unable to manifest as a full-fledged Force ghost, he can speak to Yoda and even use the Force, showcasing abilities like telekinesis – for instance, he moves the furniture around to prove his presence and later even levitates Yoda, as well. Qui-Gon explains to Yoda that he had started a special kind of training to preserve his consciousness after death, though was unable to finish it before he was killed by Darth Maul.
Qui-Gon wanted Yoda to continue in his footsteps so that when the dark days ahead finally came, there would still be paragons of light scattered throughout the galaxy, those who could help the next generation of Jedi – in this case Luke Skywalker, and then finally Rey – to find their footing and be set on the right path. To better understand the mysteries of the Force, Yoda travels to a distant part of the galaxy and encounters Force priestesses who test his worthiness, and who can teach him about “the great gift.” In this case, the gift is the ability to become a Force ghost.
The Last Jedi Built Upon This With Its Yoda Force Ghost
As Return of the Jedi and The Last Jedi prove, Yoda completed his training and learned how to project and manifest his consciousness after death. The powers that Qui-Gon exhibited in The Clone Wars become even more powerful through Yoda in The Last Jedi. Yoda manipulates the Force (and to an extent, the weather) to destroy the Jedi library on Ahch-To, so that Luke may finally be free of the burden of the old ways and become the Jedi the galaxy needed at that moment in time. Just as Qui-Gon hoped, Yoda was able to use the gift of “immortality” to help the last few remaining Jedi find their way in a galaxy that had been overwhelmed by darkness.
Yoda is not the only one who proves the powers that Force ghosts can wield. Luke Skywalker himself utilizes telekinetic abilities as a Force ghost in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, as he lifted his old X-Wing out of the ocean so that Rey could complete her quest and fulfill her destiny. Again, it all comes back to Qui-Gon Jinn’s hope and reasoning for learning about this ultimate Force-related ability. It is not necessarily about preserving one’s own consciousness, but about becoming a guide for those who need it, a beacon of light in the tunnel of darkness. Star Wars: The Clone Wars not only improves the prequel trilogy’s storytelling, but also enhances the understanding of the great mysteryies of the Force.