Was Obi-Wan really there?

[Col-Mas Anor]

I watched episode IV again, and got to thinking. In Darth Vader's final blow, his saber passed through Obi-Wan like he wasn't even there. Was he really there at all? When we see other Jedi die in other episodes, their body is left behind. Not so with Obi-Wan.

Could it be he was already dead, and we were seeing his ghost? I know Jedi ghost usually have that blue glowie thing going on. Maybe Old Ben was using the force to hide the fact that he was a ghost. He may have also used the force to interact with objects (like being able to hold his lightsaber).

[Charybdis]

Yes, he was really there until Vader kills him. But Obi had learned how to join with the force as Yoda did so when the saber struck him, he joined the force like Yoda and disappeared, hence, no body left behind!

[Darcu RyMal]

I definitely agree with Charybdis on this one. Kenobi disappeared as the strike happened. Remember that at the end of Ep III we learn from Yoda that Qui-Gon has discovered the ability to become one with the Force...so the Jedi before them would not have gone through this process. Also I would assume that although Qui-Gon didn't disappear upon his death that he discovered the ability to do this during the transition from life to death. Obi-Wan and Yoda had many, many years to meditate and discover even more potential in the Force over a longer period of time.