Obi Wan Fan Theories That Would Be Absolute Game-Changers
It's probably fair to say that most "Star Wars" fans are beyond excited for the return of Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Disney has granted McGregor a six-part series on Disney+ called "Obi-Wan Kenobi," which will follow Kenobi after the events of Order 66 in "Episode III," when Luke is a young boy living on Tatooine. The trailers have released clues to Kenobi's activities in the mini-series, showcasing that he's seemingly being hunted by Vader's Inquisitors. The series will connect "The Clone Wars" and "Rebels" with the films. With the return of Hayden Christensen to the role of Darth Vader and Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka, "Obi-Wan Kenobi" will hopefully provide the answers fans have been waiting for.
With Obi-Wan returning to our screens, we've done a deep dive to look at some of the best fan theories we could find about the iconic Jedi. Whether these theories have to do directly with the upcoming series or simply tie into the larger universe, they would all be absolute game-changers to the world of "Star Wars." Let's take a look at the best Obi-Wan theories the "Star Wars" fandom has come up with.
Obi-Wan will defeat Vader once more
It's no secret that Darth Vader is making an appearance in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, and that means many fans are hoping to see the former friends have another epic battle. They have already faced each other on two occasions. In terms of the timeline, their first encounter takes place in "Revenge of the Sith," with Obi-Wan defeating Vader and leaving him needing his iconic suit for survival. Their second fight unfolds in "A New Hope," with Vader telling Obi-Wan: "We meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the master." This line lets audiences know that Vader hasn't defeated Obi-Wan in a duel in the time period between "Revenge of the Sith" and "A New Hope," which is when "Obi-Wan Kenobi" is set.
With that in mind, the following theory is very interesting. The Reddit user TheMediocreCritic has suggested that the Obi-Wan series will end with another big duel between Kenobi and Vader. They theorize that, while Vader will be in his prime, he will still be controlled by his emotions, and that will ultimately cause him to lose. Because of this second failure to Obi-Wan, Darth Vader becomes a more focused and polished villain — similar to how audiences saw him in the original trilogy. He's no longer run by his emotions, becoming a colder character driven by power and hatred.
Why Obi-Wan mentions having the high ground
The idea of being driven by emotions ties directly into our next fan theory, presented by Reddit user Martel732. The theory is about the famous lightsaber duel between Kenobi and Vader in "Revenge of the Sith." During the battle, Obi-Wan jumps away from Anakin, warning him not to follow. He holds the high ground and has the drop on his former protégé, but the hot-headed Anakin follows anyway. He leaves himself wide open, and Obi-Wan cuts off his legs. As the young Vader slides down the hill towards the lava, he catches fire and screams about how he hates Obi-Wan. The Jedi cries and says that Anakin was like a brother to him, that he was meant to bring balance to the Force.
While this is an emotional scene, over time, many have questioned why Obi-Wan so firmly believed that standing on the high ground equaled winning a lightsaber duel. That's where the theory comes in: The suggestion is that Obi-Wan tricked Anakin into jumping, playing on the fact that he was thinking emotionally and not logically. The theory goes that once Obi-Wan realized that Anakin could not be saved, he knew that he had to end the fight. And as Obi-Wan was once his master, he knew exactly how to provoke Anakin into doing something foolish.
Obi-Wan ages rapidly due to a life-draining Force power
A moment of constant criticism for the franchise is how Obi-Wan Kenobi aged so quickly in such a short amount of time. Fans have often wondered how the character went from looking like Ewan McGregor to Alec Guinness in just 19 years. And with the release of the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series, this question has been brought up once more, leading us to turn to a pretty amazing fan theory to fill in the blanks. Tom Schalk (@TomStheVoice) tweeted out a theory that, if proved correct, is mind-blowing, to say the least.
Schalk suggests that, as "Obi-Wan Kenobi" takes place only nine years before "A New Hope," perhaps there's a more sinister reason behind Obi-Wan's sudden age jump. He predicts that Obi-Wan will get affected by "some life-draining Force power. If by his own hands, for a selfless act. Maybe to protect Luke." It seems entirely plausible. After all, something similar happened to the Emperor in "Episode III" when his own Force lightning was deflected back at him, resulting in an older look for the character. Obi-Wan's fast aging has been chalked up to stress, loss, and the harshness of Tatooine's two suns in the past, but we must admit that Schalk's theory is better.
Obi-Wan thinks Stormtroopers have good aim because of Clone Troopers
The animated series "The Clone Wars" was an excellent show that gave viewers fleshed-out versions of iconic "Star Wars" characters. It gave us a chance to truly feel for Anakin as he falls to the dark side, to mourn the relationship between him and Obi-Wan, and to meet the fan favorite character Ahsoka. However, one of the best things the show ever did was to give personalities and stories to the Clone Troopers. While Anakin's fall was sad, seeing how the clones were used and brainwashed was truly heartbreaking. The Clone Troopers are portrayed as amazing soldiers, unlike the Stormtroopers, who have notoriously bad aim. It's because of this fact that fans were always puzzled when Obi-Wan mentioned the Stormtroopers in "A New Hope."
In the film, Obi-Wan tells Luke that the shots made on a Jawa transport ship were far too accurate to be Sand people. He summarizes that it must have been done by Stormtroopers. Reddit user Spirit_mushroom suggests that Obi-Wan was basing this information on his experience with the clones during the Clone Wars, not realizing that they're actually different. Obi-Wan seemingly spends the majority of his time in hiding and evading the Empire, so it's possible that he just didn't realize that the Clone Troopers had been replaced with the Stormtroopers.
Obi-Wan cut himself off from the Force
Reddit user TheMediocreCritic theorizes that Obi-Wan might have been cut off from the Force following the events of "Revenge of the Sith," too overcome with grief and shame for his part in Anakin's fall. Trailers for "Obi-Wan Kenobi" refrain from showing the titular character using the Force or even a lightsaber. Instead, he's shown with a gun, which audiences know Obi-Wan finds to be uncivilized. Could it be that desperate times have called for desperate measures?
The aforementioned theory goes on to suggest that because Kenobi has closed himself off from the Force, he's unable to connect with his old master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), a character that fans have been hoping to see in "Obi-Wan Kenobi." The Reddit user theorizes that when Kenobi and Vader do battle, it will be Qui-Gon's voice that stops Obi-Wan from killing him, presenting him with the idea that his future lies with Luke and not Vader. It's only once Obi-Wan connects with his master that he'll be free from grief, allowing him to return to Tatooine with a clear head and a stronger connection to the Force. This is the Obi-Wan that fans of the series "Rebels" have enjoyed watching, and it's about time live-action viewers see this side of the character.
Obi-Wan uses Force projection in A New Hope
"The Last Jedi" is a film that divided fans. While some applauded director Rian Johnson for doing something different, others hated the direction he went in. Fans enjoyed seeing Mark Hamill back as Luke Skywalker, but his fate had many up in arms. In the film's final arc, audiences see Luke square off with his dark side-leaning nephew Kylo Ren. At first, Luke seems untouchable. When Kylo Ren is finally able to run his lightsaber through Luke, it's revealed that he Force projected himself to their location as a distraction. This results in his death and him becoming one with the Force.
This scene made Reddit user HarlequinWasTaken question a previous scene between Obi-Wan and Vader in "A New Hope." The theory suggests that, like Luke, Obi-Wan was Force projecting when he fought Vader. When he allowed Vader to strike him down, he was already dead and with the Force. If that's the case, then Luke projecting is likely a trick that he learned from his old master, as they could have continued talking when Obi-Wan became a Force ghost. It goes to show just how powerful Luke had become if he was able to master something at a similar level to the great Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Obi-Wan worries Luke will follow in his father's footsteps
Another great fan theory from Reddit, user TheOrdinaryCritic asks if Obi-Wan stayed on Tatooine to protect Luke or to protect the galaxy from Luke. They suggest that Obi-Wan worries that Luke will be turned to the dark side just as his father had been, and that he's watching from afar to prevent this from happening. The release of the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" trailer only seems to strengthen this idea, as Obi-Wan is seen talking with Owen, Luke's uncle. Kenobi says that Luke will eventually have to be trained and Owen snaps at him, bringing up what happened when the Jedi trained Luke's father. The pain and despair on Obi-Wan's face is plain to see. Could this be the moment he starts to worry about Luke's future?
The Reddit user also points out that Darth Vader clearly couldn't sense his own daughter (Leia was knee-deep in the rebellion), so why is Obi-Wan so concerned about him finding Luke? Perhaps he thought that Leia would take after their mother, Padmé, while Luke had the potential to become a powerful Force user, one that could either be used for good or for evil. Like father, like son.
The Emperor feared Obi-Wan
One of the major themes of "Star Wars" is that the Jedi lost their way. While they didn't need to be slaughtered for balance to be met, they were definitely in need of a reshuffle. There was likely only a handful of Jedi who truly encompassed the principles of the Jedi Order, and who stood to disrupt Emperor Palpatine's plans: Ahsoka, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan.
Reddit user wesskywalker theorizes that Obi-Wan was the most powerful Force user, and that Palpatine feared him. The theory pinpoints several moments that he tried to get rid of Kenobi. For example, in "Revenge of the Sith," he tells Anakin to leave Kenobi on the doomed ship of General Grievous. The Emperor also sends the largest Clone Battalion to Utapau when Order 66 commences, in the hopes of ridding himself of Kenobi.
Obi-Wan never succumbs to the dark side even after losing his master, his best friend, and the entire Jedi Order. He even manages to show kindness to an enemy when Darth Maul dies in his arms. Obi-Wan represented the good in the Jedi Order, and it was that representation that the Emperor feared.
Obi-Wan doesn't cause tremors in the Force
In "A New Hope," Obi-Wan and the gang sneak onto the Death Star in order to rescue Princess Leia. Once they're aboard, Vader says: "A tremor in the Force. The last time I felt it was in the presence of my old master." While Tarkin dismisses this, thinking that Kenobi must be dead by now, Vader isn't convinced and prepares himself for their long-awaited reunion. Reddit user Supervinyl theorizes that the tremor Vader senses isn't coming from his old master but from his son Luke. Powerful Force users are clearly able to sense other users. Vader does this with Luke in "The Empire Strikes Back" and Anakin does it with Ahsoka in "The Clone Wars." However, it's never been described as a tremor in the Force before.
The theory suggests that Vader says that the tremor is an "it," rather than a person, as he isn't aware of another Force user like himself and likely hasn't sensed anything like Luke before. And with the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series, it makes sense that the last time Vader has felt the tremor was in the presence of his master, as Obi-Wan is in direct contact with Luke. Therefore, when the two characters meet in the series, that tremor Vader feels should be attached to him.
The meaning behind the Nari character
According to a report from Making Star Wars, "Obi-Wan Kenobi" will introduce a new Jedi character named Nari, described as being "a young Jedi straggler" looking to track down Obi-Wan. He reportedly wants to restore the Jedi Order and overthrow the Empire. This has left fans wondering why, with so many other known Jedi to pick from (Cal Kestis, anyone?), would "Obi-Wan Kenobi" introduce someone new to the universe. That's where the theory from Reddit user im_super_into_that comes in.
According to this theory, it's possible that Nari isn't a new Jedi being introduced, but an old one from Jedi stories thought lost. Perhaps Nari is just a smokescreen for the Tusken Jedi turned warlord A'Sharad Hett. Straight from the comics, Hett was one of the only Tuskens trained as a Jedi. Unfortunately, Hett fell to the dark side and was known as Darth Krayt. Hett and Obi-Wan even had a duel during his time hiding out on Tatooine. It makes sense as far as the timeline is concerned, and it would be a welcome surprise for fans of "Star Wars" comic lore. "The Book of Boba Fett" already gave audiences a glimpse into the life of the Tuskens, so the door is open for more stories about the original people of Tatooine.