Obi-Wan Kenobiis a pivotal character inStar Wars, yet these 10 aspects of his character make no sense. Obi-Wan has been a key player inStar Warsmovies and TV showssince the very beginning. After being introduced as Luke’s mentor in the original trilogy, he returned as Anakin’s Jedi Master in the prequels and has since appeared inStar WarsTV shows such asStar Wars: The Clone Wars,Star Wars Rebels, andObi-Wan Kenobi.
Moreover, Obi-Wan is not only one ofStar Wars’most powerful Jediin-universe but is also one ofStar Wars’best characters. Despite his prominence intheStar Warstimeline, however,a number of things about Obi-Wan Kenobi still don’t make any sense. Of those many confusing aspects of Obi-Wan’s character, these 10 are the most confusing of all.
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi has been an important character in Star Wars from the beginning, but not everything about him is well-known, including these 10 facts.
10Obi-Wan Ignored Count Dooku’s Direct Warning About Palpatine’s Plan
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones
Bizarrely,Count Dooku almost entirely laid out Palpatine’s plan to Obi-Wan Kenobi inStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones. Yes, he was attempting to convince Obi-Wan to join him and help him overthrow Darth Sidious, but this was nevertheless a major gamble on his part, particularly as Obi-Wan had never shown any indication that he was tempted by the dark side. Even stranger, though, Obi-Wan barely acted on this information following the Battle of Geonosis. Even with the beginning of the Clone Wars, this seems pretty pivotal to follow up on.
Had Obi-Wan passionately pursued this information, he may have been able to change the fate of the Jedi and the galaxy.
Presumably, Obi-Wan simply believed that Count Dooku was lying. However, had Obi-Wan passionately pursued this information, he may have been able to change the fate of the Jedi and the galaxy. In fact, Dooku even told Obi-Wan that the Senate was being directly influenced by a Sith Lord, which could have led him right to Palpatine.
9Obi-Wan Never Intervened With Anakin And Padmé
Star Warshas been extremely clear over the years thatObi-Wan knew about Padmé and Anakin’s relationship. This comes as little surprise, as, inAttack of the Clones, Anakin was all but professing his love for Padmé in front of Obi-Wan, and inStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan asked Padmé whether Anakin was the father of her unborn child. Notably, although Obi-Wan ‘asked,’ it was phrased in such a way that made it clear he knew the answer all along.
Nevertheless,Obi-Wan never stepped in or alerted the Jedi Council to the budding romance between Anakin and Padmé. This is particularly shocking, as Obi-Wan was generally a rule follower and no doubt knew how dangerous this behavior was. Perhaps Obi-Wan’s own romantic history with Satine Kryze made him more empathetic to their situation, but this had devastating effects and was odd regardless.
8He Never Mentioned Satine Kryze Again
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Despite the fact that Satine was Obi-Wan’s love interest and she met an absolutely terrible end inStar Wars: The Clone Wars, Obi-Wan curiously didn’t mention Satine Kryze ever again. In fact,this has been a glaring absence inStar Warsmore broadly, as even Satine’s sister, Bo-Katan Kryze, has yet to reference her sister or her legacy whatsoever. In Obi-Wan’s case, though, this is especially odd.
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Satine clearly meant enough to Obi-Wan that he was willing to leave the Jedi Order for her—he had even told her as much inThe Clone Wars. Nevertheless,no mention of Satine was made following her appearance inThe Clone Wars, including in theObi-Wan Kenobishow. Presumably, this would have been the perfect opportunity for Obi-Wan to at least acknowledge Satine’s impact on him, yet her absence (including in name) remains a problem inStar Wars.
Satine clearly meant enough to Obi-Wan that he was willing to leave the Jedi Order for her.
7He Said Only A Sith Deals In Absolutes
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith
Revenge of the Sithis known for its dialogue, for better or worse, and one of the many lines that continues to be referenced (in memes and otherwise) is Obi-Wan’s confusing line“Only a Sith deals in absolutes.”In fact,Obi-Wan’s famous line has only made less sensewith time, asthe Sith have proven to be much more comfortable with ambiguity than the Jedi. After all, the Jedi are very strict about what is of the dark side of the Force and what is of the light.
This line remains one of the most confusing things about Obi-Wan.
For this reason, this line remains one of the most confusing things about Obi-Wan. Some have even argued that this statement in and of itself is an absolute. Many confusing lines, plots, and events (even the shocking return of Palpatine inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) have been explained to an extent, or at least improved upon, but this odd assertion remains untouched.
6Obi-Wan Didn’t Change His Last Name To Hide From The Empire
A New Hope
Master Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Bail Organa went to great lengths to protect twins Luke and Leia following their birth inRevenge of the Sith, yetthe trio made a series of odd choices even as they prioritized concealing the identities of the infants. For one, Obi-Wan only changed his first name, not his last name, when he took on an alias on Tatooine. In an effort to hide from the Empire, Obi-Wan adopted the first name Ben, yet he kept Kenobi.
Obi-Wan only changed his first name, not his last name, when he took on an alias on Tatooine.
Sweetly, ‘Ben’ was actually a subtle reference to Satine’s nickname for Obi-Wan, and it was distinct enough from the name Obi-Wan that it made sense as an alias. However, ‘Kenobi’ would have been a much more significant giveaway had anyone crossed paths with Obi-Wan, which was particularly risky as Obi-Wan was suspected to be one ofthe survivors of Order 66. It remains very strange that Obi-Wan didn’t think it was important to also change his last name to protect his identity, and Vader’s persistent hunt for Obi-Wan inObi-Wan Kenobiproves how dangerous this was.
5He Brought Luke To A Place Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader Knew Well
Like his unchanged last name,Obi-Wan’s decision to bring infant Luke to the Lars Farm on Tatooine following Luke’s birth was rather odd. Bail Organa taking Leia to Alderaan made considerable sense, as few would have suspected this connection to Padmé. In Luke’s case, though, the infant was taken to a location and a family that Anakin knew quite well.
This put Luke in much greater danger of being discovered.
Presumably, this put Luke in much greater danger of being discovered. In fact,Obi-Wan Kenobiproved how easily this connection could be drawn, asReva realized quite quickly that Luke was Darth Vader’s biological son. Yes, Anakin/Vader was undoubtedly in no rush to get back to the planet he hated, but had he been suspicious that his child had lived, this certainly would have been one place he’d consider looking. Moreover, it would have been quite simple to just sendthe Imperial Inquisitorsto find Luke, meaning Vader would never have had to revisit Tatooine at all.
4He Aged Unusually Rapidly On Tatooine
One of the best-known strange aspects of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s character is his rapid aging on Tatooinebetween the prequel and original trilogies. Despite just under 20 years passing betweenRevenge of the SithandA New Hope, Obi-Wan ages considerably, visibly seeming several decades older. Of course, this is because Sir Alec Guinness played Obi-Wan in the original trilogy, and Ewan McGregor played him in the prequel trilogy andObi-Wan Kenobi. However, in-universe, this remains only loosely explained.
Climate alone doesn’t seem like an entirely adequate explanation for Obi-Wan’s sudden older age.
Some have argued that this is due to the harsh climate of Tatooine, which combines intense heat with harsh sandstorms. This is partially reinforced by Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru’s aging betweenRevenge of the SithandA New Hope, which is also quite advanced. However, climate alone doesn’t seem like an entirely adequate explanation for Obi-Wan’s sudden older age. Even withObi-Wan Kenobibridging the gap, this aging remains an odd part of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s character.
3Obi-Wan Was Very Easy For Bail Organa To Find
Obi-Wan Kenobi
As has been mentioned, Obi-Wan, Bail, and Yoda all worked quite hard to protect the twins and conceal their identity. Part of this also required that Obi-Wan remain both distant from Luke and hidden himself. Yet,Bail Organa found Obi-Wan quite easily inObi-Wan Kenobi. Yes, Bail knew that Obi-Wan was on Tatooine; however, at no point did Obi-Wan and Bail directly discuss Obi-Wan’s exact location, as this would have been risky.
Nevertheless, when Bail needed to find Obi-Wan to ask for his help rescuing young Leia, he clearly found him with ease, as he appeared in Obi-Wan’s home with no warning. This suggests that Obi-Wan wasn’t truly all that difficult to find if someone was really looking. Yet again, this raises questions about why Obi-Wan approached his exile the way he did and why it proved so difficult for Vader’s Inquisitors to track down Obi-Wan during the Dark Times.
2Obi-Wan Left Darth Vader Alive…Again
InRevenge of the Sith, it made sense that Obi-Wan couldn’t bring himself to kill Anakin/Darth Vader. After all, the last time Obi-Wan had seen Anakin, the two had shared a warm goodbye, and Anakin was showing no signs of the evil turn he was about to take. Moreover, Obi-Wan had known Anakin since he was a young boy, and, as Obi-Wan himself said, he had grown to truly love Anakin. However,it is downright bewildering that Obi-Wan left Anakin/Vader alive yet again inObi-Wan Kenobi.
The two had yet another intense duel, which ended once again with Obi-Wan having the upper hand. However, Obi-Wan walked away from Darth Vader once more, leaving him alive rather than finishing him off. Of course, narratively, this had to happen because Darth Vader clearly survives until his death inReturn of the Jedi. Nevertheless,Obi-Wan Kenobidid not adequately explain why Obi-Wan made this choice again, especially because the devastation Darth Vader caused had only gotten worse with time.
1Obi-Wan’s Death Didn’t Affect Leia Despite Their Significant Connection
Obi-Wan Kenobimade it clear why Princess Leia had such an attachment to Obi-Wan, finally explaining why she would have named her son, Ben Solo, after him and why she sought his help in particular inA New Hope. However, while this explained some events inStar Wars, it made other parts even more confusing. Specifically,given how close Leia and Obi-Wan became inObi-Wan Kenobi, why did Leia have next to no reaction when Obi-Wan died inA New Hope?
Presumably, Leia should have been absolutely gutted by his death, equally if not more so than Luke was (and Luke was downright distraught). Of course, Leia also had a very subdued reaction to her planet being blown up, which also meant the death of her parents, so perhaps this was just her response to grief. Nevertheless, this, and these other aspects ofObi-Wan Kenobi, are truly a confusing part ofStar Wars.
