Force Ghosts have been part of the Star Wars franchise since its beginning, with Obi-Wan Kenobi retaining his identity when he was killed by Darth Vader. They've become increasingly common in the years since, with Yoda, Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn, Luke Skywalker, and Leia Organa all becoming Force Ghosts.

But here's the catch; immortality is the prize sought by the Sith, not by the Jedi. Palpatine in particular went to incredible lengths to try to avoid death, but he was far from the only Sith to do so. He learned many lessons from the Sith heretic Darth Momin, whose spirit was preserved within his helmet. Yoda encountered dark side spirits on the Sith homeworld of Moraband in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 6, and his light proved greater than their darkness. So what's the difference between Force Ghosts and Sith spirits?

4 A Jedi Becomes A Force Ghost By Surrendering To The Will Of The Force... Unlike Sith

Let's start by exploring how a Jedi becomes a Force Ghost. Matt Stover's novelization of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, written in close coordination with George Lucas himself, features more detail on Yoda's conversation with Qui-Gon Jinn about this. "The ultimate goal of the Sith, yet they can never achieve it," Qui-Gon explained. "It comes only by the release of self, not the exaltation of self. It comes through comion, not greed. Love is the answer to the darkness." The book's canonicity is debatable, but the point has been restated in canon since.

Look at Anakin Skywalker's example as a case in point. Anakin died in peace, satisfied with the course of his life, no longer victim to emotions like regret and longing. This prepared him for the moment of death, and he was met by Obi-Wan Kenobi in the netherworld of the Force, encouraged to cease striving at last. His transformation into a Force Ghost was literally effortless, because it is the end of all effort that means a Jedi can become a Force Ghost.

3 A Sith Becomes A Spirit Through The Exaltation Of Self

This is very different to a Sith spirit, for Sith do not receive immortality as a sort of "reward" from the light; rather, they claim it through the exaltation of self. A Sith becomes immortal through the Force power called essence transfer, binding their spirit into either a receptacle of some kind or to a geographical location. Palpatine sought to use essence transfer with Rey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, encouraging her to strike him down in a moment of anger; this suggests a Sith's potential host needs to be subject to the dark side to become possessed.

You can immediately see why this is so different to becoming a Force Ghost. Unlike a Jedi, a Sith refuses to let go of the physical world, instead imposing their will over that of the Force itself, even to the point of resisting death. In the most extreme cases, their spirit overwhelms that of another person, annihilating them.

2 Force Ghosts Are Able To Travel Independently

A Force Ghost is inherently superior to any Sith spirit, and this can be seen in the many advantages Force Ghosts enjoy. A Force Ghost can travel independently, appearing wherever and to whomever they wish. Leia, for example, received teaching from the Force Ghosts of both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda in the years before the Star Wars sequel trilogy; Yoda later appeared to Luke Skywalker on Ahch-To in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, proving distance and time are nothing.

In contrast, a Sith spirit is either bound to a specific object - for example, a mask in the case of Darth Momin - or to a geographical location. These limitations actually mean the Sith have transformed others into spirits as a form of punishment; Darth Vader imprisoned the spirit of the Grand Inquisitor in a Jedi Temple as a trap for Jedi, and refused to grant him the peace of death. Far from a reward, then, the experience of becoming a Sith spirit is so limited it feels like torment.

1 Force Ghosts Can Manifest To (Almost) Everyone

The experience of Darth Momin suggests another important difference between Force Ghosts and Sith spirits. Darth Momin mastered the power of transfer, and survived death by placing his spirit within his helmet. But Momin could only interact with others when they placed the helmet on their heads, when he would possess them - and there are hints that the experience burned host bodies out. Likewise, when Palpatine's servants placed the Emperor's spirit within host clones, they burned out. Palpatine hoped Rey could be his host.

Force Ghosts, in contrast, can manifest to anyone who is open to the Force.

Force Ghosts, in contrast, can manifest to anyone who is open to the Force. That is, of course, an important discussion; Obi-Wan Kenobi could not commune with his master Qui-Gon Jinn until he had ceased to close himself off in the Force, and Yoda couldn't manifest to Luke on Ahch-To for years because he too had closed himself off. Still, the limitation appears to be a basic one, because Yoda even taunted Palpatine moments after his death.

In the end, the differences between Force Ghosts and Sith spirits point to the difference between the light side and the dark. The light is the path of life itself, and those who embrace it have the potential for immortality. In contrast, the dark side - the exaltation of self - leads only to destruction. A Sith who uses the dark to cling to life winds up destroying others, and their experience of immortality is one they must endure rather than enjoy. It's perfectly in keeping with George Lucas' Star Wars philosophy.