So before the Kenobi series, most of us thought Ben Kenobi’s first reunion with Darth Vader happened aboard the Death Star in A New Hope. But in Legends, the story goes much deeper. Hidden away in the novels Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vade is an earlier moment — the first time Obi-Wan laid eyes on the dark figure Anakin Skywalker had become.
Ben Kenobi’s First Glimpse of Darth Vader and the Truth of His Identity
So let’s start with the novel Star Wars: Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader. Just to be clear, this book is part of Legends continuity, so we don’t confuse it with canon. But it’s still one of those fascinating “what if” windows into Star Wars history that lets us explore the galaxy from another angle.
In the story, Obi-Wan Kenobi is sitting quietly inside a cantina when the HoloNet draws his attention. A chilling report blares: “Band of Jedi were killed on Kashyyyk.”
At first, Obi-Wan thinks he must have heard it wrong. He turns to the man sitting nearby for confirmation, and as the broadcast continues, the words sink in deeper: “The Empire had accused Kashyyyk of plotting rebellion… Thousands of Wookiees had died, hundreds of thousands more had been imprisoned…”
But Obi-Wan’s thoughts weren’t on the Wookiees, or even the mechanics of the battle. Instead, his mind leapt back to the moment in Revenge of the Sith when he recorded his hologram to warn the Jedi away from Coruscant. His message had been clear: do not gather, do not draw attention, do not risk being hunted down. And now, hearing this report, Obi-Wan asked himself: “What could the ones discovered on Kashyyyk have been thinking, banding together like that, drawing attention to themselves instead of going to ground as they had been ordered to do?”
Then, the image on the HoloNet shifted.
The book describes it this way: “When Obi-Wan lifted his gaze, the intermittently garbled HoloNet was displaying an image of someone outfitted in what almost seemed a costume of head-to-toe black. Human or humanoid—the being’s species wasn’t mentioned—the masked Imperial had apparently played a role in tracking down and executing the ‘insurrectionist’ Jedi, and enslaving their Wookiee confederates.”
That was the moment Obi-Wan first laid eyes on Darth Vader.
The reporter said the name, garbled at first, and Obi-Wan leaned forward, uncertain.
Obi-Wan: “What did she say? Who is that?”
Man at the next table: “Lord Vader.”
Obi-Wan’s reaction was immediate: “No, that’s not possible!” The name echoed inside him, burning like a brand: Vader, Vader’s alive.
In desperation, Obi-Wan reached out through the Force to his old master.
Obi-Wan: “Qui-Gon! Master! Master, is Darth Vader Anakin?”
Qui-Gon: “Yes. Although the Anakin you and I knew is imprisoned by the dark side.”
Obi-Wan admitted what had haunted him since Mustafar: “I was wrong to leave him on Mustafar. I should have made sure he was dead.”
But Qui-Gon’s reply carried the wisdom of the Force: “The Force will determine Anakin’s future. Obi-Wan: Luke must not be told that Vader is his father until the time is right.”