What If Anakin Turned Himself Young So Luke Can See Him As the Man He Was Before Darth Vader

Throughout the Star Wars saga, the father-son relationship between Luke and Anakin is central to the narrative.

Luke spends much of the original trilogy searching for and believing in the good that still exists in his father, despite knowing him only as Darth Vader, the terrifying enforcer of the Empire. 

But what if Anakin could have turned himself young again—appearing to Luke not as the dark figure he became, but as the man who was once a hero of the Republic?

In fact, we don’t have to imagine it, there are moments in Star Wars novelizations where Anakin appears before Luke as a Force ghost to guide him.

Anakin Returned to Luke as the Great Jedi Knight He Once Was

We all know what happened in Return of the Jedi, Anakin is redeemed in his final act of destroying Emperor Palpatine and saving his son. 

We see him as an older, broken man, a ghostly reflection of the man who was once the greatest Jedi Knight of his time. 

However, at the end of Return of the Jedi, we see Luke witnessing the Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker, restored to his former self as a great Jedi Knight, standing alongside his mentors, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda. 

In Star Wars: The Secrets of the Jedi by Marc Sumerak, the novelization delves deeper into Jedi lore, shedding light on many of their mysteries. 

One particular part stands out, where Luke shares his thoughts about the spirits—commonly known as Force ghosts.

Luke confirmed that Anakin returned as Force ghost to guide him through the days he trying to rebuild the Jedi Order.

“After Obi-Wan Kenobi fell in battle against my father, I was afraid I’d never see him again. Little did I know he would return to watch over me as a Force spirit.

At first, I only heard Obi-Wan’s voice in my head, but I later discovered that he could manifest as a fully visible apparition and even interact with the physical world. In time, I would discover that not all Jedi have the power to transcend death.

It requires special training that Obi-Wan’s Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, received from ancient Force Priestesses. That knowledge was then passed down to a select few, including Obi-Wan, Yoda, and my father.

Their spirits guided me for many years but vanished when I shut myself off from the Force. It’s a relief to feel their presence again after all this time.”

From the above information, when Luke was trying to rebuild the Jedi Order, not only did Obi-Wan and Yoda appear to guide him, but Anakin also appeared and guided Luke throughout his journey.

In another instance, at the end of the Ahsoka series, Anakin appeared as a Force ghost. He stood there, smiling at Ahsoka, with an understanding that his student no longer needed his guidance.

For Luke, Anakin not only guided him but also talked with him and shared stories from his journey, from being a slave to becoming a youngling and eventually a Jedi Knight leading the 501st Legion into the Clone Wars.

Anakin’s presence as a Force Ghost extends beyond just guiding Luke; he has also helped others. You can check out the YouTube video below to see all the ways Anakin has intervened as a Force Ghost.