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In Star Wars, we see that becoming a Force Ghost more or less means the end of a Jedi's regular career. After Obi-Wan becomes a Force Ghost, he refers Luke Skywalker to Yoda for training rather than train him himself. After Yoda becomes a Force Ghost, he essentially does not participate at all in Rey's training, leaving that to Luke.

Can a Force Ghost train a Jedi student? If it is not possible, why? If it is possible, is there a reason why it is not done?

  • Is it very difficult (or impossible) for a Force Ghost to provide proper Jedi pedagogy (e.g. in the way it is very difficult to teach quantum physics using nothing but pantomine)?
  • Do Force Ghosts consider themselves retired from education and consider requests for training from new students to be highly antisocial, or at least something that is Just Not Done?
  • Is there a policy forbidding this? E.g. Jedi Code Section 33 Subsection R Paragraph 27 Subparagraph V says that only a flesh-and-blood being is authorized to provide Official Jedi Training (TM) under penalty of Rancor Pit and having the student stripped of any Jedi rank obtained via said unauthorized training route? This could be sort of like how in our own world, people are often not allowed to sit for certain certification and licensure exams unless they have been trained by someone "authorized" by the test administrator to do so, regardless of what they actually know. E.g. if you didn't go to an officially recognized Medical School, you can't take Medical Licensure exams and thus have no way of becoming a recognized physician even if your brain is full of mad leet doctor skillz.
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    Most training were shown is just explaining to the person what to do and what to feel. I'm sure if they really wanted to they could. Also Obi-wan technically teaches Luke when he tells him to let go on the Death Star.
    – TheLethalCarrot ♦
    Jan 2, 2018 at 14:46
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    @Valorum Very closely related but I'm not sure it's a dupe. If Luke could hear Ben then maybe a force ghost could teach someone through the echoes. Obviously it would have to be some Jedi they knew that has died otherwise they would think they are going insane.
    – TheLethalCarrot ♦
    Jan 2, 2018 at 15:49
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    This is a good question because (1) clear Yoda is having extended conversations with Luke on Ahch-To and (2) Why all the hoopla from Kylo about "Luke being the last Jedi"? If he can train others after becoming a Force ghost, then Kylo killing him won't deny there being more Jedi in the future.
    – ThePopMachine
    Jan 2, 2018 at 17:18
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    @ThePopMachine not to mention that Force Ghosts Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Anakin could in theory help out, or even take on their own students.
    – Robert Columbia
    Jan 2, 2018 at 19:32
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    I wonder if the issue is just the length of time the Jedi in question can manifest, and how often. A Force Ghost that can only hold its shape for 10-15 minutes, and then only once every day or so, would make a very ineffective teacher.
    – Irishpanda
    Jan 2, 2018 at 21:39

3 Answers 3

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Yes.

We actually have an example of this in Revenge of the Sith. Yoda was quite surprised to discover that Qui-Gon Jinn had discovered a method of preserving his consciousness after death. His technique was apparently quite unrefined (Qui-Gon was only able to communicate verbally) but he was able to teach it to Yoda and Obi-Wan who were evidently able to work out the kinks and achieve a greater degree of coherence.

The original script has a little more detail.

YODA: (continuing) Master Kenobi, wait a moment. In your solitude on Tatooine, training I have for you.

OBI-WAN: Training??

YODA: An old friend has learned the path to immortality.

OBI-WAN: Who?

YODA: One who has returned from the netherworld of the Force to train me . . . your old Master, Qui-Gon Jinn.

OBI-WAN: Qui-Gon? But, how could he accomplish this?

YODA: The secret of the Ancient Order of the Whills, he studied. How to commune with him. I will teach you.

OBI-WAN: I will be able to talk with him?

YODA: How to join the Force, he will train you. Your consciousness you will retain, when one with the Force. Even your physical self, perhaps.

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    One thing to consider, neither Yoda nor Kenobi were exactly "Jedi pupils". They were Jedi masters, Yoda was Grand Master. So, what was good enough for them would probably not be enough for Jedi Padawan with considerably less connection and experience with Force .
    – rs.29
    Jan 3, 2018 at 18:44
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    @rs.29 - Yoda would argue that you're always learning.
    – Valorum
    Jan 3, 2018 at 20:27
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The answer is yes. From Season 6 of the Clone Wars (aka the Lost Missions), the final 3-story arc ("Voices", "Destiny", and "Sacrifice"), Yoda is contacted by Qui-Gon Jinn and is asked to finish Qui-Gon's quest to learn how to retain his identify after death.

In the 2nd episode ("Destiny"), Yoda encounters the Five Priestesses, who are to instruct him in learning how to be a force ghost. During the initial meeting, while debating on whether they should train him, one of the Priestesses says

He is to teach one who will save the universe from the great imbalance, for this, the great gift will be his.

The presumption is that Yoda needs to live long enough to train this individual, or be able to train this person after his own death (as a force ghost).

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  Good question and the answer is probably not. One good example would be Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker. As we know, after his death on Death Star 1, Kenobi did contact Luke almost immediately after that. Yet, Luke was left untrained for few years, and then Kenobi sent him to Yoda. Obviously, it would be much easier to teach Luke where ever he was with a teacher that could be anywhere, then to wait for years and then send him to remote planet. Note that Luke Skywalker certainly was no ordinary Jedi pupil, i.e. his Force potential was almost unrivaled in entire Galaxy, on pair with Palpatine or Vader.

One other thing to consider is that we actually do not know what kind of existence Force Ghosts actually do have . Do they know what is happening in material world, and to what extent ? Do they feel passage of time like living beings or they could appear in any moment in past or future ? For what is known so far, Force Ghost's abilities after death largely depend on their abilities with the Force while they were alive. Qui-Gon Jinn could not take his earthly shape and mostly used his voice (and only to Yoda, another powerful Force user), Kenobi used voice but he also had a shape, Yoda in latest movie summons lightning . This of course implies that successful communication requires that both sides in communications have strong Force abilities.

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    it's also worth noting that Kenobi himself said the words (re: Luke's father): "I thought I could train him as well as Yoda.....I was wrong" - in other words, Kenobi's one padawan turned out to a terrible scourge on the galaxy. It stands to reason that he may not have wanted to risk it any further since Yoda was around...
    – NKCampbell
    Jan 2, 2018 at 23:07
  • @NKCampbell Yoda trained Dooku, and partially even Anakin. Therefore, he was far from being perfect teacher. Also, Kenobi did start to train Luke, and would probably continue to do that if that unfortunate thing with Alderaan didn't happen
    – rs.29
    Jan 3, 2018 at 18:42

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