The world of Star Wars is full of quirky characters mixed with the occasional awe-inspiring hero or villain. But there is one character who stands out, one who embodies the classic (dare I say, classy) idea of what Star Wars is. He's not ostentatious in his presentation like Darth Vader. He's not immensely powerful like Rey. And he's not a vacuous hole of goofiness like Jar Jar Binks. He is a staple character in Star Wars lore and the perfect example of what a Jedi should be. Who am I talking about? Why, it's Obi-Wan Kenobi, of course! (You probably figured that out from the title of this list, but Obi-Wan deserves the flashy reveal anyways.)
Obi-Wan is my favorite character from Star Wars. Han Solo is a delightful scoundrel, and Kylo Ren is a remarkably conflicted soul, but no character calls to me the way Obi-Wan does. He feels steeped in wisdom, and yet laid-back. His cultivated attitude and subtle (but gentle) humor feels so genuine. Of all the Jedi we meet, don't you think he's the one that seems the most...well, like a Jedi?
No one can deny the importance of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars series. We met him in the original trilogy, and even though he perished in that movie, we still got to hear fountains of his advice in the next ones because he stuck around as a blue ghost. But there is so much more to Obi-Wan than what is just on the surface. So, if you are one of those kindred spirits who picks out Obi-Wan's character when you're playing Star Wars Monopoly or Star Wars Trivial Pursuit (like me), then read on to learn some of the more shocking things about Obi-Wan Kenobi's character.
25 The Millennial Warrior
In the prequel and the original trilogy, the main opponents that our main character Jedi have to face are Sith. Darth Maul, Darth Sidious, Count Dooku, and Darth Vader are all part of that ancient order. The Sith were an evil that the Jedi vanquished ages before The Phantom Menace. That's why the Jedi Council was so unnerved when they heard about the surprise attack Maul performed on Qui-Gon Jinn on Tatooine.
The Sith were supposed to have been eradicated.
I didn't really care too much about this when I first saw The Phantom Menace. Granted, I was a kid when I first saw the movie. I was way more impressed with the final battle between Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Darth Maul. But did you know that since the Sith had basically disappeared, Obi-Wan was the first Jedi in a thousand years to defeat one in battle? There's some proof that Obi-Wan is as awesome as I'm telling you he is.
24 A Better Pupil
Given the events that happened after Return of the Jedi and before The Force Awakens, Luke ended up making quite a few mistakes in his role as Jedi Master. We wish that he hadn't felt a desire to waste his own nephew, but it is what it is; we can't change the past. But what is interesting to note is that despite the flaws Luke exhibited when he was a youth (impatience, ambition, etc.), Obi-Wan was solidly in his corner. When Obi-Wan appeared to Yoda as a blue ghost to ask him to train Luke, Yoda had his heart set on training Leia. Obi-Wan had to convince Yoda that Luke was the one to train.
It's understandable that Obi-Wan would want Luke trained since he had lived near the boy for years, watching him grow, but imagine if Leia had been selected as the "new hope." She would have made an awesome Jedi...but the Rebellion probably would not have fared half so well.
23 Party Hearty
One of the great things (probably, I wouldn't really know myself) about being a movie director in charge of multiple franchises is that you can sneak references about your other movies into your latest film. George Lucas did just that when he was working on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. At the very beginning of the movie, Indiana Jones is in a club watching a song and dance number.
The establishment where he is at is actually called "Club Obi Wan."
I don't know how the actual Obi-Wan Kenobi would react to finding out that a bar had been named after him, but the reference definitely tickles fans' fancies. And who knows, Obi-Wan might find the whole thing amusing.
22 The Dolittle Of Jedi
Throughout the prequels, one of the jokes that is constantly thrown about is that Obi-Wan hates flying. And where Obi-Wan takes to flying like a fish takes to land, Anakin, on the other hand, is a vehicle savant. Like Luke after him, Anakin just seems to naturally know his way around machines. Obi-Wan much prefers dealing with living creatures; he knows how to form a Force connection with animals that allows him to communicate with them almost telepathically.
It's more of a general understanding than actual words passing between them, but it helps Obi-Wan get along with living mounts or local wildlife. A prime example of this is Boga, the varactyl that Obi-Wan used to move around Utapau when he is chasing General Grievous. Because he is able to communicate with Boga, she is able to pick him up from among the mass of droids around him when Grievous was trying to escape.
21 An Award-Worthy Performance
Star Wars movies have had memorable performances. Some of these performances were memorable for being fantastic; others were memorable for being...not so fantastic. I don't think I'm alone in saying that both Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan's actor from the prequels) and Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan's actor from the originals) gave us phenomenal performances.
They were even nominated for awards.
Alec Guinness in particular, according to fellow critics, gave a noteworthy performance in his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: A New Hope. For his work as Obi-Wan, Alec Guinness got nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the only actor/actress from a Star Wars film (so far) to get nominated for an Academy Award.
20 Teaching By Example
George Lucas' vision for the prequels was that they would mirror the original trilogy. They are not exactly the same, but there are definitely patterns that are noticeable when you really think about it. Some of these similarities are just supposed to demonstrate the cyclical habits of fate (according to Star Wars). Others are based on the choices of characters. When Obi-Wan was pursuing Jango Fett and young Boba Fett through an asteroid field, it quickly became clear that they were better equipped to handle space-fighting than he was. In order to get away, Obi-Wan landed on an asteroid and only continued his pursuit when they had flown off. Boba Fett learned this trick for himself and used it in The Empire Strikes Back when he pretends to be floating trash in order to follow the Millennium Falcon later on. Unfortunately, Obi-Wan taught Boba by example.
19 A Star Wars All-Star
The power of Obi-Wan Kenobi is undeniable. And by power, I just mean sheer awesomeness. He is one of only four characters to have been in all six of the first Star Wars films. Admittedly, he was only a Force Spirit in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, but he still spoke and assisted Luke in his endeavors. More than any other character (aside from Anakin, I suppose), we got to see Obi-Wan grow.
We observed his development in reverse.
He first came to us as a wise old mentor, then a deceased font of wisdom. And when the prequels came out, I was so ecstatic to see Obi-Wan as a young man. Every time Obi-Wan came on the screen in the prequels, I couldn't help but think of the wise man he would eventually become.
18 Peace Between Enemies
Darth Maul is not just the coolest villain Obi-Wan has ever faced. He is the coolest villain in Star Wars period. So when Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the animated television show that tells the story of what happened between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, brought Maul back to life, however improbable it seemed, I wasn't too displeased. In Star Wars: Rebels, Darth Maul manages to find Obi-Wan's hide-out on Tatooine. Still filled with rage over his defeat on Naboo, Maul challenges Obi-Wan to one last fight. Obi-Wan deals Maul a fatal blow, but he catches him before he falls to the ground. Surprisingly, and yet touchingly, all of the anger seems to have gone out of Maul. The two former enemies seem to make peace with each other at the very end of Darth Maul's life.
17 Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting
They never state explicitly in the Star Wars films that there are different forms of lightsaber combat, but as with any manner of fighting, there are different styles for different people. Yoda, for instance, mainly practices Ataru, a form of lightsaber combat that uses a lot of flips and jumping. Obi-Wan's style of lightsaber combat is called Form III, but it is more commonly known as Soresu.
It is one of the more basic forms of lightsaber combat and it is taught to all Padawans.
One time, Obi-Wan confessed to Mace Windu that he did not think he was at the same level as other Jedi on the Jedi Council. His style of fighting, he insisted, was too basic. Mace Windu, who had created his own style of lightsaber combat that was uber vigorous. Mace then told Obi-Wan that the master of a classic style was better than the creator of an aggressive style.
16 Voice From The Grave
The Force Awakens was criticized for being too similar to the first Star Wars film in the original trilogy. It unarguably has some of the same plot points as A New Hope, but I believe that it is an enjoyable movie nonetheless. Plus, the hidden tidbits from the originals that they scattered all over The Force Awakens were utterly delightful. When Rey has her first vision after touching Luke's lightsaber, she witnesses scenes from her past and future and hears whispers from people she's never met. One of the voices is the voice of Alec Guinness, the original Obi-Wan, calling out, "Rey." The creators of the film did this by taking the sound of "Rey" from a recording of Guinness saying "afraid." So in a way, Obi-wan appeared in this movie too. (Kind of, sort of, not really.)
15 First Words
First impressions are important. That's something our mothers always tell us before we set off into the world. They say this to us so that we can better present ourselves to strangers, and while they may just want to spare us from humiliating ourselves, there is truth in the idea that the first impression you give to someone else will be one that lasts. Your appearance as well as your words are what people will notice first. Obi-Wan's first words in A New Hope (if you don't count the krayt dragon call he makes when he scares away the Tusken Raiders) are spoken to R2-D2.
"Hello there," he says.
His gentle tone reassures us that he is not some random desert bum. Perhaps in Lucas' effort to mirror this, in Revenge of the Sith, when Obi-Wan confronts Grievous on Utapau, he says the exact same words.
14 A Planet Of Comedy
What started out as a gag turned into canon. When comedian Jon Stewart interviewed George Lucas, an interesting question came up. Reading from cards, Stewart asked Lucas fans' burning questions. When Stewart asked what planet Obi-Wan came from, George Lucas jokingly responded that it was called "Stewjon," an obvious reference to Jon Stewart's name. Did it end there, a simple joke in an interview? Nope! Turns out George Lucas does have a sense of humor. If you search online for Obi-Wan's home planet, you will find that Stewjon has made its way into official canon. Bear in mind that Obi-Wan spent most of his life on Coruscant, which is why he speaks with a Coruscanti accent. But the planet where he was born is definitely called Stewjon.
13 A Shadow In The Night
It makes sense that Obi-Wan would be fond of Luke. Luke was the son of his former best friend, and Obi-Wan had been present at his birth. But when we see A New Hope, apparently Luke had next to no contact with Obi-Wan as he was growing up. That doesn't mean that Obi-Wan wasn't looking out for Luke from the sidelines. Comics have come out telling the story of Ben Kenobi's time in the desert as a hermit watching over Luke.
As an adventurous young lad, Luke got into quite a few scrapes.
But Obi-Wan was there for him through it all. At one point, Luke got in trouble with Jabba the Hutt and his men. Obi-Wan was able to take down all of the dirtbags and rescue Luke without Luke ever knowing it was him.
12 Quite The Talker
Nicknames that you are given say a lot about you. If, for example, your nickname was Stinky, it would most likely denote a penchant your body has for being really malodorous. That's a fancy way of saying you probably smell horrible. Obi-Wan's nickname during the Clone Wars was The Negotiator. He was given this name because he was well known for being able to resolve disputes without using his weapon. He was so diplomatic, he got his own nickname proclaiming that he was a master talker. This almost goes without saying, just going off of his personality. Obi-Wan always seem super polite, to the point of being over-courteous. When Grievous calls Obi-Wan by his nickname, I'm sure he means it as an insult, but no matter how mockingly he might say it, it should be a point of pride for Obi-Wan.
11 History Repeats Itself
The mirroring quality that the Star Wars franchise contains extends past the films that George Lucas was directly in charge of. If we include The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, we can see that Luke's story and Obi-Wan's have so many parallels. They both watched their mentor get lightsabered down in front of them.
They both trained young, but powerful Force users.
And their pupils ended up turning to the Dark Side. I don't know for certain whether this was intentional, but it seems fitting when you think about it. Good stories either seem to imply a cycle continuing or a cycle breaking. Luke did not end up breaking the cycle. But who knows? Maybe Rey can.
10 Whoosh, Whoosh
A lot of work went into the choreography of the lightsaber battles in the prequels. Whatever you think of the prequels, you have to admit that the lightsaber duels were epic. They only look as good as they do because the actors practiced for the battles. Imagine how cool training for those fights were if you were a Star Wars fan. Ewan McGregor, playing the young Obi-Wan Kenobi, was so enthused as they were filming the lightsaber scenes that he would make "lightsaber sounds" as he was fighting, mimicking the lightsaber noises we all know and love. Of course, McGregor's hums were not used in the films, but I know all Star Wars fans can empathize with that instinct (yes, I'm calling it an instinct). How many times have you pretended you were holding a lightsaber, and you made the noises as you swung your imaginary blade?
9 Abandoning Your Friends
One of the things that makes Anakin's turn to the Dark Side so heartbreaking is his friendship with Obi-Wan Kenobi. We don't really get to see it that much in the prequel films themselves, but in books written about their time together as Padawan and Master and in the television series The Clone Wars, we get a better look at their relationship with each other.
They truly did have a bond of friendship with each other.
When Anakin was younger and experiencing doubts about being a Jedi, he considered leaving the Jedi Order. Upon learning this, and knowing that if Anakin left the Order he would no longer be able to receive training from a Jedi, Obi-Wan decided that if Anakin left, he would leave as well. That showcases Obi-Wan's loyalty more than anything else.
8 Signalling A Retreat
When Order 66 was given (the worst order of them all), it was a signal that all Jedi should be eradicated from the galaxy. Clone troopers turned on their generals, and the Jedi Temple was taken over. It was a tragic day in the history of the Jedi. And to make matters worse, a Jedi Beacon in the temple was activated. It was meant to call Jedi home to Coruscant, but with all the clone troopers around, it was clearly an ambush. Obi-Wan has the idea to reprogram the beacon to send out a warning, telling Jedi to stay away. This idea was not his own. Obi-Wan originally got this idea from a youngling named Caleb Dume, a Jedi who appears in the animated show, Star Wars: Rebels. Wisdom from the mouths of babes, am I right?
7 Qui-Ghost Jinn
We never see Qui-Gon Jinn again after his death in The Phantom Menace. It's a shame really, because it is due to Qui-Gon's actions that we get visited by several of our favorite deceased characters, including Obi-Wan Kenobi. Qui-Gon must have been some kind of wonder-Jedi because he learned a secret Force technique that allowed him to become a Force Spirit.
He teaches this technique to Yoda.
Yoda later imparts the knowledge he received from Qui-Gon to Obi-Wan. What I want to know is why we never get to see Ghost Qui-Gon. If he was the one who taught everyone else that trick, why do we never get to see him use it? If anything, he should be popping up all over the prequels giving advice to Obi-Wan and Anakin.
6 Rite Of Passage
The Padawan braid is never explained in the movies, so here's a quick rundown on how the braids are meant to work. They are typically worn on the right side, a symbol of a Padawan's apprenticeship. If you ever noticed Obi-Wan's braid appearing on a different side, rest assured, that's an error. When the Padawan is ready to become a Jedi Knight, the braid is cut off by the Grand Master of the Jedi Council (Yoda, in Obi-Wan's case). The braids are severed using a lightsaber. (I would be super nervous about getting a haircut from a lightsaber. Maybe that's just me.) Obi-Wan passed his trials after Qui-Gon's death and had his braid cut shortly after that.