Hi!  Oh, You Don’t Know How Badly I Froze After Reading This Because It Feels Impossible To Sum Up

Hi!  Oh, you don’t know how badly I froze after reading this because it feels impossible to sum up his character easily and I’m not sure any of the canon SW books really get Obi-Wan to fling at you and he can be an oddly complicated character for someone who is actually fairly direct and consistent. I was trying to figure out how to sum Obi-Wan’s character up, talking with (okay, whining at @lesbiandarthmaul) about his approach to things, and she gave an excellent jumping off point:  “The dude is the embodiment of the romantic ideal of a knight in the chivalric sense.“ At the foundation of who he is, Obi-Wan is someone who believes in and loves the Jedi Order very much, he believes in the values they teach and the discipline of looking inwards to understand yourself and thus be able to control yourself.  This is someone who survived the genocide of his people and culture, yet still remained kind and compassionate, he remained good, because Obi-Wan Kenobi understands and took to heart the value of getting your shit together as the Jedi taught him.

This doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have his moments, of course.  He experiences anger and frustration, he can snap at people, his anger can make him lash out at people sometimes, but he thoroughly understands that he cannot embrace that anger in any significant way. Like when Maul kills Qui-Gon in TPM, he’s obviously angry, but he doesn’t seize on that anger. Like when Maul kills Satine in “The Lawless”, he’s obviously angry, but he doesn’t seize on that anger. Like when Anakin turns to the dark side, kills the Jedi younglings, he’s obviously angry, but he doesn’t seize on that anger.  He experiences it, acknowledges it, and lets it go again.

”And in that moment, that critical moment, he cannot seize on his anger and his hatred for Maul.  Though that’s probably there, deep within, he can’t seize on it or Maul will win, he knows that.  I think we learned a lot about Obi-Wan and what it means to be a true Jedi, which is what I see Obi-Wan as.“ –Dave Filoni, on “The Lawless  (This is something he’s repeated several times, about how the core themes of Star Wars are letting go of the the anger and hate and fear so that the dark doesn’t win, so that you can’t be controlled.) This is also reflected in his recklessness–which he very much is reckless, but he’s at peace with that recklessness and I’ve always argued that it’s a considered reckless, that he does it when there are no feasibly better options.  Hence why he’ll jump out of a window to chase an assassin droid and it’s not because he immediately goes for the reckless option (like he takes his time with Dooku at the end of AOTC, because he knows this needs a measured response), but that he knows there’s not a better option and that he can hang onto it and he’ll be okay, he trusts Anakin to go find a speeder and catch up.

Or he’ll fling himself out of the cockpit on the Invisible Hand and right into the middle of the droids.  Or throw himself off a ship or building when he really absolutely needs to get somewhere.  It’s not because he doesn’t know it’s dangerous, but that he thinks it’s genuinely the best way. Obi-Wan, I think, is someone who has been taught from a very young age to look within and understand himself, the very earliest scene we have for him in canon is him meditating with his classmates while being taught the lesson of:  “Meditation is about more than just forging a deeper connection to the Force… it is about gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves.  It is a means of obtaining greater control over our thoughts.  Over our emotions.  Peace.  Serenity. Harmony.  We must master ourselves before we can hope to master the Force.”

This is the foundation of Obi-Wan, that sense of how long he’s been understanding himself and that he’ll never stop learning, it’s a lifelong path to walk to understand and master yourself, but he’s pretty damn good at it. James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan’s voice actor in TCW) says similar things about him:  "Obi-Wan constantly attempts to keep everybody on track, but he also tries to be realistic.  You saw that in ‘The Citadel’ episode in Season Three where they’re losing clones left, right, and center.  I remember when we were in the studio voicing that stuff, Dave [Filoni] kept telling me that Obi-Wan is the one who says we must move forward and we have to keep going.  I had to strike a balance when recording those lines to show he has sympathy and heart for the clones, but at the same time he knows the mission.  I think that sort of sums up the character. He’s strong when other characters don’t necessarily know what to do, and he’s a voice of reason.“ The other thing about Obi-Wan is that he prizes helping others above almost anything else.  (Well, aside from the whole looking inward and figuring out the path that’s right for you thing.)  He doesn’t become a doormat about it, he has boundaries and he gets angry when others pile stuff onto him–like, he’s genuinely angry at Anakin in ROTS, when he yells that their allegiance is to democracy or when he snaps that if the planets they’re fighting for would actually pitch in themselves, we wouldn’t be in this particular mess in TCW.

Sometimes this comes out in little ways–like he banters with Anakin to take his mind off Anakin’s boiling panic in the AOTC elevator scene, or he banters with Anakin to give the clones time to get in place to help save Luminara from the Geonosian Queen in TCW.  He enjoys the banter for its own sake, but he’s often pulling double duty in how he’s also using it for another purpose, because Obi-Wan doesn’t often do things without focus or purpose.  Even if he’s not sure how the hell they’re going to get through something, he’s still acknowledging his feelings on that and looking for a way to be strong when others don’t know how to.  He has purpose in nearly everything he does. Like when he’s bantering with Anakin while they watch the Geonosian Queen hold Luminara captive, the banter is funny and “Come now, which do you think [the brain worm] will go for?  The ear or the nose?” is one of the funniest moments in SW, but he’s also using it to stall for time so the clones can get into position to help get Luminara back. Like with Luke, he doesn’t lie because it’s easier or because he’s trying to manipulate Luke into killing Vader, but because Luke isn’t ready to hear the truth and he needs this emotional truth as a foundation to understand the bigger picture, he even says that someday Luke will have to know the truth in the From a Certain Point of View anthology.  (George Lucas has also said that he didn’t really lie to Luke, as well as that he and Yoda are not trying to get Luke to kill Vader, but to be ready that the possibility may happen.) And that sense of manipulation can sometimes lead people to thinking he’s a jerk (especially if they love him and are kind of mad that they love him) but it’s never done out of cruelty or because it’s easier for him.  It serves a purpose, one that he feels will help the other.  He’s the “adult in the room” for that, in a lot of ways, that that’s why people look to him for leadership, because he’s looking at a situation and trying to figure out the best way forward for everyone, he’s a natural leader. This is part of his chivalric knight character as well, that he has boundaries for himself personally, but he whole-heartedly believes in a purpose bigger than himself.  He believes in being selfless.  He believes in reaching out a hand to help others.  This is reflected a lot in his relationship with Anakin, where he’s almost always the one offering to talk and opening the conversation up first. (Attack of the Clones, he’s the one who asks how Anakin’s been sleeping lately.  Age of the Republic - Obi-Wan Kenobi, he’s the one who talks to Anakin about how he felt he couldn’t protect Qui-Gon, how can he protect Anakin, and works it out with him.  Age of the Republic - Anakin Skywalker, he’s the one who approaches Anakin who is getting wound up, even is acting very emotional, and Obi-Wan encourages him and says he’s proud of him.  The Clone Wars, when Anakin is starting to lose his shit over Rush Clovis, Obi-Wan approaches him to talk.) He’s also a Knight in the sense that he doesn’t have to vomit his feelings everywhere to show them deeply.  He clearly cares very much for Anakin, his feelings are processed just fine, he’s just reserved.  That doesn’t mean he’s not kind and praiseful or flirtatious or gentle, but that he’s by and large measured and has had a lifetime of practice of being in control of himself. Even when Obi-Wan is coming face to face with his own death and seeing Anakin again for the first time, he walks this line between understanding how hard this hits him and that he has his shit together–one of the best lines from “Time of Death” in From a Certain Point of View is:  ”I cannot use his real name.  It would undo me, even after all this time, catching in my throat.  The time for talk is at an end.  This must be decided once and for all.“  Obi-Wan gets how difficult this is for himself, but he also doesn’t seize on that hurt, because he knows that wouldn’t lead anywhere good and has had a lifetime of working at this. Or when he’s fighting Anakin on Mustafar, the entire fight is written around how he was trying to give Anakin time to come to his senses and calm down.   “My take on the whole duel was that Obi-Wan is the central character in that duel. He wouldn’t try and kill Anakin. The way I saw that fight was like having a fight with your girlfriend. That she’s just lost it and that she’s coming at you with everything she’s got. […] So you try to defend her as long as you can until she breaks down. Then you can give her a cuddle.“ –Nick Gillard, fight choreographer His kindness manifests in ways like:  “Obi-Wan truly is a Jedi in that he’s like, ‘Okay, I’m not going to murder these creatures [in the Ryloth arc of The Clone Wars].  They’re starving to death.  They’ve basically been unleashed against these people as a weapon, but it’s not their fault.  They’re just doing what they do.  They’re just animals who wanna eat.’” This is also reflected in the Obi-Wan & Anakin comic:   “These beasts are nearly mindless, Anakin.  I can feel it.  They are merely following their nature.  They should not die simply because they crossed our path.  Use the Force to send them on their way.” So, he’s balanced between a direct sort of kindness and a bantering kindness, depending on the situation (but most especially with Anakin, because Anakin tends to thrive on banter, he clearly enjoys it, even when he’s crabbing about it) and what he thinks would work best for the situation. Obi-Wan has strong beliefs about how things should be handled, like he very much believes in working within the system to help make it better, the Obi-Wan & Anakin comic does a really great job of showing that, but it’s woven into pretty much all of Obi-Wan’s storylines. And, ultimately, I think he was really, really good for Anakin.  Obi-Wan, I think, tends to get misunderstood by people (especially Anakin) because he’s almost sort of understated and that, because he works hard on finding his balance, because he’s had a lifetime of devotion to the Jedi ways that are the themes of Star Wars, that he doesn’t struggle or feel anything.  That because he’s strong, that it means he feels things less or never experiences doubt, which isn’t true.  Obi-Wan’s just really good at finding his feet again, that really the biggest thing he doesn’t have his shit together on is Anakin himself–that he just cannot possibly believe that Anakin would fall and betray them.  He can’t believe it in the Story Reels, he can’t believe it in Revenge of the Sith until it’s right in front of him.  That’s Obi-Wan’s biggest weakness, that he so strongly believes in the ones he loves that he doesn’t see their flaws sometimes. One of the earliest fics I ever read was  Fire and Ice by Yesac and it really set a lot of my views on Obi-Wan (and Anakin, as well), that it’s the best “Anakin won on Mustafar, now suitless Vader is running around the galaxy and Obi-Wan has to deal with this”, that it does an absolutely brilliant job of showing that Obi-Wan is deeply affected by all this, but that he has a kind of strength that Anakin just breaks against, eventually.  That it highlights their dynamic so incredibly well–and, okay, for memory there’s some “the Jedi aren’t allowed to love” elements in it, but they’re very minor and we’re shown Obi-Wan being deeply caring and focused, so I tend to gloss over that part and focus instead on how this was a fic that really helped me understand his character. Because Obi-Wan is difficult to sum up in a few things, especially because he’s understated a lot of the time, despite that he feels very genuinely and deeply, that the balance between that he’s a natural leader versus that he struggles just as much as anyone because he’s human and he makes mistakes, but that ultimately Obi-Wan Kenobi is about rising above and guiding others because he has a laser sharp focus and he knows how to get shit done.  If you’re in a bad spot, this is the guy you want leading the way out of there, especially if you’re Anakin Skywalker.  (Even if you can’t always admit it because you’re mad that he won’t just let you lash out your anger everywhere!) And you really do not want to go into a fight against this guy:

Because not only is ^ that shit really  hot and incredible, that he did far more damage than he took, but he does this EVERY SINGLE TIME pretty much. Even in fights where he should be at a disadvantage, somehow he keeps coming out on top or finding a way out. He’s like this with Anakin a lot, too, not just on Mustafar, but even hand-to-hand, he pretty much wipes the floor with Anakin as Rako Hardeen:

YOU DO NOT WANT TO CROSS THIS GUY, because he’s deeply compassionate, but when you cross a line, he will ultimately win. It doesn’t define him, the fighting (he’s just really, really good at it), he prefers diplomacy and finding ways for everyone to work together, he’d rather banter or overwhelm someone by flirting with them, but Obi-Wan is also someone who is incredibly focused and will do what he must, when push comes to shove. He’ll fight Anakin, he’ll even kill him–or so he thinks, despite that he cannot bring himself to strike the killing blow, because he just couldn’t, but that’s sort of the motto Obi-Wan lives by, I think.  “Acknowledge where you are and make the choice you can live with.”  And he himself does his best to live up to that, whether it’s having faith in someone he loves or stopping evil, whether he’s choosing to stay with the Jedi or acknowledging that he’d have left for Satine and for Anakin, he’s self-aware enough to make the choices he genuinely thinks are best, after a lot of thought and care and self-reflection.  They’re not always perfect choices (because there aren’t any perfect choices) but Obi-Wan’s strength of character and belief always allow him to keep going.