This brilliantStar Wars: The Clone Warsretcon fixed one of the biggest issues with Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s story inStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.Revenge of the Sithis certainly among the most important moments inAnakin’sStar Warstimeline, but it’s also crucial totheStar Warstimelineoverall.
It is in this movie that the Jedi Order and the Republic both fall, and it’s famously the movie that depicts Anakin’s fall to the dark side and transition into Darth Vader. Yet,one aspect of that story was rather confusing given Anakin and Obi-Wan’s story—that is, until oneClone Warsretcon fixed it.
Obi-Wan Isn’t Responsible For Anakin’s Fall In The Prequels
Initially, Obi-Wan Didn’t Want To Train Anakin At All
In the originalStar Warstrilogy,Obi-Wan tells Luke Skywalker that he was responsible for Anakin’s fall to the dark side, but that was far from the case based on what the prequels, andRevenge of the Sithin particular, showed. Specifically, inReturn of the Jedi, Obi-Wan says:
“I took it upon myself to train him as a Jedi. I thought that I could instruct him just as well as Yoda. I was wrong. My pride has had terrible consequences for the galaxy.”
Yet,theStar Warsprequels revealed that Obi-Wan hadn’t wanted to train Anakin at all. Rather, inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, it was Qui-Gon Jinn’s insistence that Anakin be trained, particularly on his deathbed, that ultimately convinced Obi-Wan to take Anakin on as a Padawan.
Initially, Obi-Wan, like the Jedi Council, was very resistant to the idea. That makes the first part of this quote—that Obi-Wan took it upon himself to train Anakin—completely nonsensical. Likewise, the notion that Obi-Wan believed he could train Anakin as well as Master Yoda could is confusing, as that was seemingly never on the table.
Even the latter half of this quote is confusing in light ofRevenge of the Sith, though. In theory, this confusing aspect ofThe Phantom Menacecould have been addressed inRevenge of the Sith, but the depiction of Anakin’s fall didn’t provide any new information that would explain why Obi-Wan felt that way inReturn of the Jedi.
The depiction of Anakin’s fall didn’t provide any new information that would explain why Obi-Wan felt that way inReturn of the Jedi.
On the contrary,Revenge of the Sithrevealed that Obi-Wan wasn’t present for the final moments before Anakin’s fall, andhis turn had more to do with Palpatine’s manipulations and his obsession with Padmé than anything else.
What’s more, George Lucas himself explained in the director’s commentary onThe Phantom Menacein 1999 that Obi-Wan was effectively a centering (and presumably therefore positive) force in Anakin’s life. Lucas said:
“One of the primary issues between this relationship between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon is that this is establishing Obi-Wan as the kind of straight arrow, the center of the movie, and Qui-Gon as the rebel, as the one who’s constantly sort of pushing the envelope. Which will switch itself in the next movie when, rather than having his master be the rebel, he has his Padawan learner become the rebel. I’m using Obi-Wan as sort of this centering device through all these movies, even as we get in with Luke and everybody else later on.”
Yes, Obi-Wan was eventually the one to train Anakin against his better judgment, but, clearly, Anakin’s fall had nothing to do with Obi-Wan’s pride.Based on these myriad factors,it was confusing that Obi-Wan blamed himself for Anakin’s fall inRevenge of the Sith, particularly because he still felt that way so many years later.
Obi-Wan’s Sense Of Responsibility Is Understandable But Feels Wrong
It Makes Sense For Obi-Wan To Feel Guilt…To A Certain Extent
In a way, it’s only natural for Obi-Wan to blame himself for Anakin’s fall, as he was his mentor. This is actually even truer for Obi-Wan and Anakin than it would be for most other Jedi Masters and their Padawans because, as both Anakin and Obi-Wan identified at different points, Obi-Wan was a father/older brother figure to Anakin.
Yet, there are many reasons why it’s confusing for Obi-Wan to still feel that way inReturn of the Jedi. For one, Obi-Wan is a Jedi—and a great one, at that. Holding onto feelings of grief and guilt for nearly 20 years is simply not in keeping with the way of the Jedi.
Obi-Wan should have been able to let go of these feelings, especially with years of meditation. What makes this even more confusing, however, is the fact thatAnakin/Vader directly told Obi-Wan that he was not responsible for his fall to the dark side inObi-Wan Kenobi.
Up until that point, it’s a bit more understandable that Obi-Wan was clinging to those feelings of guilt, as he had cut himself off from the Force and was entirely isolated on Tatooine followingRevenge of the Sith. The same cannot be said of the events afterObi-Wan Kenobi, though.
After all,theObi-Wan Kenobiendingrevealed that Obi-Wan was initiating training with his former Jedi Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, as a Force Ghost. That begs the question: why would Obi-Wan continue to feel responsible for Anakin’s fall to the dark side, and believe it was due to his pride, nearly 10 years after that conversation with Vader?
Why would Obi-Wan continue to feel responsible for Anakin’s fall to the dark side, and believe it was due to his pride, nearly 10 years after that conversation with Vader?
Obi-Wan’s Real Failure Was So Very Different
Obi-Wan Failed To Properly Address The Greatest Risk
While it may seem odd that Obi-Wan continued to blame himself for Anakin’s fall to the dark side long after Vader directly told him he wasn’t a result of Obi-Wan’s failure inObi-Wan Kenobi,The Clone Warsrevealed that there was an entirely different (and much more valid) reason why Obi-Wan believed he had failed Anakin.
Namely,Obi-Wan knew about Anakin and Padmé’s relationship, and he failed to act. Although there were some signs in the prequels that Obi-Wan suspected the two were romantically linked, such as Obi-Wan correctly guessing that Anakin was the father of Padmé’s baby inRevenge of the Sith,The Clone Warsconfirmed beyond a doubt that Obi-Wan knew about their relationship.
The Clone Warsconfirmed beyond a doubt that Obi-Wan knew about their relationship.
The most jarring example was Obi-Wan teasing Anakin in season 7 ofThe Clone Warswhen Anakin was running late by saying,“I hope you at least said hello to Padmé for me.“This was more than just a friendly taunt; it implied thatObi-Wan knew about Anakin and Padmé’s relationship but didn’t intend to do anything serious about it.
That was later confirmed in the canon novelStar Wars: Brotherhood, written by Mike Chen. Ultimately, Obi-Wan’s refusal to address this relationship with Anakin or bring his concerns to the Council was his true failure, as this relationship directly contributed to Anakin’s fall to the dark side, which in turn doomed the Jedi and the larger galaxy.
Purchase Star Wars: Brotherhood
It wasn’t true that Obi-Wan’s pride was to blame for Anakin’s fall to the dark side inStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, butStar Wars: The Clone Warsrevealed that Obi-Wan’s true failure was his decision to ignore, rather than address, Anakin and Padmé’s relationship.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Cast
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith details the fall of the Jedi Order and Anakin Skywalker’s transformation under the influence of Darth Sidious. Released in 2005, the film explores Anakin’s internal conflict and the shifting political landscape, leading to the rise of the Galactic Empire.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is an animated series that explores the intense conflict between the Republic and the Separatists. Featuring a mix of loyalty shifts and alliances, it delves into complex mysteries of the Force and showcases pivotal moments for characters like Anakin Skywalker and Master Yoda.
