Why Did Yoda’s Jedi Robe Vanish When He Died and Obi-Wan’s Did Not?

When Obi-Wan let Vader strike him down in A New Hope, his robe dropped to the floor. Vader even touched it with his boot to confirm Obi-Wan had vanished. Yet, when Yoda died in Return of the Jedi, his Jedi outfit disappeared with him. Why the discrepancy between these two moments? 

The Two Moments in Question

After many years, Obi-Wan and Vader faced off again in A New Hope. We know the outcome: Obi-Wan allowed Vader to “strike him down” but became a Force Ghost. We can relive the moment here and see how Obi-Wan disappears as his robe drops to the floor and his lightsaber lands on top. 

In the scene when Yoda died, he and his Jedi attire disappeared. Yoda managed to confirm that Vader was Luke’s father, warn him about the powers of the Emperor, and hint at Leia’s Force abilities. Then, Yoda died and he vanished.

These two moments make us wonder why Obi-Wan’s robe did not vanish, but Yoda’s attire did.

Two In-Universe Explanations

The attire each wore is one way to explain the difference between these two scenes. In the case of Obi-Wan, his robe was his outer layer, and so it fell to the ground. For Yoda, he had a thin blanket on top of him and that was all that remained after he died. Hence, when each died, only the outer layer stayed behind. Several fans on this discussion board agree with that explanation. 

However, a deeper reason could lie behind this discrepancy. When becoming a Force ghost, “a person’s physical form would vanish upon their death.” To fully make this transition to their consciousness persisting after death, though, required intensive light-side knowledge. After 900 years, Yoda had acquired that knowledge to become a Force spirit and completely went with it.

Obi-Wan also had the meditative training and connection to the Force to become a Force ghost, but perhaps transitioned in a slightly different way than Yoda. As Obi-Wan became one with the Cosmic Force, he may have left his robe behind as a reminder that he would return to guide Luke. Obi-Wan had immediate unfinished business to help with, such as blowing up the Death Star and guiding Luke to Yoda on Dagobah. 

In contrast, Yoda may have felt he had done all he could for the moment and trusted Luke to finish the job. He returned after the defeat of the Empire in the final scene of Return of the Jedi and later to counsel Luke in The Last Jedi. 

One Filming Explanation

After Obi-Wan stood still and allowed Vader to hit him with his lightsaber, his robe falling to the ground served as a graceful way for Obi-Wan to perish. This was a purposeful revision to the novelization where Obi-Wan experienced a more gruesome death. As this article recaps, Obi-Wan would have been slashed with “a deadly downward arc” from Vader’s lightsaber before he disappeared.

This article reflects how the possibility of a more brutal death for Obi-Wan made it into the screenplays for A New Hope. Instead, Lucas opted for a more graceful exit for Obi-Wan and with a reminder of his return.

The Vanished and the Unvanished

In Yoda’s death scene, Yoda fully vanished, except for his robe. In Obi-Wan’s, his robe was left unvarnished. The discrepancy between these two scenes is explained by the attire they were wearing or their transition to being Force ghosts. On a filming level, it is also explained by a desire to provide viewer-friendly exits.