Disney bought Lucasfilm and with that, announced a slew of new Star Wars projects. The project that was on everyone’s minds was obviously Obi-Wan Kenobi. It would see the return of Ewan McGregor as the titular character, a role he last played in the prequel trilogy. Along with the return of Kenobi, the show would see the return of Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader. Some fans have come forward to say that Obi-Wan Kenobi has destroyed Darth Vader’s legacy. They claim that the show severely underutilized Hayden Christensen in the show. A section of the fan base states Disney’s Star Wars has diluted the galaxy’s most ruthless Sith Lord. And here’s why we believe that they are wrong.
Star Wars Fans Say Darth Vader In Obi-Wan Kenobi Finale Gave Them ‘Mixed Feelings’
Their reasoning is simple. Obi-Wan Kenobi is a show that juggles between two story arcs. The first is Obi-Wan Kenobi’s obligation to protect Anakin and Padme’s kids. The second and more important one is his regret for letting his student Anakin down. The latter aspect of the story was, according to these fans, only given lip-service. The final episode was the only one out of all 6 episodes in Kenobi that explored the dynamics between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
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The internet is already up in arms, claiming that the flashback sequences were not enough. The de-aging CGI used in one of the episodes was also judged to be inadequate. Disney apparently hyped up the Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker rematch so much that fans expected something explosive to happen right in the beginning of the series.
Obi-Wan Kenobi went a different route. It did not go how the fans had predicted and explored the Vader-Kenobi dynamic differently, using it as the icing on the cake that was the magnificent final episode. Star Wars fans took notice and claimed that Disney unethically hyped up the series only to dilute the brand of Darth Vader, bringing down his legacy.
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These are some fan reactions that catch the negative fan sentiment:
The Kenobi Haters Are Wrong – Darth Vader Was Exactly What He Was Supposed To Be
Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 6 gives us the epic rematch between Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Vader is adamant on getting back at Kenobi for turning him into a monster. Kenobi is hell bent on righting his wrongs and redeem himself in his own eyes. And if he needs to fight to the death against the galaxy’s greatest Sith Lord, then so be it.
Fans who claim Darth Vader was diluted in the show need to know that this show was never about Vader. It was about Kenobi. After losing Anakin and forced to live a life of anonymity for protecting Luke and Leia, Kenobi had been truly and utterly broken. In the end, Obi-Wan kenobi realizes that his past regrets over Anakin no longer hold value since his true purpose is protecting the future, not dwelling in the past. Darth Vader was less of a focus because the script writers probably intended to use him as a plot device. Just like Reva, Vader was an instrument for Obi-Wan Kenobi’s redemption and not the other way around.
And the second reason why Darth Vader had a near perfect portrayal in the show is because Vader is still learning. Despite him having embraced the dark side, Vader is yet to find his match. He is fishing for a fight with Kenobi because he is yet to learn that the Dark Side demands total commitment. Vader still has connections to his past and his relentless pursuit to find Kenobi means he has not made peace with it yet. For the dark Side to fuel him, he must feed his inner darkness rage and hatred.
But in the season finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Vader confronts his former master. We can still see sparks flying. Vader may be out for blood and he could have easily killed Kenobi. But in more ways than one, by toying with him and trying to bury him under rubble, he is trying to prove a point. That he has finally bested his master. Vader was looking for Kenobi’s approval, even after so many years.
Anakin Skywalker Became Darth Vader Only After Kenobi Episode 6
Still looking for his former master’s approval in some fashion, Darth Vader tried showing Obi-Wan kenobi his true power. The Dark Side flowed through his veins and he had become a combat juggernaut. But when Obi-Wan Kenobi fought back and showed Vader is still yet to learn, Anakin came to a grave realization. Throughout the fight, Vader kept saying that Kenobi ‘should’ve killed him when he had the chance’. In the end, when Vader could have easily killed Kenobi, he just pushed him into a pile of rubble, hoping he would die.
The Jedi returns to the battlefield and turns the tables. Obi-Wan Kenobi wins again and Vader is left out of breath on a barren planet. He reveals that the Anakin Skywalker Kenobi seeks didn’t die at the latter’s hands. Vader killed him because he was weak. This finally let Kenobi make peace with his past, that there’s nothing else he could do anymore.
But it also gave Darth vader what he needed. When back in Mustafar, Palpatine questions Vader’s loyalty. Vader refutes his master’s doubts, claiming he is loyal only to him and the Empire. The last moments in the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale is testament to Vader sacrificing the last vestiges of human emotion left in him as Anakin Skywalker. Kenobi shows the full transition of Vader from a vengeful former student to a truly unstoppable tyrant as he embraces the Dark Side as his one true ally.
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So, long story short, Star Wars fans are wrong. Obi-Wan kenobi didn’t destroy Darth Vader. It only made him stronger.
