At the end of Return of the Jedi, Luke finally sees the spirits of his Jedi Masters again — Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. What makes the moment even more powerful is the surprise appearance of his father, Anakin Skywalker, restored to the light and standing alongside them.
But that wasn’t the end of their connection. In the Star Wars (2020) canon comic series, we get another powerful moment where Luke once again encounters his father — this time as a vision of Anakin’s Force ghost after the events of Return of the Jedi. It’s a rare continuation of their bond, showing how Luke was still guided by his father’s presence even after Anakin’s death, and I want to share that story here.
Luke’s Journey to Learn How to Purify a Bleeding Kyber Crystal Leads to a Vision of Vader
Before we get to the moment where Luke sees his father’s Force ghost in the Star Wars (2020) comic, we need to look at how that vision begins in issues #42 and #43.
At the start of issue #42, set after the events of Return of the Jedi, Luke continues his Jedi journey. He seeks out his friend Gretta for help with a troubling discovery: a red kyber crystal he obtained from Dr. Cuata. Since Gretta is a Fallanassi, she explains to Luke the ritual needed to heal a bleeding kyber crystal. But when Luke attempts it, the process fails.
Their efforts are soon interrupted by Gretta’s aunt, an elderly woman named Feez. She explains to Luke how red kyber crystals are created and tells Luke he will need deeper guidance through the Force if he hopes to succeed. To help him, Feez prepares a ritual that casts Luke into a vision.
Inside the vision, Luke finds himself captured and imprisoned by the evil Scourge. Using the Force, he breaks free and escapes — but as soon as he steps out of the prison, the vision shifts. He sees a figure cradling a baby wrapped in a red blanket.
The vision shifts again, dragging him back into the prison he just escaped. There, the master of the Scourge appears with a red lightsaber and nearly strikes Luke down. Instinctively, Luke ignites his own weapon — and is stunned to see that the blade, which had been yellow, now glows bright green. He fights back and defeats the Scourge’s master.
But the vision isn’t over. From behind, another figure emerges — the towering form of Darth Vader. Suddenly, Luke is no longer in a prison. The world around him changes into the familiar halls of Bespin, the very place where he first faced Vader in The Empire Strikes Back.
Luke Redeems His Father Once More
The story continues in issue #43, where Luke once again comes face-to-face with the shadow of his father. Just as in the films, he refuses to fight. Instead, Luke tries to run — but no matter how far he goes, the vision of Darth Vader keeps appearing before him, blocking every path.
Finally, Luke powers down his lightsaber and chooses words over combat. He speaks directly to Vader, saying:
“I know almost nothing about you. But you must have a place like this inside you too. I think everyone does. That means you didn’t begin as Darth Vader. Once… you were someone else.”
In that moment, the vision changes. Where Vader once stood, Luke now sees Anakin Skywalker — not the armored Sith Lord, but the Jedi his father had once been, surrounded by a radiant white light. Reaching out, Luke touches his father, and with that, the vision breaks.
When Luke returns to reality, he realizes something profound: the red kyber crystal he had been holding is no longer red. It has been purified, transformed into white.
And that is also where the story ends — with Luke once again finding light through his father, and carrying that lesson forward into his own journey as a Jedi.