Three Cs

There are a lot of great characters in the Star Wars universe, but one of my favorites is Obi Wan Kenobi. Like most people, I first met Obi Wan in Episode IV: A New Hope as a strange hermit who turned out to be a Jedi Master. Although his character was likeable, I didn’t feel like I understood much about him in that film. Then, he died at the end, and although his Force ghost made brief appearances in Episodes V and VI, I never felt like I truly got to know him.

Then, Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released, and I got to see Obi Wan as Qui-Gon Jinn’s padawan learner. That’s where I really began to appreciate Obi Wan for his strength, dependability, and wry humor. Though Qui-Gon is an unconventional Jedi, Obi Wan is a dutiful and respectful padawan for most of the movie. Only once does he openly question his master’s judgment, and he later apologizes for it. I thought that showed a lot of maturity on his part since the Jedi Council shared his opinion. Obi Wan fights bravely at Qui-Gon’s side several times, including against Darth Maul. After Maul strikes down Qui-Gon, it is Obi Wan who defeats him.

As Qui-Gon lays dying, he asks Obi Wan to train Anakin Skywalker, the young boy he’d rescued on Tatooine. Ironically, Anakin being trained as a Jedi was the one subject Obi Wan had argued with Qui-Gon about, but out of loyalty to his Master, Obi Wan promises to train the boy anyway. He even threatens to disobey the Jedi Council in order to keep his word. So, against his own wishes and better judgment, Obi Wan ends up taking Anakin as his padawan as soon as he becomes a Jedi Knight. I found this both admirable and quite sad.

In Episode II: Attack of the Clones, we see that Obi Wan has faced many challenges training Anakin. The young man is incredibly strong in the Force, but his arrogance and immaturity frequently cause issues. Despite that, Obi Wan does his best to be a good mentor. The Clone War begins at the end of Episode II, and shortly after that, Anakin is promoted to Jedi Knight. In Star Wars: Clone Wars, Obi Wan and Anakin fight alongside each other. By the time Episode III: Revenge of the Sith begins, the two of them are like brothers.

While I was watching Episode III in theaters, I almost cried seeing how much the two men had come to love and respect each other. Just like everyone who’d seen the original trilogy, I knew what had to happen, and I couldn’t help but dread it. As was inevitable, Anakin turns to the Dark Side in the end, and Obi Wan is forced to fight his friend. He defeats him and, unable to strike the killing blow, leaves him for dead. I’m sure he never dreamed Anakin would survive his wounds.

At the end of the movie, Obi Wan delivers Anakin’s infant son, Luke, to his aunt and uncle on Tatooine. He then spends the next 19 years living in the desert as a hermit, watching over Luke from afar and learning to commune with Qui-Gon’s Force ghost, a skill that later allows him to become a Force ghost himself. This skill turns out to be a crucial part in Luke’s training, which allows him to redeem his father and defeat the emperor.

I think a lot of people view Obi Wan as less powerful than he truly was because the movies do him a disservice. In his fight with Darth Maul in Episode I and with Anakin in Episode III, it is clear how skilled and strong Obi Wan is. Yet, in both of his fights against Count Dooku, he seems average at best. I believe the creators of the films did this to emphasize Anakin’s skill level. They wanted to show just how amazing “The Chosen One” was. In doing so, however, they made Obi Wan look weaker than he truly was.

Many people also criticize Obi Wan for failing to kill Anakin after their fight in Episode III. If he had, Darth Vader would not have been by the Emperor’s side to help him rule the galaxy by Force. Setting aside the fact that Darth Vader had to survive for the original trilogy to make sense, I still think Obi Wan was guided by the Force to make the right decision here. Over the course of the prequel trilogy, we see Palpatine with three different apprentices: Maul, Dooku, and Anakin. The man was clearly skilled at convincing people to serve him. If Anakin had died, Palpatine would have undoubtedly found another apprentice to fill Vader’s role, one without any trace of good in his heart. One that Luke would have been unable to reach and who would have helped Palpatine kill Luke, rather than turning on the Emperor and killing him.

I’ve read several Star Wars books where Obi Wan is a key character. My favorite three are all in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars series. They are Wild Space, Gambit: Stealth, and Gambit: Siege. I also enjoyed Kenobi. All of these are currently under the Legends banner, but I’ve already pre-ordered a book that is part of the Disney timeline. It’s called Master and Apprentice and am looking forward to reading it.

I think Obi Wan Kenobi is one of the most dependable characters in the entire Star Wars universe. Without him, Queen Amidala’s attempt to save Naboo would have failed, Anakin would have never been trained as a Jedi, Darth Vader would not have needed a ventilator and would have been much more powerful, Luke would have been killed by stormtroopers on Tatooine, and the rebel alliance would have never gotten the plans to help them destroy the Death Star. He was an amazing Jedi and a loyal friend who persevered through adversity to bring about the greater good for the galaxy. He could even be called the best character in the franchise…from a certain point of view.

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