A canonStar Warscomic shockingly revealed the true significance of one iconicDarth Vaderline toLuke SkywalkerinReturn of the Jedi, and it has larger implications forStar Warsmovies and TV showsas well. Luke and Darth Vader’s complex dynamic throughout the original trilogy is one of the most compelling parts oftheStar Warstimeline.
While, obviously, both characters being key members ofthe Skywalker family treeis a major part of that, one of the most significant aspects of this dynamic is their (very different) mutual connection to Obi-Wan Kenobi. Yet,oneStar Warscomic has provided new insight into a critical line pertaining to this complicated, layered situation.
One Luke Versus Vader Face-Off Was Never Shown On-Screen
Although audiences are very familiar with the epic duels between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader inThe Empire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi,theStar Warscomics revealed another canon confrontation between father and son. InStar Wars (2015) #2, written by Jason Aaron, the two faced off again.
In this comic, as Luke and Vader are battling it out once again, Darth Vader mocks Obi-Wan Kenobi, saying:
“So… Obi-Wan Kenobi gave you this lightsaber. A shame he did not teach you how to wield it. He never did make for much of a master.”
Clearly, at that point,Vader still saw Obi-Wan Kenobi as inadequate and thought he had failed to truly train Luke Skywalker(something that proved entirely false, as Luke eventually completed his training under the guidance of both Master Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi as a Force Ghost.
The Sith Lord Has Come To Respect Obi-Wan’s Teaching
Could This Be An Early Sign Of His Redemption?
We already know from their confrontations inStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith,Obi-Wan Kenobi, andA New Hope, in addition to Vader’s obsession with tracking down and seeking revenge on Obi-Wan inObi-Wan Kenobi,just how much hatred Darth Vader harbored for his former Jedi Master.
Yet, that just makes oneReturn of the Jediline all the more surprising, especially givenStar Wars (2015) #2.InReturn of the Jedi, Darth Vader tells Luke,“Obi-Wan has trained you well.“This is a massive shift from how Vader had spoken about Obi-Wan up to that point and his mockery of the Jedi in that comic.
This line therefore reveals something massive about that line fromReturn of the Jediand Darth Vader’s sentiments about Obi-Wan. Namely, with this line coming on the heels of Darth Vader mocking Obi-Wan for his perceived inferiority, it seems Vader re-assessed Obi-Wan’s training of Luke and suddenly saw it more favorably.
Vader re-assessed Obi-Wan’s training of Luke and suddenly saw it more favorably.
This seeming change of heart also means thatVader’s hatred of Obi-Wan had dimmed somewhat at that point. After all, he went from pure rage-filled hate to accepting the idea that Obi-Wan may have done well with Luke. This could in turn suggest that this was an earlier step to Vader’s eventual redemption.
This ability to see some sort of value in Obi-Wan and his training of Luke is perhaps the first positive about Obi-Wan we’ve heard from Vader since before his fall to the dark side. Arguably, the closest Vader has come otherwise was his surprising line that he was not Obi-Wan’s failure inObi-Wan Kenobi.
Notably, though, this very likely had less to do with Obi-Wan and more to do with Vader’s desperation to prove he really had killed Anakin Skywalker and any ties to the light side that remained after his fall. Thankfully, that wasn’t true in the end, but that suggests even in that interaction, he felt nothing positive about Obi-Wan.
Did Darth Vader Know Obi-Wan Was A Force Ghost?
This Would Change What We Know About Darth Vader’s Awareness Of Obi-Wan’s New Form
Perhaps the most shocking aspect of this line inReturn of the Jedi, in light of this apparent change in Darth Vader’s perspective, is the fact thatthis suggests Vader knew Obi-Wan had become a Force Ghost. For Obi-Wan’s training of Luke to have improved, which is what this line implies, Obi-Wan would have had to still be training him.
Just by nature of Obi-Wan’s death inA New Hope, this would necessitate Obi-Wan training Luke from beyond the grave. If true, that would be a massive update to what we know ofForce Ghosts inStar Wars, as it’s long been a question whether Palpatine and Vader had an awareness of Obi-Wan being a Force Ghost at all.
The biggest hint that Vader didn’t know this began inA New Hope, when Vader essentially paid no mind to Obi-Wan’s warning that he would become more powerful in death.His continued assumption that Obi-Wan’s training of Luke had ended when he died further supported the interpretation that Vader wasn’t aware.
It would also make sense for both Palpatine and Vader to have limited knowledge regarding this, as becoming a Force Ghost is one of theForce powers inStar Warsonly accessible on the light side of the Force. While the Sith seemingly had some awareness of this ability, it’s fair to assume Palpatine and Vader wouldn’t know about Obi-Wan.
This only makes it more interesting that, based on this comic and Vader’s line inReturn of the Jedi, Vader may have known about Obi-Wan becoming a Force Ghost or at least became aware of it at some point beforeReturn of the Jedi. This would fall in line with otherhints that Vader knew Obi-Wan was a Force Ghost.
Thus, this oneStar Warscomic provides newfound insight into a pivotal line to Luke Skywalker inReturn of the Jediand even suggests something much more significant aboutDarth Vader’sawareness of Obi-Wan’s final transformation into a Force Ghost.
