[This story contains spoilers for the series finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi.]
Obi-Wan Kenobi’s emotional stakes were huge, although much of the result was already known.
Throughout the Disney + Star Wars miniseries, it wasn’t the threat of life or death that made viewers’ hearts beat, but the journey to better understand the deeply broken relationship between the master, Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor). and his padawan. Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen). And Obi-Wan Kenobi gives a much more detailed view of the tragic existence of Anakin.
With the release of the original George Lucas trilogy, Star Wars narrates the journey of the classic hero Luke Skywalker, a boy who embarks on a quest to save not only the galaxy, but also his father, from evil on the dark side. It was only with the release of the prequel trilogy 16 years later that fans learned that the Star Wars saga was not just about Luke, but that it was actually a bigger, interconnected story about the rise, the fall and redemption of Darth Vader.
In just six episodes, Obi-Wan Kenobi adds more fuel to the endless fire of Star Wars storytelling as he delves deeper into the tragic endings of the Anakin arc. While the series follows Obi-Wan on his journey to release the remnants of guilt and trauma from the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, he paints an even more desperate portrait of Anakin himself: The Chosen One he turned into a ruthless man-machine.
A particular moment comes to mind, caused by the long-awaited “Part V” flashback scene. This is a short sequence that has an even bigger purpose, as viewers enjoy a training duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin, set before Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
Throughout the flashback, it is clear that despite Anakin’s talent and power, his master always seems to be one step ahead. This feeling parallels the fifth episode, as Obi-Wan becomes more cunning in Vader, who seems unable to overcome his impatience.
Remember two exchanges between Anakin and his future wife Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) in Attack of the Clones. In the first act of the film, and also later after Anakin revengefully kills a Tusken Raiders camp, the padawan expresses his frustration with Kenobi, calling his master “excessive criticism” and misunderstanding.
“I’m far ahead of him,” a young Anakin tells Padmé. “I am ready for the tests, but he feels that I am too unpredictable. He will not let me go. “
If fans were wondering how exactly Obi-Wan was “holding on [Anakin] “Obi-Wan Kenobi’s flashback is clearer now. Except from an outsider’s point of view, Obi-Wan is wise in his decision to delay Anakin’s ascent through the ranks. Anakin is reckless, aggressive, and overconfident, and Kenobi sees him as a master, still unaware that he will take the young Skywalker to the dark side, but as an obstacle to his Jedi development.
“You are a great warrior, Anakin, but your need to prove yourself is your doom. Until you overcome it, you will remain a padawan,” an old McGregor in Christensen says as a young Anakin to Obi-Wan Kenobi.
It is these personal shortcomings that never allow Anakin to truly defeat Obi-Wan. Given this context, “Part V” even rethinks the couple’s final showdown in A New Hope, in which Vader defeats his master once and for all. One step ahead to the end, Obi-Wan clearly lets the Sith Lord win. According to Lucas’ affinity for general themes that appear continuously throughout each of the films, it will always be Anakin’s destiny to fall short with Obi-Wan, until he can finally redeem himself and return. in the Light.
In “Part VI”, the final battle of the series between Obi-Wan and Vader touches a more emotional chord, as fans see Anakin fully transformed into Vader, not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally.
“I failed you, Anakin,” Obi-Wan told Anakin in The Revenge of the Sith. And it’s the fault of that, that feeling that a monster has created, that Obi-Wan has been carrying ever since. As can be seen in the first episodes of the limited series, the hidden Jedi holds the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders, feeling responsible not only for losing Anakin, but for the fall of the Jedi Order and the Republic a forat.
And as intended, it is heartbreaking to see the emotion in Obi-Wan’s eyes as he tells Anakin what he has been keeping for 10 years: “I’m sorry,” he says, finally able to see his padawan’s face. from under Vader’s helmet. With a voice that is an amalgam of both the lawsuit and Christensen, Vader utters the phrases Obi-Wan finally needed to hear to let go of his guilt.
“I’m not your failure, Obi-Wan,” Vader says. “You didn’t kill the Anakin Skywalker. I did.” With this closure, Obi-Wan is able to move away from the encounter, recognizing his old friend as “Darth” and leaving behind his bond with Anakin. And while it’s a triumphant moment for Obi-Wan, it’s another tragic time for Anakin. Trapped inside the shell of Vader’s suit, he has lost everything: his old life, his body, his wife, his friends and his children. Now, he has even lost Obi-Wan.
It is these moments of the show that bring the characters of Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader even closer. Although we usually see them as two separate beings (with 20 years between Episodes III and IV), the limited series offers a better view of the man, or what is left of him, of the suit.
As Padmé says in his last words to Obi-Wan, “There is good in him.” And while Darth Vader still doesn’t realize it, the public is well aware that Anakin is still buried somewhere in the monster.