Why Rian Johnson scrapped idea for an Anakin appearance in The Last Jedi
The director took to Twitter to explain why Yoda was a "more impactful" choice.
It has been almost a year since the divisive Star Wars sequel trilogy came to an end with the release of The Rise of Skywalker, but fans are still eager for details on the intergalactic saga's lore, particularly on Force ghosts.
Luckily, Rian Johnson has been happy to provide on that front. The Last Jedi director answered a fan who asked whether he had ever considered "Anakin's ghost showing up to speak with Luke and/or Rey".
"Briefly for the tree burning scene," Johnson tweeted, "but Luke's relationship was with Vader not really Anakin, which seemed like it would complicate things more than that moment allowed. Yoda felt like the more impactful teacher for that moment. [sic]"
The tree burning scene Johnson is referring to sees Yoda appear as a Force ghost when Luke is about to burn down the tree containing the sacred Jedi texts. When Luke can't go through with it, Yoda's Force ghost summons a lightning bolt that strikes the tree down anyway.
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Though it certainly would've been interesting to see Anakin destroy one of the Jedi Order's most precious artefacts, it likely would've made contention over the film even more potent.
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Thankfully, the intergalactic universe continues to expand far beyond the latest trilogy, with The Mandalorian season two currently airing on Disney+ and several other projects in the works, including a secret Star Wars film directed by Taika Waititi.
New episodes of The Mandalorian season two stream every Friday on Disney+ – check out our list of the best shows on Disney+ or see what else is on with our TV Guide.
