Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ends with the Force ghosts of Luke and Leia appearing to Rey – but why aren’t more Jedi spirits on Tatooine? Ever since Obi-Wan Kenobi’s spectral form first appeared to Luke Skywalker, Force ghosts have been a fan-favorite part of the franchise. Their popularity grew when the final minutes of Return of the Jedi brought together the Force ghosts of Yoda, Anakin Skywalker, and Obi-Wan.
In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, fans were thrilled to see the return of Luke Skywalker as a Force ghost. He first appeared to Rey on Ahch-To, convincing her to return to defeat Emperor Palpatine and gifting her Leia’s old lightsaber. The second time we see his Force ghost is when things get a little more complicated. At the very end of the film, both Luke and Leia appear before Rey on Tatooine as Force ghosts, but understandably there was an expectation to see more than just the two of them.
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So why were Luke and Leia the only ones who appear before Rey? The answer to this lies in the title The Rise of Skywalker. While it would have been a fun moment for fans if other characters like Yoda, Anakin and Obi-Wan presented themselves at the end of the film, it wouldn’t have made much sense. Rey never met or had a connection with any of these characters. On the other hand, she had a strong connection with both Leia and Luke and, despite discovering that she is a Palpatine, she takes the name of Rey Skywalker at the end of the film, even further connecting her to Luke and Leia.
Arguably more confusing is why Ben Solo’s Force ghost didn’t appear alongside them. Kylo Ren and Rey also had a strong and even a romantic connection within Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and seeing him alongside his mother and uncle would have been a powerful moment for his redemption arc. However, it’s probable that Ben Solo never learned how to become a Force ghost before dying. This itself raises questions as to how both Luke and Leia are able to be Force ghosts. It is never stated how Luke learned the ability, but one can infer that he learned it from Yoda. As for Leia, the only possibility would be that Luke taught her how during her brief Jedi training that was shown in The Rise of Skywalker.
Despite the opinions and desires of fans, Luke and Leia were the only two chosen to appear before Rey at the end of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. While adding in Ben Solo could have brought further emotion to the scene, having Luke and Leia was also symbolic. Luke and Leia served as the parental figures that Rey never had, and by appearing to her as Force ghosts at the end of the film while Rey says that her last name is Skywalker just does something special for her character. Over the entire sequel trilogy, Rey searches for answers on who her parents are. Finally, at the very end of the trilogy, she chooses Luke and Leia as her family, because they were the ones who helped her find her true self.
