Star Wars: The Clone Wars proceeded to add multiple layers of depth to Obi-Wan and Anakin’s relationship, therefore amplifying the tragedy of their doomed, shattered bond. However, I eventually discovered that there were plenty of like-minded Star Wars fans on Twitter. That feeling of utter, unvarnished excitement over Obi-Wan and Anakin’s tragic relationship eventually faded from my memory. Here were two best friends, brothers in arms, locked in a dance to the death where neither escaped fully the same. The destruction of Anakin and Obi-Wan’s bond felt more tragic than the fall of the Republic. I found myself particularly fascinated by the psychological aspect of the Mustafar duel.
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There’s really nothing more tragic than a prophecy played out with maximum impact. I felt Obi-Wan’s pain when he left a limbless Anakin on Mustafar. I didn’t want Anakin to be consumed by darkness. The story at the heart of the Star Wars prequels was the rise and fall of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. The intergalactic space battles and political intrigue were just an added bonus. Yes, there were many flaws in Episodes 1-3, but if there’s one thing George Lucas excelled at, it was creating characters that you couldn’t help but root for. There’s a reason why the prequels are experiencing a renaissance of fan appreciation and nostalgia. I never felt so happy about being wrong about where a story was headed. Wasn’t that supposed to be the point in the story where Anakin realized the error of his ways and went back to check on his unconscious wife whom he choked? And then he’d apologize and everyone would be A-OK? How could Anakin not try to hear his teacher out? Obi-Wan told Anakin that he had failed him during their fateful duel on Mustafar. That’s way too much pressure to put on someone whose spirit has already been crushed.
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Now with 17 years of hindsight on my shoulders, I can see that Anakin was doomed from the second Qui-Gon Jinn anointed him as the Chosen One. It was disconcerting to me that the heroes of the story failed. Why did the “Anakin” line strike me in the heart so hard? The two episodes up to that point had been fantastic, with little Princess Leia sassing anyone who dared to insult her ( Carrie Fisher would be so proud), excellent direction from Deborah Chow, and of course, revisiting the character of Obi-Wan in his pre- New Hope era.Įven Obi-Wan himself was stuck in that limited mindset of the “Jedi good, Sith bad” absolute dichotomy, telling Anakin, “ You were the Chosen One! You were supposed to destroy the Sith, not join them!” (Or, at the very least, the prequels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars!) In Episode 2 of the new series, Obi-Wan Kenobi ( Ewan McGregor, revisiting the role he played in the prequels) broke my heart-and the collective heart of the galaxy-with one simple word: “Anakin.” It was a bombshell moment for me, and a reminder of something that might have always been true about this franchise: The Obi-Wan and Anakin story is the best part of Star Wars.
#OBI WAN KENOBI CLONE WARS SERIES#
Watching the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+ rekindled an emotion I hadn’t felt for a long, long time.
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It was written before Episode 3 premiered. Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+.