Photograph Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Every day Beast/Disney+
The very best a part of the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale was one which felt very, very acquainted: a combat that may as properly have been an ode to the most effective battle in Star Wars historical past.
I’m speaking about Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker’s battle on the lava planet of Mustafar in Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith. Unpopular opinion or not, the 17-year-old scene stays lightsaber dueling at its most interesting. It’s an epic, emotional duel: the fruits of the boys’s evolution from master-and-apprentice to brothers to, lastly, enemies, all whereas “Battle of the Heroes” vibrates within the background.
It’s not solely one of many sequence’ most memorable and best-choreographed lightsaber battles, nevertheless it’s additionally one among its most recognizable. Lately, the battle on Mustafar has birthed TikTok tendencies, merch, and memes galore. It’s solely becoming, then, that the ultimate episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi—which marks Obi-Wan and Anakin’s first reunion on-screen since Revenge of the Sith—has a battle recalling the pair’s most iconic one as its centerpiece.
Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen, left) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) sq. off in Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith.
Lucasfilm
There are after all years, plot factors, and plenty of modifications between the duel that led Anakin to completely rework into Darth Vader and his rematch with Obi-Wan. Even with out referencing the opposite media bridging the hole between the ultimate prequel and this sequence, Obi-Wan Kenobi does an honest job of depicting simply what number of huge modifications happen in that point. Within the sequence, it’s been a decade of Empire rule and Darth Vader is at his most feared self. He’s answerable for the Inquisitors and the trouble to completely exterminate the Jedi and stamp out any hope others might have for his or her return.
As is the case with a number of Star Wars lore these days, Obi-Wan Kenobi is perhaps seen as nothing greater than Disney and Lucasfilm attempting to fill within the Skywalker saga’s gaps after the very fact. So whereas followers know that Obi-Wan goes on to turn into the previous hermit Ben by the beginning of Episode IV — A New Hope, the sequence took on the problem of fleshing out how he received to that place. After surviving the Jedi Purge and reckoning along with his guilt over as soon as coaching the now-sadistic Darth Vader, Kenobi’s need to squash out his Power skills and his connection to it is sensible—as does displaying the nice Jedi Knight at his lowest.
Watching Obi-Wan cower and run from Darth Vader all through Kenobi’s first half was admittedly powerful to sit down by, as somebody who loves and roots for the character. He’s no much less crafty and constant, however he’s a lot much less capable of faucet into the Power and the power that it gives him. However Obi-Wan’s moments of weak point give weight to a strong return to kind within the long-awaited reunion between grasp and former padawan. (It was made all of the extra highly effective because of the truth that Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen each returned to play Obi-Wan and Anakin, respectively.) And identical to on Mustafar, this battle makes manifest the pair’s total tortured historical past.
The parallels between the heartbreaking, intense battle in Revenge of the Sith and this one in Obi-Wan Kenobi are clear, even on a floor degree. For one, Vader arrives to the combat in Kenobi in a similar way as Obi-Wan does in Revenge of the Sith: strolling off the ramp of his ship. And proper earlier than they begin combating, Obi-Wan repeats the very same line he mentioned to kick off the battle from Revenge of the Sith—the unforgettable “I'll do what I have to.”
However the variations between these fights are additionally profound. Whereas Anakin (freshly christened as Darth Vader) is frantic and virtually foaming on the mouth in his anger on the lava planet, Vader is quietly menacing in Kenobi. This, after all, offers the scene a really totally different general vibe, however the tonal shift additionally highlights the time misplaced and Vader’s maturity (for lack of a greater phrase) at this level, 10 years because the occasions of Revenge of the Sith occurred.
For Obi-Wan, he might have much more to lose now than he did within the earlier movie—contemplating he simply spent many days forming a robust bond with Leia. He is aware of he has to maintain each twins hidden to safeguard the way forward for the Jedi and the galaxy, lest Darth Vader have his approach with it. Whereas he misplaced his finest buddy as soon as earlier than, shedding the twins can be like shedding him over again.
However perhaps the most important distinction between the 2 battles is the combating itself. In Revenge of the Sith’s duel, it’s virtually comical how in sync Obi-Wan and Anakin are. They hit one another, blow for blow, utilizing an identical strikes. There’s even a second the place their lightsabers are simply windmilling in entrance of one another, hitting solely air as a substitute of each other. Obi-Wan educated Anakin completely, as Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson, who makes a fast look in Kenobi as a Power Ghost) implored him to as he died. Regardless of Anakin’s many extra midi-chlorians or his inherent, uncooked energy, he’s nonetheless the product of Kenobi’s coaching. Anakin simply can’t win along with his cockiness and need to dominate in opposition to Kenobi’s years of ability and experience.
Darth Vader, née Anakin, and Obi-Wan tussle within the Kenobi finale.
Disney/Lucasfilm
In Kenobi, Vader is purposeful and extra skilled. Becoming a member of the Darkish Aspect has solely strengthened his anger and hatred, which in flip has greatened his powers. However by the point they meet for this duel, Kenobi has reconnected totally with the Power giving him again the power that Anakin as soon as craved.
As they combat, they're not echoing one another; they're extra evenly matched than they ever have been on the massive display. Vader even will get the excessive floor this time, practically killing Obi-Wan beneath rubble. However Kenobi’s mission and need to guard Leia and Luke win out and provides him the push he must overtake Vader and finish the combat.
Any good Star Wars fan is aware of that Vader’s weak point is his hate-fueled want for vengeance, not Kenobi’s devotion to the Gentle Aspect and all that’s good. However it’s nonetheless so shifting when the scene’s closing gut-punch—when Obi-Wan slashes by to Vader’s face—solidifies what this battle already meant: Anakin is actually useless and not an entity in Vader’s physique or intentions.
Although Obi-Wan’s transition on the episode’s finish into Tatooine’s Pleasant Neighborhood Ben Kenobi, the one we see in A New Hope, was barely heavy-handed—particularly his dialog with Bail Organa about what to do in the event that they ever want Obi-Wan’s assist once more—it felt earned. And the battle that paid homage to such a climactic one from over a decade in the past proves that this sequence did what it wanted to do to get us to that second. It succeeded in unspooling for followers, particularly these of the prequels (sure, we exist!) the continued legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi by pulling in what he deems as his largest failure: Anakin.