Many of the TV shows in Star Wars have created great mysteries surrounding topics that fans thought they already had the answers to. Many of these mysteries have been introduced on shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian. One of the questions raised by these shows involves the possibility of certain Sith Lords learning how to become Force Ghosts.
It has been stated on more than one occasion that only those who practice in the Light Side of the Force would be able to crossover into the afterlife and become Force Ghosts. By doing so, a user can achieve a form of immortality to speak with and guide other users of the Force. However, a skill like this takes great patience, training and a powerful connection to the Force. Due to this, only a handful of Jedi has ever achieved this ability.
The Sith have always tried to achieve this key to immortality, and some have gotten very close to it. It wasn't until Qui-Gon Jinn crossed over into the afterlife that other users began to achieve the same goal. However, one character may have found a different way to channel their power into an immortal essence. In Star Wars Rebels Season 2, Episodes 21-22, "Twilight of the Apprentice," fans are introduced to The Presence. This entity was housed in a Sith Holocron found on Malachor. Ezra Bridger and Darth Maul took it to an ancient Sith temple to gain answers. Instead, this disembodied voice tried to seduce Ezra to the Dark Side. There was no explanation for her origins, but it was implied that she harbored a lot of Dark Power.
The way that The Presence achieved this pseudo afterlife was through the dark magic of the Nightsisters, witches who used the powers of the Dark Side. It stands to reason that this Sith Lord was able to transfer her consciousness into the Holocron to live forever. The successful transfer granted her vast knowledge. However, she would continuously try to pull Ezra to the Dark Side until his master, Kanan Jarrus, took it from him.
Another Sith by the name of the Grand Inquisitor has also been seen as a spirit in the Star Wars comics. It was said that Vader trapped his spirit on Tempes, and he ended up getting into a duel with Luke Skywalker. While impressive, his spirit was forced to remain at the outpost, unlike a traditional Force Ghost who could go anywhere. Due to the difficulty to reach the same level as Yoda and other powerful Jedi, the skill has essentially been considered another Jedi ability.
Stories found in Star Wars Legends reveal that many Sith were able to become Force Ghosts, but the logic could sometimes be difficult to follow. With the new canon established, it limited the numbers almost to zero. One Sith Lord has bent the afterlife in such a strange way, it has to be considered an attempt to achieve their goals. That Sith was none other than Emperor Palpatine.
As he plummeted to his death in Return of the Jedi, the Emperor learned how to transfer his consciousness, similar to The Presence, into another body. While his vessel was failing him, he amassed a new army and pulled strings to bring Rey to him. He planned to gain strength and transfer his mind into Rey, through the Force, and achieve maximum power. However, Palpatine was never able to achieve the immortality that the Jedi possess. His plans brought him closer than any other Sith to becoming a Force Ghost. But his failure proves that so long as the darkness outweighs the light, the Dark Side will never lead to immortality.
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