How Was Anakin Able to Come Back as a Ghost?

Qui-Gon showed Yoda the trick who then passed it on to Kenobi.

But how was Anakin able to come back as a ghost?

Am I missing something? If so when did he learn this technique?

You are missing that the PT has some logical inconsistencies with the OT.

perhaps he had help from ben and/or yoda.

Maybe Palpatine knew the trick also?

doubt it. that would dumb anyway.

Well he said his master Plagues knew the trick for immortality so who knows.

Palpatine: Did you ever hear the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?

Anakin: No.

Palpatine: I thought not. It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith so powerful and so wise, he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create...life. He had such a knowledge of the Dark Side, he could even keep the ones he cared about...from dying.

Anakin: He could actually...save people from death?

Palpatine: The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.

Anakin: What happened to him?

Palpatine: He became so powerful, the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power...which, eventually of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew. Then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. Ironic. He could save others from death...but not himself.

Anakin: Is it possible to learn this power?

Palpatine: Not from a Jedi.

i dont see anything about immortality

Well if you can't die wouldn't you be considered immortal?

he said he could prevent others from dying. not bring them back from the dead, and especially not becoming immortal spirits able to communicate with the living.

It's not out of the question to assume that maybe he learned the trick. If Qui-Gon could it's possible a Sith Lord could as well.

His love for his son fully immersed him in the light side of the Force when he died, IIRC.

In the EU, Kenobi taught Skywalker the technique while he was passing between the realm of the living and the dead.

Originally posted by juggernaut74
It's not out of the question to assume that maybe he learned the trick. If Qui-Gon could it's possible a Sith Lord could as well.

it's a baseless assumption though. more so than assuming that palpatine survived his fall and escaped the death star. force users have a knack for surving long falls, after all. at least that theory would have that tiny bit of arguable ground. would be awful though. perhaps more awful than even ghost palpatine.

He had to have learned it pretty darn late because the OT makes it very clear that he has no idea what it is that Ben has done.

Calling this a PT inconsistency is very unfair though- it's an OT issue. It's absolutely consistent with the OT that Anakin has no idea about it in the Prequels.

In the end, he does it because it is stylistically right that he does. The Force is mysterious like that.

Anakin was able to pull it off because he saw Obi do it. Up to that point there aren't any recorded eye witnesses of such ability, maybe by looking at it he realized he could replicate it.

Well, the problem is that the PT started explaining it. And now it doesn't work.
It's the basic problem of the PT... it ruined a lot of the OT's mysticism and backstory.

In the end, he does it because it is stylistically right that he does. The Force is mysterious like that. [/B]

According to the ROTJ DVD commentary he was assisted in the end by Obi-Wan & Yoda.

That's Lucas for you: he needs to do a lot of off screen explaining to make things work they way he changed his mind.

Welp, I don't believe you should really need special training to become a Force ghost (plenty didn't in the EU), Yoda didn't even receive as much really, he just went on a spiritual journey that led him to accept himself "and let go".

I think if Vader has achieved some kind of spiritual zen he could have become a Force ghost by himself.

Well, why didn't anyone before QGJ achieve that then? I suppose there have been plenty of zen Jedi in the thousand generations they were guardians of peace and justice.

As I said, there are several Jedi Force ghosts in Legends, none are stated to have required special training.