Obi-Wan Kenobi

"Obi-Wan is a great mentor; as wise as Master Yoda, and as powerful as Master Windu."

- Anakin Skywalker

Obi-Wan Kenobi, later known as Ben Kenobi during his exile, was a legendary Jedi Master who played a significant role in the fate of the galaxy during the waning days of the Galactic Republic. He was the mentor of both Anakin and Luke Skywalker, training both in the ways of the Force. He had a long and tumultuous career that helped shape the fate of the entire galaxy.

Kenobi was taken as the Jedi apprentice of Qui-Gon Jinn and traveled on many missions with him. During the Invasion of Naboo, Kenobi became the first Jedi in approximately 1,000 years to defeat a Sith Lord in combat when he defeated Darth Maul during the Battle of Naboo, yet lost his master in the same duel. Ten years later, Kenobi found the clone army on Kamino, and he was captured and almost executed in the Petranaki arena on Geonosis, along with Skywalker and Senator/Canon Padmé Amidala. The newly arrived clone troopers rescued them, but the following battle began the galaxy-wide Clone Wars.

Kenobi fought during many battles of the Clone Wars, and was one of the last members of the Jedi High Council. Even after his apprentice became a Jedi Knight, Kenobi and Skywalker fought together many times, becoming a widely renowned pair. Kenobi earned the sobriquet "The Negotiator" through his charm and calm demeanor as well as the quiet threat of his abilities with a lightsaber. During the war, an old enemy returned to haunt Kenobi: Darth Maul, the murderer of Qui-Gon Jinn. With aid of his brother, Savage Opress, the revived Sith Lord went to create a criminal empire, all the while plotting revenge on his most despised adversary. Kenobi clashed blades with Maul on occasion across the galaxy. He was devastated as Maul slew the Jedi's past love interest, Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore, in cold blood, yet remained strong throughout the conflict. Later in the war, Skywalker saved his life in a battle fought over Coruscant, after which Kenobi killed General Grievous on Utapau. However, he was soon betrayed, as Commander Cody, following Order 66, opened fire on him.

Kenobi met up with his old mentor Master Yoda, and the two realized that not many Jedi had survived the attacks. The two returned to the Jedi Temple, where they learned the agonizing truth: Skywalker, now lost to the dark sife of the Force, had led an attack to kill all Jedi remaining in the Jedi Temple, following orders from Chancellor Palpatine, the ruler of the successor of the Republic, the Galactic Empire. Kenobi traveled to Mustafar in order to duel his former apprentice and friend, now the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Finally, Vader was taken in by a storm of lava, and Kenobi remorsefully left him to die. While Yoda, went into exile, Kenobi took the son of Skywalker and Amidala, Luke Skywalker, to live with the Lars family on Tatooine. He became a friend of the young Skywalker as he grew up, but he did not tell Skywalker his actual identity.

Kenobi re-emerged 19 years later, shortly before the Battle of Yavin. After Leia Organa, Vader's daughter and Luke Skywalker's twin sister, was captured by the Empire, she contacted him desperately. Kenobi gave Luke his father's lightsaber and traveled with him to Alderaan in Han Solo's Millennium Falcon, only to realize that the Death Star had destroyed the planet. Kenobi entered the Death Star with Luke, Han, Chewbacca, C-3P0, and R2-D2, in order to rescue Organa, but Darth Vader sensed his presence. In a duel with his former apprentice, Kenobi gave up his life to allow Luke to escape, vanishing into the Force the moment Vader struck him down with his weapon. Three years later, his spirit returned to Luke to lead him to Dagobah in order to learn from Master Yoda.

Satine Kryze
"I've loved you from the moment you came to my aid all those years ago.''" [&hellip;] "''Had you said the word, I would have left the Jedi Order."

- Satine and Kenobi

As Qui-Gon Jinn's Padawan, Kenobi went on a mission to protect Satine Kryze. They were always on the run from bounty hunters and they never knew what would happen next. Kenobi saved Kryze in at least one instance when he was a Padawan. At some point after becoming a Jedi Knight, Kenobi had an affair with the Duchess from the planet Kalevala. However, in the Clone Wars, their feelings for each other resurfaced. Their relationship also never developed and they broke off the affair to focus on their mutual responsibilities as peacekeepers.

Behind the scenes
Obi-Wan Kenobi is played by Ewan McGregor in The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith. For A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi was played by Sir Alec Guinness, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (the only acting-related Academy Award nomination for any Star Wars film). Guinness reprised the role as Kenobi's ghost in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

In the The Clone Wars Film and TV series and the video game Revenge of the Sith, Kenobi is voiced by James Arnold Taylor.

Despite great critical acclaim, Alec Guinness disliked being associated solely with the role of Kenobi. To limit his role in the trilogy, it was reportedly Guinness's own idea that Ben should die on the Death Star.

However, as stated in The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film, it is Lucas who originally came up with the idea of having Ben die, to which Guinness initially objected. After explaining that Ben would have little to do in the story after the Millennium Falcon escaped from the Death Star, Lucas was able to successfully convince him to allow it.