Star Wars has long hinted that death isn’t truly the end for Jedi, and now we have a clearer understanding of what happens after they die. As Luke Skywalker explained, people don’t ever completely disappear. This idea was first introduced when Luke heard Obi-Wan’s voice guiding him during the attack on the Death Star, and Obi-Wan later reappeared as a Force Ghost – a spirit made of energy – to offer advice.
What happens to a Jedi after death has long been a mystery. While the films haven’t explained much about the Force’s afterlife, The Rise of Skywalker offered a clue: Rey heard voices from past Jedi, including those who hadn’t been trained as Force Ghosts. This suggested that all Jedi, regardless of their training, participate in some form of afterlife within the Force. Now, six years after that film, Star Wars has finally shown us what that afterlife looks like.
Star Wars Has Finally Shown the Netherworld of the Force
In the world of Star Wars, the “Netherworld of the Force” is a peaceful afterlife that beings experience when they die. Though briefly mentioned in Revenge of the Sith, it first appeared in an early draft of Return of the Jedi back in 1983. This realm has been known by different names, including the Mist-Beyond or the Garden Beyond (a name intentionally reminiscent of the biblical Garden of Eden). Only those with good intentions, or those of the light side, are able to enter the Netherworld.
The tenth issue of Charles Soule and Luke Ross’ Star Wars: Legacy of Vader reveals the mysterious Netherworld of the Force for the first time. Taking place between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, the comic shows Kylo Ren attempting to get revenge on Luke Skywalker’s ghost. As Kylo Ren delves deeper into the Force than anyone before, he has an experience that goes beyond a simple vision – he actually enters the Netherworld, surprising the Jedi spirits who reside there.
Yoda’s Most Famous Saying Was More True Than We Knew
Yoda famously told Luke Skywalker that they were beings of light, not just physical bodies. It’s significant, therefore, that Kylo Ren first meets spirits who have shed their physical forms – their inner light now shining freely. He struggles to see them, as his vision isn’t adapted to this spiritual realm where only positive energy remains. When Luke interacts with Kylo, he appears as he did in life, without the traditional blue glow of a Force Ghost.
Issue #10 of Legacy of Vader suggests the Force’s Netherworld has a physical layout. Kylo Ren finds Luke at a place clearly important to the Jedi – an ancient structure that seems to be a point where the Force is particularly strong. Interestingly, this place looks like a mountain entrance and resembles buildings from the older Dawn of the Jedi comics set on the planet Tython. It’s unclear if this is intentional, but if it is, Luke may have discovered the original source of the Jedi Order.
Star Wars has long suggested a connection between the mysterious realm of the Force and the physical world. This idea was further explored in Timothy Zahn’s novel, Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good, which featured a Force-sensitive race who believed their destroyed world could be saved by entering a spiritual plane called “the Beyond.” This suggests the Force isn’t entirely separate from reality, but rather connected to it in a meaningful way.
Kylo Ren shouldn’t have been able to connect with this deeper, spiritual side of the Force, but that’s the core of his struggle. Despite his commitment to the dark side, the good part of him – Ben Solo – is still fighting for the light. Ultimately, he’ll find redemption, and then truly access this spiritual realm. When he does, it will be because he deserves to be there, finally free from the darkness that’s been holding him back.
The complete conversation can be found in Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #10, a comic book by Charles Soule and Luke Ross, available now from Marvel Comics.
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2025-11-08 18:17