We know him as rebel leader Kanan Jarrus who gave his life so that his friends could live. In his final moments, Kanan’s vision was restored. Read on to find out how he could heal his eyes before he died.
Table of Contents
Kanan Jarrus, Rebels, and His Death
In the Star War Rebels, Kanan Jarrus was a Jedi knight survivor of the Clone Wars and Order 66. Kanan became a fugitive on the run who cast aside his Jedi background for a time. He joined Hera’s early rebellion movement and forged a romantic relationship with her.
Kanan developed into the Jedi mentor of Ezra Bridger, whose Force abilities allowed him to connect with other living beings. Kanan and Ezra formed a close mentor-apprentice relationship, even though Kanan was still a Padawan.
Darth Maul blinded Kanan in a battle on Malachor, but Kanan rebounded and continued to advance the rebellion…until he sacrificed himself to allow his friends to escape the grasp of the Empire. This scene shows his final moments with Hera, how Kanan Force pushes the flames back to save his crew, and his climactic death.
We can also see that Kanan’s eyes became clear and blue, apparently healed. How did that transformation happen?
How Could Kanan Heal his Eyes in his Last Moments?
As we watch this scene, we may think that Kanan’s eyes involuntarily cleared as he saved his friends. It could be that the rush of the action and his devotion to them sent enough energy through him to clear away the fog of his eyes.
That answer is on track but not complete. As this discussion thread explains, Kanan could heal his eyes because he became “one with the force and the force heals his eyes.” This post gets us closer to the real reason why he could reclaim his vision. As other posts suggest, the Force “clearly has a will of its own” and since Kanan was “definitely the most in-tune” with the Force, that connection healed his eyes.
The explanation here is that the Force energy that Kanan tapped into to save his friends, as well as his already existing attunement with the Force, flowed through him and gave him his sight back.
As this article elaborates, Kanan’s blindness strengthened his “other senses,” including “his sense of the Force.” And, the Force allowed Kanan to see Hera one last time before his sacrifice. Force energy thus gave him a “gift” ability to restore his sight.
Yet, a follow-up article explains that by surrendering himself to the Force, Kanan just before he died gave him the power to heal his eyes. In an Obi-Wan way, Kanan “knew he had to become one with the Cosmic Force” to save the Ghost crew. As creator David Filoni explains, Kanan was not “bound as this material thing” or “the physicality of sight.” Kanan became one with the Force to the fullest extent.
This explanation is similar but slightly different from the first one. This second explanation reveals how Kanan was resigned, like Obi-Wan, to death. Therefore, Kanan chose to transform into a Force ghost like Obi-Wan before him. He voluntarily gave himself to the Force, and then the Force responded.
Kanan the Force Ghost
Another fan discussion posits this very idea, stating that Kanan became “a special type of Force Ghost,” attuned to “spirit-animals.” We briefly see his transformation to a Force Ghost in Rebels, Season 4, as Kanan stands behind Hera. Kanan thus joined the ranks of Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Luke Skywalker.
We also know that male Loth-wolf Dume became “the continuation of Jarrus’ will,” interacting with Ezra Bridger. Ezra saw that Dume had a symbol on his head that was the same as the one that Kanan wore on his shoulder. And, the wolf’s name is the same as Kanan’s original last name.
Forging these streams together, we could say that Kanan became a Force Ghost that merged into Dume.
Kanan Healed His Eyes
Kanan’s strong connection to the Force restored his vision in his final moments. One explanation veers toward the idea that his Force connection healed his eyes as a way to see Hera one last time. A second one points toward Kanan becoming a Force ghost and Dume. Both are appealing, and it could have been a mixture of the two.
Todd Wahlstrom is a creative and analytical freelance writer and life-long Star Wars fan. He has covered such topics as Darth Vader, the Jedi, Boba Fett, and AT-AT Walkers. Todd has published a non-fiction book, holds a Ph.D. in history, and enjoys hiking, running, and reading about science.