With the release of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+, fans are back in their feels about their favorite star-crossed bromance, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. The two force-wielding friends have a long and tragic history spanning throughout the Star Wars saga.
From meeting at a young age to battling Sith lords side by side, Obi-Wan and Anakin seemed as if they’d be friends forever. But when the Dark Side comes calling, the bonds of friendship take a back seat. How did Obi-Wan and Anakin go from brothers in arms to enemies in the battle of light against dark?
"Anakin Skywalker, Meet Obi-Wan Kenobi"
In Episode I: The Phantom Menace, following a narrow escape from Darth Maul (Ray Park), Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) introduces a young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) to his then apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan Macgregor). Enthusiastic little Ani exclaims, "You're a Jedi too? Pleased to meet you!" The boys shake hands, and it's all very adorable, setting the tone for a friendship filled with banter and sass.
This is a particularly key moment because the boys would never have met if it weren’t for Qui-Gon. It was Qui-Gon who discovered Anakin on Tatooine and insisted that he be trained. Who was Obi-Wan to deny his own master?
"You Will Be A Jedi, I Promise"
At the end of Episode I, after Qui-Gon's tragic death at the hands of Darth Maul, Obi-Wan implores Jedi Master Yoda to allow him to take Anakin (Hayden Christensen) on as a padawan. Despite Yoda's warning of "grave danger I fear, in his training", Obi-Wan insists, invoking his promise to Qui-Gon to train the boy, and Yoda concedes. At Qui-Gon's funeral, Obi-Wan reassures Anakin, promising him that he will become a Jedi.
The moment Obi-Wan becomes Anakin's master, it is his responsibility to teach him the ways of the Jedi and the Force. Obi-Wan's promise is eventually fulfilled when Anakin becomes a Jedi. Unfortunately, he takes his incredible force abilities one step further in a very dark direction.
"I'm Taking Him NOW"
In Episode II: Attack Of The Clones, Obi-Wan and Anakin come face-to-face with the Sith Lord Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). Despite Obi-Wan's careful assessment of the situation, insisting that they "take him together," Anakin goes in lightsaber blazing and pays for it with the loss of his hand.
This early encounter with Count Dooku shows Anakin's inability to take a step back and assess the situation rather than acting first and thinking later. Obi-Wan later echoes these sentiments during an Episode II flashback in Obi-Wan Kenobi when he tells Anakin, "your need to prove yourself is your undoing."
"This Time, We Will Do It Together"
On a mission to rescue Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) in Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith, Obi-Wan and Anakin face Count Dooku yet again. However, with their last encounter on his mind as well as Obi-Wan's wise words, Anakin agrees that they should "do it together" this time.
While this shows that Anakin places great value on Obi-Wan's teachings, things turn when he slaughters an unarmed Count Dooku at the behest of Chancellor Palpatine. This is one of the first moments where a change from light to dark can be observed in Anakin.
"His Fate Will Be The Same As Ours"
In Episode III, after killing Count Dooku and freeing Chancellor Palpatine, the Jedi must make their escape. With Obi-Wan out cold, Palpatine insists that there is no time, and they must leave him. Anakin refuses to leave his master behind, declaring that "his fate will be the same as ours."
Despite Anakin's lapse in judgment causing him to kill Count Dooku, he shows that the light is still present with his refusal to leave Obi-Wan behind. At this point, Anakin is still very much conflicted in his thinking, with Obi-Wan being one of the few people keeping him tethered to the light.
"Goodbye Old Friend, May The Force Be With You"
In Episode III, just before they are to set off on their respective missions, Obi-Wan and Anakin share a farewell. Anakin admits to Obi-Wan that he has been arrogant and unappreciative of his training, and apologizes to his master. Obi-Wan assures Anakin that he is proud of him, telling him that he has become a "far greater Jedi than I could ever hope to be."
This scene is particularly emotional as it is the last time the friends meet before they face each other on Mustafar, and the last time before Anakin fully transitions into a Sith Lord. It is one moment Obi-Wan is unlikely to ever forget.
"You Were My brother, Anakin! I Loved You"
Episode III culminates with Obi-Wan and Anakin's fateful battle on the lava planet Mustafar. As Anakin burns, he looks to Obi-Wan (who has the high ground) and proclaims, "I hate you!" With pain etched across his face, Obi-Wan tells him, "you were my brother Anakin! I loved you!"
Obi-Wan leaves what is left of Anakin and retreats into hiding after delivering Luke and Leia to their new homes. Chancellor Palpatine a.k.a. Darth Sidious comes to collect Anakin, restoring him to an unrecognizable version of his former self, and Darth Vader is born.
"Now You Will Suffer, Obi-Wan"
During a particularly brutal scene in Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader shows off his pyrotechnic skills, raising flames from the ground and throwing Obi-Wan into them. He declares that "your pain has just begun" as he stands by, watching his former master burn.
This, of course, is a direct callback to the way in which Obi-Wan watched Anakin burn in the lava of Mustafar. The fact that he can inflict this kind of pain on someone he was so close to shows that Anakin is truly gone, and Darth Vader is all that is left.
"You Didn't Kill Anakin Skywalker... I Did"
During the final battle in Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan and Darth Vader face off. Vader's helmet becomes cracked, giving fans that chilling scene where Anakin's voice is mixed with Vader's, Anakin's deformed face partially visible under the helmet, awash in the juxtaposing blue and red glow.
Obi-Wan apologizes for what he did to Anakin, but Vader assures him that he killed Anakin, not Obi-Wan. He then goes on to proclaim that he will destroy Obi-Wan in the same way. Resigned to the fact that his friend is truly gone, Obi-Wan walks away from Vader, calling him "Darth" for the first time.
"If You Strike Me Down"
Circling right back to the beginning, Episode IV: A New Hope shows an old Obi-Wan (Sir Alec Guinness) and Darth Vader meeting for the final time. The former friends battle, Obi-Wan telling Vader that he can't win and that striking him down will only make Obi-Wan stronger.
Vader does strike him down in full view of Luke (Mark Hamill) and Leia (Carrie Fisher), who must later contend with the fact that this man is their father. Obi-Wan fulfills his promise to "become more powerful than you can imagine," mastering the art of being a Force ghost where he can converse with Luke and offer him advice in pursuing his father.