After watching Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, I now have a new-found respect for Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi Master played by Ewan McGregor (in the prequels) and Alec Guinness (in the original Star Wars series).
I used to think Obi-Wan Kenobi was a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none sort of Jedi Master. I thought he wasn't as talented as Yoda with regards to handling the Force, not as good with a light saber as Mace Windu, and not even close to his padawan, Anakin Skywalker, as a pilot. This, plus the fact that he couldn't control Anakin-- or prevent him from turning to the Dark Side-- were major points against Kenobi.
I changed my mind, however, when I reviewed the villains Obi-Wan cut down in the course of the Star Wars series. In Episode I, he cut down Darth Maul. In Episode III, he beat General Grievous and Anakin Skywalker-- two supposedly formidable opponents. Keep in mind that by beating Darth Maul he defeated someone who had just killed an experienced, full-fledged Jedi Knight (Qui-Gon Jinn). And to think that, at that time, Kenobi was only a padawan, or apprentice. Grievous, on the other hand, was personally responsible for the deaths of numerous Jedi, and, in The Clone Wars Animated Series, showed he was capable of taking on a team of Jedi and coming out on top. But the clincher for me was how Kenobi beat Anakin Skywalker-- the Chosen One. True, Anakin's hubris got the better of him, but you have to give props to Obi-Wan for holding his own until Skywalker made that fatal move that cost him his legs.
Last point. When you think about it, Kenobi never really "lost" a battle. Against Darth Vader in Episode IV, he appeared to have been cut down in their duel, but-- as revealed in later episodes-- he merely became "one with the Force."
Forget the Skywalker hype-- Obi-Wan is the real deal.
I used to think Obi-Wan Kenobi was a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none sort of Jedi Master. I thought he wasn't as talented as Yoda with regards to handling the Force, not as good with a light saber as Mace Windu, and not even close to his padawan, Anakin Skywalker, as a pilot. This, plus the fact that he couldn't control Anakin-- or prevent him from turning to the Dark Side-- were major points against Kenobi.
I changed my mind, however, when I reviewed the villains Obi-Wan cut down in the course of the Star Wars series. In Episode I, he cut down Darth Maul. In Episode III, he beat General Grievous and Anakin Skywalker-- two supposedly formidable opponents. Keep in mind that by beating Darth Maul he defeated someone who had just killed an experienced, full-fledged Jedi Knight (Qui-Gon Jinn). And to think that, at that time, Kenobi was only a padawan, or apprentice. Grievous, on the other hand, was personally responsible for the deaths of numerous Jedi, and, in The Clone Wars Animated Series, showed he was capable of taking on a team of Jedi and coming out on top. But the clincher for me was how Kenobi beat Anakin Skywalker-- the Chosen One. True, Anakin's hubris got the better of him, but you have to give props to Obi-Wan for holding his own until Skywalker made that fatal move that cost him his legs.
Last point. When you think about it, Kenobi never really "lost" a battle. Against Darth Vader in Episode IV, he appeared to have been cut down in their duel, but-- as revealed in later episodes-- he merely became "one with the Force."
Forget the Skywalker hype-- Obi-Wan is the real deal.
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