Obi-Wan Kenobi
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| Star Wars character | |
| Obi-Wan Kenobi | |
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| Portrayed by | Ewan McGregor (Episodes I-III) Sir Alec Guinness (Episodes IV-VI) |
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| Position | Jedi Knight, Jedi Master, Jedi Council Member, Jedi High General |
| Homeworld | Unknown |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Jedi Order, Galactic Republic, Rebel Alliance |
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is one of the protagonists in the Star Wars series; along with Anakin Skywalker, R2-D2, and C-3PO, he is one of the few major characters to appear (in some form or another) in each of the six Star Wars films. He is portrayed in the original trilogy by Sir Alec Guinness and in the prequel trilogy by Ewan McGregor.
Obi-Wan first appears in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, seemingly a mysterious hermit known as Ben Kenobi. He is revealed as a Jedi Knight, who then tutors Luke Skywalker to use the Force. In the prequel films, he appears as a young Jedi, progressing from apprentice to master.
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[edit] Original trilogy
[edit] A New Hope
In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope Obi-Wan is known to the inhabitants of Tatooine as Ben Kenobi, an eccentric hermit who lives in the Jundland Wastes in a cave hide-out(he had assumed this identity to hide from the Empire). He's first seen rescuing Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) from a group of Tusken Raiders who ambush him by his speeder while the boy looks for the droid R2-D2 (Kenny Baker). Obi-Wan tells Luke about his father Anakin's past as a Jedi, and gives him Anakin's lightsaber. When Luke asks Obi-Wan about his father's death, Obi-Wan lies, and says "a young Jedi named Darth Vader... betrayed and murdered your father." R2-D2 then plays the message from Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) asking for Obi-Wan's help in delivering the schematics of the Death Star to her foster father on Alderaan. Obi-Wan invites Luke to accompany him to Alderaan and aid the Rebellion against the Empire, but Luke initially refuses. However, when he returns home, he discovers that Imperial troopers hunting down the stolen Death Star plans have killed his uncle and aunt and destroyed their home. He changes his mind and decides to take his two droids and leave with Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan takes young Luke under his wing in order to teach him the ways of the Force with the intention of fully training the boy later on Alderaan.
Obi-Wan and Luke buy passage to Alderaan (for a hefty price) on the Millennium Falcon, a freight ship owned by smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and co-piloted by his hairy friend Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), a Wookiee. Before they can reach their destination, however, Alderaan is destroyed by the Death Star on the orders of Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing). The Millennium Falcon is captured by the Death Star's tractor beam and they are pulled into the death Star's hangar. Princess Leia is on board, but when Luke and Han rescue her they are not aware that she is a princess, much less Luke's sister. Obi-Wan, meanwhile, sets off to disable the tractor beam so that the Falcon can escape. Obi-Wan is aware of Darth Vader's presence, and knows he won't escape the Death Star alive. He deactivates the tractor beam and confronts the Sith Lord in a lightsaber duel. Just as Luke and the others are making a run for the Falcon, Obi-Wan allows Vader to strike him down to create a distraction. Luke cries out in shock as his mentor's body becomes one with the force, but this only makes the stormtroopers aware of their presence. They then escape back into space, this time without the old Jedi.
Although he does not make any further appearances in the film, he speaks to Luke via the Force in the the film's climactic battle scene and states, "Use the force, Luke". Luke turns off his X-Wing fighter's targeting computer, and, trusting in the Force, he fires his proton torpedoes, which successfully enter the Death Star's exhaust port and destroy the battle station. Luke then hears Obi-Wan's voice telling him, "The Force will be with you, always".
[edit] The Empire Strikes Back
In Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, set three years later, Luke is lying barely conscious on the frozen plains of Hoth, when Obi-Wan's Force ghost appears telling Luke to go to the Dagobah system for further training with the only surving Jedi Master Yoda (Frank Oz). After Luke has been further trained in the teachings of the Jedi, Obi-Wan once again appears in Dagobah to try and dissuade him from going to Cloud City, where Vader holds Han and Leia hostage. He feels his young apprentice is not yet ready to face Vader one-on-one and fears the results would be fatal. After Luke insists on facing Vader, Obi-Wan warns Luke that he would not be able to interfere, and Luke would have to face him alone.
Luke is nearly killed in a lightsaber duel with Vader, and has his hand cut off by him, and Vader then reveals to him that he truly is Luke's father and tries to entice Luke into learning the dark side of the Force. Luke decides to not follow the dark side, and escapes, but is haunted by the truth Obi-Wan withheld from him.
[edit] Return of the Jedi
In Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, set one year later, a dying Yoda confirms to Luke that Vader is indeed his father. After Yoda's death, Obi-Wan appears on Dagobah as a Force Ghost to explain to a heartbroken Luke why he did not tell him the truth about his father, and to confess that Leia is his sister. Obi-Wan admits that his own pride had been partly to blame for Anakin Skywalker's fall from grace: "I thought I could instruct him just as well as Yoda. I was wrong." He then tries to explain to Luke that killing Vader is the only way to destroy the Empire and save the galaxy.
At the end of the film, Obi-Wan's ghost appears alongside the ghosts of fellow Jedi Yoda and a redeemed Anakin on the forest moon of Endor, watching over Luke and his comrades as they celebrate the destruction of the second Death Star and, with it, the Empire.
[edit] Prequel trilogy
[edit] The Phantom Menace
In Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, 25-year-old Obi-Wan accompanies his master, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) on a mission to Naboo, a planet ruled by Queen Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman). On their way there they meet the Gungan, Jar-Jar-Binks. Binks takes them with him on a trip to an underwater city which is controlled by the Gungan race. They leave the city, but are attacked by undersea monsters that hide in caves outside of the city. they narrowly escape being eaten and make it to land. After making an unscheduled landing on Tatooine, Qui-Gon meets Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), a young slave owned by Watto, a junk dealer, who shows tremendous potential with the Force. Gui-Gonn later discovers that Anakin has the highest number of midi-chlorians known. Qui-Gonn believes the boy to be the prophesied "Chosen One" who would bring balance to the Force by destroying the Sith, Qui-Gon asks the Jedi Council that the boy be trained as a Jedi. Obi-Wan is also amazed by Anakin's unprecedented Force potential, but initially believes the boy is too old and has too many emotional attachments to become a Jedi. The Jedi Council agrees, and forbids training for Anakin, in whom they see a great deal of fear.
During the film's climactic battle scene, Queen Amidala and her entourage of guards split up from her Jedi bodyguards when the Sith Lord Darth Maul (Ray Park) arrives to eliminate the Queen. Wielding a double-bladed lightsaber, Maul simultaneously battles both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. After being separated from the duel via laser walls, Obi-Wan watches in horror as Maul impales his master. Obi-Wan engages Maul in a fierce duel, cutting Maul's lightsaber in half, but the Sith Lord knocks Obi-Wan into a reactor chasm and kicks his lightsaber into the depths below. Obi-Wan grabs onto an extending pole, breaking his fall. Maul sneers at him for a little while and just when he goes to kick the Jedi off of the pole, Obi-Wan calms himself and reconnects with the Force, utilizing it to hurl himself into the air and simultaneously bring his master's lightsaber into his hand, startling Maul and giving him just enough time to slash the Sith Lord in half, and to watch his body fall down the reactor chasm and into the darkness below. Obi-Wan runs to his Master's side, and the dying Qui-Gon tells Obi-Wan to train Anakin to be a Jedi, and Obi-Wan promises that he will.
For his heroics in defeating a Sith (making him the first Jedi in 1,000 years to do so), Yoda personally bestows to him the rank of Jedi Knight, and allows him to be placed in the Jedi Council. Obi-Wan then says that he would take it upon himself to train Anakin whether the Council allowed him to or not, for he promised Qui-Gonn he would do so. Yoda reluctantly agrees, but warns Obi-Wan to be careful with the troubled boy.[1]
[edit] Attack of the Clones
In Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, set 10 years later, Obi-Wan has become an experienced Jedi Knight. By this time, his relationship with Anakin (Hayden Christensen) is strained; the young Padawan has grown powerful but arrogant, and believes that Obi-Wan is trying to hold him back.
He and Anakin are tasked with protecting Padmé, now a Senator, after an attempt is made on her life. Obi-Wan tracks the mysterious assassin to the planet Kamino, and learns about a massive clone army that the planet's inhabitants are building for the Galactic Republic. He then meets with the bounty hunter Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison), the template for the clones, and figures out that he is the one responsible for the assassination attempts on Padmé. Obi-Wan attempts to apprehend Fett, who escapes to Geonosis with his unaltered clone Boba (Daniel Logan). Obi-Wan follows them by placing a homing beacon on Fett's ship, Slave I.
On Geonosis, Obi-Wan learns of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, also known as the Separatists, a conspiracy of star systems that wants to secede from the Republic. The renegades are led by former Jedi Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), who was once Qui-Gon's master. Obi-Wan is captured shortly after sending a message to Anakin. While Obi-Wan is in captivity, Dooku reveals that the Galactic Senate is under the control of a Sith Lord called Darth Sidious.
Later, Anakin and Padmé arrive on Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan. They are themselves captured, however, and all three are sentenced to death by the Geonosians. The executions are prevented by the timely arrival of Jedi and clone reinforcements, led by Jedi Masters Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and Yoda. Obi-Wan and Anakin confront Dooku and engage him in a lightsaber duel. Dooku strikes Anakin with Force lightning, then turns the deadly barrage onto Obi-Wan, who easily blocks the attack with his lightsaber. The two duel and Dooku outmaneuvers Obi-Wan, wounding him on both his left arm and leg. Dooku is about to deliver a killing blow when Anakin recovers from the lightning and blocks Dooku's attack. Obi-Wan gives Anakin his lightsaber to help him in the duel. Dooku and Anakin fight a short duel, and Dooku cuts off Anakin's right lower arm (which is later replaced by a robotic prosthetic). Yoda arrives and fights Dooku as well, but the Sith escapes; he creates a distraction by nearly killing Obi-Wan and Anakin.[2]
[edit] Revenge of the Sith
In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, set three years after Clones, Obi-Wan is now a Jedi Master and a general in the Army of the Republic. Anakin, now a full-fledged Jedi Knight, remains his partner.
Obi-Wan and Anakin are sent on a mission to rescue Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), who has been kidnapped by Dooku and Separatist leader General Grievous (Matthew Wood). When they find the captive Palpatine, Dooku engages them both in a duel. Obi-Wan is rendered unconscious by Dooku, but Anakin later defeats him. At Palpatine's urging, he executes the defenseless Count, in violation of the Jedi Code.
After returning to Coruscant, Obi-Wan is called away to Utapau to confront General Grievous by himself. Anakin meanwhile is troubled by visions of his secret and pregnant wife Padmé dying in childbirth. With Obi-wan away, Palpatine, who is secretly Darth Sidious, continues to tempts Anakin to the dark side of the force, promising that the power of the dark side can prevent death. Anakin eventually succumbs to Sidious and he takes him as his new master, becoming the Sith Lord Darth Vader.
After finding the Separatist encampment, Obi-Wan engages Grievous in combat and kills him with a blaster after a long, hard fought battle. Moments later, however, Obi-Wan's own clone forces turn on him. Unknown to Obi-Wan, Palpatine had issued Order 66, directing clone troopers to turn on their Jedi generals. Obi-Wan survives the attempt on his life and escapes by stealing Grievous' star fighter and rendezvousing with Senator Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) and Yoda aboard Bail's ship, the Tantive IV.
Along with Yoda and Bail, Obi-Wan returns to Coruscant, where he and Yoda discover that every Jedi in the Jedi Temple has been murdered, even the younglings. Obi-Wan reprogrammes a beacon, which had been instructing all remaining Jedi to return to the Jedi Temple (where they surely would be killed), by instructing them to scatter across the galaxy and remain in hiding. A heartbroken Obi-Wan then watches a video showing Anakin leading the assault on the temple and accepting Darth Sidious as his master. Subsequently, Obi-Wan and Yoda split up to confront the two Sith Lords, Darth Vader and Darth Sidious. Obi-Wan wishes to fight Sidious, to avoid having to kill his friend and former pupil. Yoda, however, insists that Obi-Wan is not strong enough to fight Sidious, and would have to accept that Anakin had been "consumed by Darth Vader."
Unaware of his former Padawan's location, Obi-Wan visits Padmé and tells her what Anakin has done. He also reveals that he knows who is the father. A horrified Padmé refuses to accept what Obi-Wan tells her and refuses to help him find Anakin, knowing that Obi-wan will attempt to kill him. She sets out to confront Anakin herself, but Obi-Wan secretly stows away in her ship.
Padmé finds Vader at the volcanic planet Mustafar and confronts him. When Obi-wan emerges from Padmé's ship, however, Vader immediately suspects that Padmé has betrayed him, and uses the dark side to choke her into unconsciousness. Obi-Wan confronts Vader, briefly stopping to check on Padmé, and engages him in a long and epic duel, which ranges through the Mustafar mining complex, to the floating platforms atop of lava rivers. Obi-wan is able to hold his own against the more powerful Sith Lord by using defensive techniques and maintaining higher ground. When Obi-Wan gains a tactical advantage by securing higher ground away from the lava, he tries to persuade Vader to relent, but Vader ignores his warnings. Vader leaps forward, and Obi-Wan severs Vader's legs and remaining organic arm in mid-air. As Vader bursts into flame on the volcanic slope, Obi-Wan leaves him to die, taking his lightsaber. Vader survives long enough to be rescued by Palpatine, and is later placed in the iconic black body armor first seen in the original trilogy.
Obi-Wan assists in hiding Anakin's children after Padmé dies in childbirth. Luke is put on Tatooine with Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton) so that Obi-Wan can look after him in secret, while his twin sister Leia is put on Alderaan in Bail's care. Yoda, unsuccessful in his confrontation with Sidious, then tells Obi-Wan that he has more training for him: the spirit of Qui-Gon would teach him how to be a "Force ghost" – to be able to retain his identity through the Force and commune with the living after death.
[edit] Expanded Universe
Obi-Wan Kenobi appears extensively in the Star Wars "Expanded Universe" of comic books, novels, and video games. This material portrays the events in the character's life not portrayed on film.
[edit] Clone Wars series
Obi-Wan is a major character in the animated microseries, Star Wars: Clone Wars, which covers the period between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. He is voiced by James Arnold Taylor.
Among Obi-Wan's adventures in the series are a battle with the Intergalactic Banking Clan and an air strike on the planet Rattatak. In the series' final episode, he and Anakin are sent to the Outer Rim of the galaxy, a journey that climaxes in a quest to save the planet Nelvaan from the Techno Union. It is also revealed that he is granted a seat on the Jedi Council during this time.
[edit] Novels
Obi-Wan's exploits before, during, and after both the prequel and original trilogies are detailed in myriad Expanded Universe novels.
[edit] Pre-Phantom Menace
Obi-Wan's life prior to The Phantom Menace is portrayed mostly in Jude Watson's Jedi Apprentice series, which follow his adventures as Qui-Gon's Padawan. Notable events in the series include battling the Dark Jedi Xanatos, falling in love with fellow padawan Siri Tachi, and going on his first independent mission.
[edit] Circa Clone Wars
His heroism just before and during the Clone Wars is portrayed in novels such as Outbound Flight, The Approaching Storm, and The Cestus Deception.
[edit] Post-Revenge of the Sith
Obi-Wan's life between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope is, so far, portrayed mostly in Jude Watson's The Last of the Jedi series. Set roughly a year after the fall of the Republic, the series follows Obi-Wan as seeks out possible survivors of the Great Jedi Purge, most notably Anakin's former rival, Ferus Olin. The books also portray Obi-Wan adjusting to life as a hermit on Tatooine, and quietly watching over the infant Luke Skywalker.
[edit] Post-Return of the Jedi
Obi-Wan appears in spirit form in many novels set after the destruction of the Empire in Return of the Jedi. In The Truce at Bakura, he appears to Luke to warn him about the threat presented by the Sri-ruuk; in Heir to the Empire, meanwhile, he bids farewell to Luke, explaining that he must abandon his spiritual form to "move on" to a new, higher plain of consciousness.
[edit] Comic books
[edit] Star Wars: Republic
In this series, Obi-Wan faces many grave threats while fighting against the Separatists. Among other notable storylines, he is kidnapped and tortured by Dooku's minion Asajj Ventress before being rescued by Anakin ("Hate & Fear"), and apprehends corrupted Jedi Master Quinlan Vos ("The Dreadnaughts of Rendili"). Throughout the series, he grows increasingly wary of Palpatine's designs on the Republic — and his influence on Anakin.
[edit] Star Wars: Visionaries
In the non-canon story "Old Wounds", set a few years after the events of Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan confronts a resurrected Darth Maul on Tatooine to protect Luke Skywalker. The duel ends when Owen Lars shoots and kills Maul; he then warns Obi-Wan to stay away from his nephew. Through the Force, Obi-Wan reassures Luke that he will be there for him when needed.
[edit] Inspirations and parodies
The character is loosely inspired by General Makabe Rokuruta, a character from The Hidden Fortress played by Toshiro Mifune, whom series creator George Lucas also considered casting as Obi-Wan.[3]
Mad magazine parodied the original film under the title Star Roars and included a character named "Oldy Von Moldy".
The registry on the plane Indiana Jones escapes in during the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark is "OBCPO," a reference to both Obi-Wan Kenobi and C-3PO.
The nightclub shown in the beginning of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is called "Club Obi-Wan."
The 1998 Animaniacs episode "Star Warners", which spoofed Star Wars, featured Slappy Squirrel portraying a parody of Obi-Wan Kenobi as "Slappy Wanna Nappy".
In the Family Guy episode "Blue Harvest", Obi-Wan is parodied by the character Herbert.
In the short film Thumb Wars Obi-Wan is parodied by the character Oobedoob Benubi. In the film his full name is Oobedoob Scooby-Doobi Benubi, "the silliest name in the galaxy"
In the 1980s Star Wars parody Hardware Wars, Obi-Wan is parodied by the character "Augie Ben Doggie".
In French Internet subculture, "Obi-Wan Kenobi" became an expression meaning "your question have no sense", said when you don't know what to answer, but want to be funny. It was popularised by Les Guignols de l'info, which parodied the French version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? where in every question the fourth choice was invariably "Obi-Wan Kenobi" (and the question invariably nonsense). Internet humorous multiple choice questionnaires since have often an "Obi-Wan Kenobi" radiobox (for example : How big is the tour Eiffel? : 1. quite big 2. not so big 3. i don't know 4. Obi-Wan Kenobi)
[edit] Curiosities
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
The Council of the Commune Lubicz in Poland passed a resolution No. XXVIII/373/04 dated 30th Dec 2004 giving the name Obi-Wan Kenobi to one of the streets in Grabowiec village. The street was named in 2005. The spelling of the street name, Obi-Wana Kenobiego is the genitive form of the noun in the Polish language: the street of Obi-Wan Kenobi. 'ul.' is an abbreviation of ulica, the Polish for street.
[edit] Video games
He appears in many video games, particularly in all three Lego Star Wars. He is a playable character in the video games based on The Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith. Additionally, the XBox featured Star Wars: Obi-Wan based primarily on Episode 1 told entirely from Obi Wan's point of view.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Novelization, 1st edition paperback, 1999. Terry Brooks, George Lucas, ISBN 0-345-43411-0
- ^ Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones Novelization, 2003. R. A. Salvatore, ISBN-X
- ^ Star Wars DVD audio commentary
- The New Essential Guide to Characters, 1st edition, 2002. Daniel Wallace, Michael Sutfin, ISBN 0-345-44900-2
- Star Wars Episode I Who's Who: A Pocket Guide to Characters of the Phantom Menace, hardcover, 1999. Ryder Windham, ISBN 0-7624-0519-8
- Star Wars: Power of Myth, 1st edition paperback, 2000. DK Publishing, ISBN 0-7894-5591-9
- Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary, hardcover, 1998. David West Reynolds, ISBN 0-7894-3481-4
- Star Wars: The Phantom Menace: The Visual Dictionary, hardcover, 1999. David West Reynolds, ISBN 0-7894-4701-0
- Star Wars: Attack of the Clones: The Visual Dictionary, hardcover, 2002. David West Reynolds, ISBN 0-7894-8588-5
- Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith: The Visual Dictionary, hardcover, 2005. James Luceno, ISBN 0-7566-1128-8
- Revised Core Rulebook (Star Wars Roleplaying Game), 1st edition, 2002. Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins, J.D. Wiker, Steve Sansweet, ISBN 0-7869-2876-X
- Star Wars Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, 1st edition, 2000. Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins, ISBN 0-7869-1793-8
[edit] External links
- Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars Databank
- Obi-Wan Kenobi on Wookieepedia, a Wikia wiki
- Kenobi, Obi-Wan - lightsaber duels
- Obi-Wan Kenobi at the Internet Movie Database
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