In Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi was an experienced Jedi who trained both Anakin Skywalker and his son, Luke Skywalker. Although much more reckless in his youth, as an old man he had a calm demeanor, often being the voice of wisdom for Luke during his times of need.
Obi-Wan may not have played an active role in Luke’s childhood, but he remained on Tatooine in order to watch over him, and eventually trained Luke in the ways of the Force. Without Obi-Wan, Luke may not have survived, nor would he have ever become a Jedi. After Luke lost his family, Obi-Wan became a father figure to him, albeit not a perfect one.
10 Was A Good Father Figure: He Connected Luke To His Past
Obi-Wan was the one who connected Luke to his Jedi roots: he told Luke that his father was once a respected Jedi, as well as his best friend. Luke’s overprotective uncle refused to speak much about Luke’s father, so this was Luke’s first real introduction to the man that his father had once been. Obi-Wan gave Luke the lightsaber that his father had used in the past, and even offered to train him.
9 Was Not: He Didn’t Tell Luke The Truth About His Family Earlier
Although Obi-Wan told Luke about the kind of person that his father used to be, he failed to tell Luke the full truth. He should have told Luke earlier that Darth Vader was his father, as the reveal would later be so shocking and horrifying to Luke.
He also failed to tell Luke that his sister was Princess Leia, which led to one of the most infamous kiss scenes in the entire franchise.
8 Was A Good Father Figure: He Warned Luke Not To Return Home
In an effort to spare Luke from seeing the death of his family, Obi-Wan warned him not to return home. Luke, naturally worried for them and thinking that he had time to make it back to help them, went regardless. After finding that he was too late, Obi-Wan became Luke’s main pillar of emotional support. He gave Luke a new purpose, as Luke had no reason to remain on the planet any longer.
7 Was Not: He Violently Protected Luke From The Bar Patrons
When Luke and Obi-Wan enter a bar to find someone to escort them to Alderaan, Luke sits at the bar. There, he meets a couple of patrons who do not hesitate to tell him that they dislike him. Before they can attack him, Obi-Wan uses his lightsaber to slice one of their arms off. It’s a brutal scene, and a very violent way for Obi-Wan to protect Luke, when the Jedi usually do not condone violence.
6 Was A Good Father Figure: He Remained On Tatooine To Watch Over Luke
After Anakin had become Darth Vader, his wife, Padme Amidala, was so overcome with grief that she died immediately after delivering her children. Obi-Wan offered to take Luke to Tatooine, and give him to the Lars family.
Although he did not play a role in actually raising the boy, he remained on the planet so that he could watch over Luke, and eventually ends up saving his life from the Tusken Raiders.
5 Was Not: He Nearly Made The Same Mistake Twice
Yoda’s doubts about Luke were valid: he mentioned that Luke was impatient and reckless, and was far too old to begin Jedi training. Yoda said the same thing about his father, and he turned out to be right. Obi-Wan chose to ignore Yoda’s warnings, as he did when he trained Anakin. His decision was a huge gamble, as he could have easily created another Darth Vader.
4 Was A Good Father Figure: He Refused To Let Luke Help Him On The Death Star
The Death Star’s tractor beam forcibly pulled the Millennium Falcon onboard, and although they were able to avoid capture by hiding in Han Solo’s smuggling compartments, they knew that leaving was impossible without first disabling the beam. Obi-Wan went to do so, and told Luke that he could not follow him. This action prevented a premature encounter with Darth Vader. When Luke was making his escape, Obi-Wan even allowed Darth Vader to strike him down, so that Luke would not try to help or wait for him.
3 Was Not: He Used The Force To Tamper With The Minds Of Storm Troopers
When encountering some Storm Troopers, Obi-Wan demonstrated his ability to influence the minds of other people. He told Luke that this ability was effective on the feeble-minded. Similarly to his use of his lightsaber, Obi-Wan used a terrifying ability that Luke surprisingly accepts rather quickly. Although he only used this power to save their skins and to avoid showing their identification, using such a technique is still rather morally gray.
2 Was A Good Father Figure: He Was There For Luke Even As A Force Ghost
Despite his death, Obi-Wan was able to guide Luke as a spirit. He offered advice, which was necessary in order to destroy the first Death Star. He even referred Luke to Master Yoda, who was able to provide Luke with more Jedi training since Obi-Wan had only a limited amount of time to teach Luke the basics. He would continue to be a comforting presence throughout Luke’s life.
1 Was Not: He Gave Up On Anakin
Obi-Wan told Luke that he gave up on Darth Vader a long time ago. He was justified in doing so, as Darth Vader’s crimes are horrific and numerous. He encouraged Luke to do the same thing, rather than to try to get through to his father. However, Luke was too determined to listen to Obi-Wan’s words, which proved to be for the best, as he was miraculously able to pull his father away from the dark side of the Force.
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