Star Wars 9 theory: Only Anakin's Force ghost can DESTROY Palpatine in Rise of Skywalker

We’ve not seen him since Return of the Jedi, but surely Hayden Christensen will reprise Anakin Skywalker’s Force ghost in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker? With Episode IX, director JJ Abrams isn’t just completing the sequel trilogy, but concluding the Skywalker saga that began with Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

In a sense, the Skywalker saga is both Anakin and Palpatine’s story.

And with the latter returning for The Rise of Skywalker, presumably, the former Darth Vader will be too.

Anakin’s Force ghost is certainly around with Yoda – who we saw in The Last Jedi – and Obi-Wan, who could be heard speaking to Rey in The Force Awakens.

In fact, an official tie-in book called The Secrets of the Jedi, confirms that sequel trilogy Luke has been communing with the trio of Force ghosts last seen at the end of Return of the Jedi.

READ MORE: Star Wars 9 Rise of Skywalker prequels CAMEO: JJ Abrams’ MAJOR tease

Now, assuming, Anakin’s Force ghost is in The Rise of Skywalker, what role will he play?

Well, we reckon it’s going to be more than your average advising Rey with Luke’s Force ghost.

Let’s not forget that Anakin is supposedly the Chosen One who was prophesied to bring balance to the Force.

The Jedi prophecy said: “A Chosen One shall come, born of no father, and through him will ultimate balance in the Force be restored.”

However, with the sequel trilogy adding to the canon and Palpatine now being found to have survived somehow and be the main villain in The Rise of Skywalker, maybe the prophecy isn’t fulfilled yet.

Of course, the balance could come through Rey or an ideal of people who chose to be Skywalkers.

After all, the title, as with the other trilogies’ final entries, seems to imply a movement like Jedi and Sith.

And yet, with Palpatine back and an Anakin Force ghost seeming likely, we reckon the latter will have to finish off the former.

Perhaps there will be a scene where an embodied Palpatine is struck down by Rey and Kylo Ren.

But then his Sith spirit somehow lives on since he learned how to cheat death from Darth Plagueis, as he told Anakin in Revenge of the Sith. (It’s certainly interesting that JJ Abrams said it was his favourite scene in the prequels.)

But, what if we then see a spiritual lightsaber battle between Palpatine and Anakin’s Force ghost, who finally finishes him off as the Chosen One, bringing balance to the Force. That would certainly be a satisfying ending, wouldn’t it?

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker is released in UK cinemas on December 19, 2019.

source: express.co.uk