8 Ways The Clone Wars Improved Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Story (2024)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars changed Obi-Wan Kenobi’s story and character for the better. Though the Star Wars prequel trilogy depicted the bare-bones tragedy of Anakin Skywalker, Star Wars: The Clone Wars was responsible for filling in the gaps between Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. As such, The Clone Wars cemented itself as a vital piece of Star Wars storytelling, not just for Anakin’s character but for those who surrounded him as well – namely, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Clone Wars’ galaxy-wide conflict tainted everything, from the Separatist alliance to innocent, resource-rich worlds, and perhaps most importantly, the Jedi Order. By allowing themselves to get swept up in the conflict and the galaxy’s political turmoil, the Jedi lost sight of who they were and what they stood for. The violence, deception, and heightened emotional state of the Clone Wars affected everyone, and even a Jedi as noble, well-respected, and thoughtful as Obi-Wan Kenobi was changed by it, providing audiences with a better understanding of his ethics as a Jedi, a man, and as a friend.

8 Obi-Wan’s Rivalry With Darth Maul Became A Cornerstone Of His Story

It made their duel in The Phantom Menace so much more important

Famously, of course, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s duel with Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace proved that Obi-Wan was a Jedi to be reckoned with. He defeated a Sith apprentice when he was still just a Padawan himself, avenging his master’s death – though he would never describe it that way – and changing the fate of the galaxy forever. Though many, including Obi-Wan, believed that would be the last time anyone saw Maul, the former Sith apprentice survived through sheer force of will and anger.

As a result, Maul became obsessed with defeating Obi-Wan. They met many times during the Clone Wars – sometimes Obi-Wan had the upper hand, other times Maul did, but in the end, Maul seemed to get the last laugh (before Star Wars Rebels, anyway) by killing someone that Obi-Wan was incredibly close to. Above all, what Obi-Wan and Maul’s rivalry proved was exactly why Obi-Wan managed to defeat Maul that very first time: Maul was consumed with hate and arrogance, while Obi-Wan kept himself centered, even while he was grieving. Obi-Wan became a better Jedi because of Maul.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

The Padawan of Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi became a Jedi Knight after his master's death. Obi-Wan trained Anakin Skywalker as a Jedi, with his own apprentice knighted after the Battle of Geonosis. The Jedi Master became a key player in the Jedi during the Clone Wars, and was heartbroken when Anakin turned to the dark side; Obi-Wan critically wounded Anakin before taking to the shadows, watching over the young Luke and Leia for years. He sacrificed himself for his two charges, becoming a Force Ghost and continuing to mentor them.

Created By

George Lucas

Cast

Alec Guinness , Ewan McGregor

First Appearance

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

Died

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

Alias

Ben, Rako Hardeen

Alliance

Jedi

Race

Human

Movies

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope , Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back , Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi , Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace , Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones , Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

TV Shows

Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Star Wars Rebels , Obi-Wan Kenobi

Franchise

Star Wars

7 Obi-Wan’s Friendships With The Clones Makes Order 66 Much More Impactful

Obi-Wan wasn't just grieving for the Jedi but the clones he worked with, too

This is true for all the Jedi who fought in the Clone Wars, but it’s especially true for Obi-Wan, too. Though many viewed Obi-Wan as the model Jedi – collected, calm, thoughtful, and rational – Obi-Wan still had a hard time leaving his attachments behind him. He became friends with the clones he worked with – he respected them, joked with them, fought alongside them, and protected them, and all of that is depicted in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

As such, when Order 66 is implemented by Palpatine, the shock of the ambush against Obi-Wan as seen in Revenge of the Sith is all the more harrowing. This wasn’t just a surprise attack, this was a surprise attack by people he trusted – Commander Cody perhaps most of all – and Obi-Wan never got a chance to grieve his clone trooper friends before he was forced to confront one of his other closest friends, as well.

6 The Clone Wars Showed Off Obi-Wan’s Greatest Skills

Obi-Wan wasn't just an excellent duelist

Obi-Wan has always been viewed as a great duelist and a calm, thoughtful, and friendly Jedi. But there’s more to Obi-Wan than meets the eye, and The Clone Wars allowed him to flex his other skills whenever necessary. Obi-Wan was a skilled liar and actor – for instance, he went undercover as a hardened criminal in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 4, episodes 15-18. He was willing to fake his death to convince the other bounty hunters and criminals that he was one of them, changing his appearance to become unrecognizable.

He also gets to show off his detective skills again, as first glimpsed in Attack of the Clones, in The Clone Wars season 6, episode 10, as he once again chases the trail of Master Sifo-Dyas after his lightsaber is found during a Jedi mission. These skills and more made Obi-Wan invaluable to the Jedi, and The Clone Wars recognized his true potential.

5 The Clone Wars Tested Obi-Wan’s Loyalty To The Jedi And The Force

Obi-Wan's adventures during the Clone Wars changed him

Though Obi-Wan managed to deal with the heartache and violence of the Clone Wars better than some other Jedi, he wasn’t entirely unaffected. The Jedi’s role in the conflict tested his loyalty to both the Jedi Order as a whole and his relationship with the Force. For instance, in the “Slaves of Zygerria” arc in The Clone Wars season 4 (episodes 11-13), Obi-Wan is confronted with the limits of the Jedi Order’s reach and feels helpless to stop it, even as he’s kidnapped and used as a slave himself.

During the Mortis arc in The Clone Wars season 3, (episodes 15-17), everything Obi-Wan thought he knew about the Force is turned on its head. He sees Anakin struggling with the dark side, watches as Ahsoka loses her life and is resurrected, and has a vision of Qui-Gon Jinn as well, one which almost changes his entire point of view. The Clone Wars was a harrowing time for all the Jedi, but Obi-Wan, who was so principled and reasonable, was often left to question his entire philosophy and life choices because of it.

4 The Clone Wars Depicted Obi-Wan And Anakin’s Friendship Better Than The Prequels

The Clone Wars allowed the audience to understand why they consider themselves brothers

The final duel in Revenge of the Sith between Obi-Wan and Anakin is supposed to be the emotional climax of the film. Two Jedi, two friends, brothers, even, are forced to fight each other in a duel to the death. It’s a tragedy, it’s Shakespearean, and yet, it wasn’t until Star Wars: The Clone Wars showed us just how close Anakin and Obi-Wan truly were that the actual horror of this final duel became clear.

In The Clone Wars, audiences get to see Anakin and Obi-Wan joking around with each other, confiding in one another, fighting side-by-side as equals rather than as a teacher and a pupil. Obi-Wan tells Anakin some of his deepest regrets and secrets, and Anakin, in turn, talks to Obi-Wan about his worries. In The Clone Wars, they truly were brothers, and it makes their relationship in Revenge of the Sith and the original Star Wars movie, later retitled A New Hope, all the more poignant.

3 Obi-Wan’s Fatal Flaw Wasn’t Pride – It Was His Relationship With Anakin

Though the Jedi Order's fatal flaw was pride, Obi-Wan had his own weakness as well

Though Star Wars: The Clone Wars further proved that the Jedi Order’s greatest flaw was, in fact, pride – they refused to acknowledge their role in the Republic’s political conflict, they ignored the warning signs of the coming darkness, and so on – Obi-Wan’s fatal flaw was proven to be his relationship with Anakin. The Jedi aren’t supposed to have attachments, and yet Obi-Wan was clearly attached to Anakin, and vice versa.

What if Obi-Wan had been more objective when it came to Anakin? Would he have been able to sense Anakin’s desperation? His growing loyalty to Palpatine? Would he have been in a better position to stop it? Would he have wanted to? There was nothing Obi-Wan wouldn’t do for Anakin – he even lied to the Jedi Council for him – not until it was already too late.

2 Obi-Wan Knew About Anakin & Padmé All Along

Obi-Wan wasn't always the model Jedi everyone thought he was

Though it was never explicitly confirmed that Obi-Wan knew about Anakin and Padmé's secret relationship, it was heavily implied, especially in the final season of The Clone Wars. In one scene, Anakin calls Padmé while away on a mission, hidden in a closet with Captain Rex guarding the door. Obi-Wan approaches, hoping to speak to Anakin, but Rex gets him to leave just as Anakin exits the room. Obi-Wan, however, says “I hope you at least told Padmé I said hello,” indicating that Obi-Wan knew, on some level, that Anakin and Padmé were still involved (though perhaps he didn’t know they were married).

Once again, this is a prime example of how highly Obi-Wan thought of Anakin, and how much he valued their friendship. He wanted his former Padawan to be happy, no matter the cost, and no matter the lies he would need to tell the Jedi Order. This is especially notable since Obi-Wan never got the chance to experience that kind of happiness for himself – or at the very least, he denied himself that chance.

1 Obi-Wan Had His Own Love Story

Obi-Wan could have had his own happy ending

Perhaps the biggest reveal in the entirety of Star Wars: The Clone Wars was that Obi-Wan Kenobi had once fallen in love too. In The Clone Wars season 2, viewers are introduced to Satine Kryze, the duch*ess of Mandalore, and it quickly becomes clear that she and Obi-Wan share a past. It is later revealed that they loved each other so much that Obi-Wan would have considered leaving the Jedi Order to be with her, and Satine loved him so much that she never allowed herself to ask him to stay with her.

Not only does Obi-Wan’s love story confirm that he was, in fact, one of the noblest Jedi in the Order – he did what Anakin could not by giving up his chance at happiness for the sake of the galaxy’s safety – but it adds a completely different dimension to his character, too. Obi-Wan loved, lost, grieved, and persevered. The Star Wars prequel trilogy was made better by The Clone Wars, and so was Obi-Wan’s character. Star Wars: The Clone Wars proved that Obi-Wan Kenobi wasn’t just a mentor; he was a lover, a confidante, a leader, and above all, a friend.

All episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars are now available to stream on Disney+.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

4.0

Animation

Sci-Fi

The animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars takes place between Episodes 2 and 3 of the Star Wars film saga. The fan-favorite series expands the story of the prequel trilogy through characters including Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, and more fan-favorite jedi.

Cast

Matt Lanter , james arnold taylor , Ashley Eckstein , Dee Bradley Baker , Matthew Wood , Tom Kane , Catherine Taber , Terrence Carson , Corey Burton , Nika Futterman , Katee Sackhoff , Sam Witwer

Release Date

October 3, 2008

Seasons

7

Network

Disney Channel

Streaming Service(s)

Disney+

Franchise(s)

Star Wars

Writers

Dave Filoni , George Lucas

Directors

Dave Filoni

Showrunner

Dave Filoni