Obi-Wan Kenobi is perhaps the greatest Jedi Master of all time.
Sure, Yoda was more wise and generally more experienced –
what with being 900-years-old –
but you would be absolutely hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't like or at least appreciate...
...the character's subtle sense of humour, unfaltering commitment to justice, and calm demeanour.
Even Ewan McGregor's performances alone make the prequels worth watching!
But that's not to say Obi-Wan was as perfect as we all make him out to be.
In fact, even one of the most stoic and legendary Jedi ever...
...can have a few skeletons in his closet.
From bizarre continuity errors to rather shady plot points,
here are ten things to forget about Obi-Wan Kenobi...
Number 10. “Charging” His Lightsaber
We here at Inside Star Wars value our oral hygiene.
Now that may sound like a rather bizarre way to begin a list such as this,
but do hear me out.
With such a drive for sparkly teeth,
we long ago switched from manual toothbrushes to electric.
It's, uh... Company policy.
So you could only imagine our looks of sheer horror when we forget to charge these beautiful devices!
Thankfully, Obi-Wan Kenobi has always remembered to juice his equally as important lightsaber.
In fact, you can spot a wire connecting his weapon to a behind the scenes battery pack...
...during his final encounter with Darth Vader.
If you hadn't noticed this wardrobe malfunction before,
then future viewings of A New Hope will forever be ruined!
Unless you choose to forget...
Number 09. Luke and Leia Sitting in a Tree...
Despite having planned every single plot point from the very beginning,
at least according to the myth,
George Lucas had absolutely no intentions of making Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa brother and sister.
So for those wondering why Star Wars was encroaching upon Game of Thrones territory...
Well, now you know.
From an in-universe standpoint, however,
Kenobi could have easily thwarted any chance of bizarre-looking, three-eyed children...
by simply revealing the Skywalker family tree.
Why he never said anything, I honestly have no idea.
Number 08. He Once Enjoyed Piloting
Famously, Obi-Wan Kenobi hated flying.
I mean, he literally complained about space and planetary travel alike any chance he could.
So if I were to tell you that he once enjoyed piloting,
you would probably find it difficult to believe.
However, this was most definitely the case back in the Star Wars Legends continuity –
although the exact reason why he came to hate it so much has never been answered.
It's probably best if we just entirely forget this Expanded Universe plot thread, as a result.
Number 07. Failing as a Padawan
Sticking with Star Wars Legends,
Kenobi very nearly missed out on becoming a fully fledged Jedi!
Just saying those words out loud feels wrong,
which is probably why it features on today's list.
But despite his future accomplishments and stature as one of the greatest Force-users of all time,
he was left mere months away from having to join the Jedi Service Corps –
a branch of the Jedi Order where those who failed as Initiates...
...could still apply their skills to agriculture, medicine, education, or exploration.
Thankfully, the twelve-year-old managed to catch the eye of Qui-Gon Jinn before facing such a fate.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Number 06. Never “Owning” a Droid
In Star Wars: Episode IV, good old Ben claimed to have never owned a droid.
On a completely unrelated note, here are a some images of Obi-Wan owning various droids...
You could argue that the Jedi only ever “utilised” such robotic companions.
But, c'mon! There was really no need to lie and be so shady about it!
Plus, you'd think he would remember both R2-D2 and C-3PO having spent a large chunk of his life in their presence.
Thankfully, this is the one and only plot hole involving Kenobi.
Oh, wait...
Number 05. A Peculiar Exile
Talking about Obi-Wan's decision to wear Jedi robes throughout his lengthy exile...
...would definitely open a can of worms in the comments section down below.
So let's instead focus on his rather peculiar name change, or should I say lack of.
Look, the name Ben is fair enough.
I mean, it doesn't sound very sci-fi, but at least it's not Obi-Wan.
As for keeping the surname “Kenobi”...
I'm not saying word spreads fast on Tatooine, but I'm also saying...
WORD MOST DEFINITELY SPREADS FAST ON TATOOINE!
It's just a bit too conspicuous for someone trying to evade the ever-watchful eye of the Galactic Empire.
What were you thinking, man?!
Number 04. Just Gettin' Older
At the climax of Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan Kenobi was 38-years-old.
Fast forward nineteen years later to A New Hope and, of course, he was 57-years-old.
So why did he look like someone in his mid-seventies when teaching Luke Skywalker the ways of the Force?
Well, simply put, his rapid ageing all came down to Tatooine's twin suns.
But if we look past this convenient retcon,
George Lucas really didn't care at all that much if a discrepancy occurred between the ages of Ewan McGregor...
...and Sir Alec Guinness.
Instead, he merely had his heart set on both actors when casting for either trilogy,
leaving Lucasfilm story group members scrambling for a logical explanation behind this apparent oversight.
Number 03. He Kinda Killed Qui-Gon Jinn
Okay, okay...
We're getting rather controversial now.
But remember at the beginning of The Phantom Menace...
...when Obi-Wan and his master used Force Dash to evade a pair of droidekas?
Well, wouldn't it have made more sense – instead of merely jogging towards Qui-Gon as he battled Darth Maul –
to use such an ability?
Yeah... A bit of an oversight!
Sure, it would be rather absurd to accuse Kenobi of killing his mentor.
But you can't deny that his slow nature and apparent lack of urgency certainly contributed to Jinn's death.
Number 02. Inconsistent High Ground
“It's over, Anakin! I have the high ground!”...
...is one of the most memed lines from the entire prequel trilogy, and with good reason.
I mean, it was only 13 years prior to such an encounter, during his bout with Darth Maul on Naboo,
that Kenobi completely disregarded the high ground advantage of his opponent.
If this was any other entry on today's list, I would probably make a joke right about now.
But as we've already established, Obi-Wan doesn't seem to have the best memory in the world...
Oh, wait, that kind of was a joke... Nice!
Number 01. Failing to Kill Darth Vader
Truly heartbreaking was the climax of Kenobi's lightsaber duel with Darth Vader,
despite the continuity error we literally just pointed out.
We here at Inside Star Wars don't know how many times we've watched this scene...
...whilst someone nearby has simultaneously cut onions.
No, we're not crying, you are!
Where was I...
Oh yeah! The Jedi Master was rightfully distraught as he watched the fire engulf his former Padawan.
I mean, so strong was their relationship, they viewed one another as brothers.
But if they were as close as Kenobi liked to exclaim, wouldn't he want to put Anakin out of his misery?
And if he was so concerned about the lives of billions around the galaxy,
due to the rise of the Galactic Empire,
shouldn't he have destroyed Vader there and then?
Thanks for nothing, Obi-Wan...
So there we have it; ten things to forget about Obi-Wan Kenobi.
But don't worry, we here at Inside Star Wars have nothing against the Jedi Master.
In fact, he's one of our favourite Star Wars characters of all time.
So, of course, feel free to argue about any of today's points by leaving a comment down below!
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