At the end of Return of the Jedi, we see Darth Vader’s final moment — the one where he redeems himself and returns to the light side of the Force by destroying the Emperor. In doing so, he not only saves his son but also helps restore balance to the Force and peace to the galaxy.
As Vader lies dying, he asks Luke to remove his helmet so he can see his son with his own eyes one last time, and after that, he takes his final breath. But did you know that Obi-Wan was actually there, watching all of it happen?
Yes, it really happened, at least in Star Wars Legends. This moment is told in the book Star Wars: The Life and Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi, where we get to see what Obi-Wan felt as he watched his old friend finally find redemption.
In Legends, Obi-Wan Was Always Watching Over Luke
Before we jump into Obi-Wan’s thoughts about Anakin’s redemption, we first need to understand how — and why — Obi-Wan was there in the first place.
From the film, we know that Obi-Wan appeared to Luke as a Force ghost, revealing the truth about Darth Vader being his father and Leia being his twin sister before disappearing once again.
However, in the Legends version, we get a deeper look into Obi-Wan’s continued presence. The book reveals that he was always with Luke — even during the time when Luke was captured by Vader on the Forest Moon of Endor.
Obi-Wan’s spirit also followed Luke when he was brought before the Emperor on the second Death Star. As the book describes:
“Obi-Wan’s spirit was invisible but present when Luke arrived in the Endor system, where the Empire had constructed a new Death Star battle station.”
With that said, we can now move on to how Obi-Wan truly felt about Luke’s belief that “there is still good” inside Darth Vader.
What Obi-Wan Thought When Luke Tried to Redeem Vader
By staying close to Luke through the Force, Obi-Wan didn’t just witness everything — he felt it. Yet, deep down, he believed Luke was attempting something that could never work.
As the book recalls, when Luke spoke to Vader on the Forest Moon of Endor, Vader’s response carried a tone of finality:
“It is too late for me, son.”
Vader then tried to convince Luke to join the dark side, saying:
“The Emperor will show you the true nature of the Force. He is your Master now.”
To which Luke replied with heartbreak:
“Then my father is truly dead.”
Hearing those words, Obi-Wan felt a deep regret — a realization that perhaps he hadn’t tried hard enough to convince Luke that Vader could not be redeemed.
But within that regret also came fear. Obi-Wan’s spirit worried not just for Luke, bu-t for Leia. In his mind, the only way to keep her safe was for Luke to do the unthinkable.
As the book describes:
“After Vader delivered Luke to the Emperor’s throne room on the Death Star, and the black-cloaked Emperor orchestrated a lightsaber duel to test father against son, Obi-Wan became even more resolved that Luke had been unprepared for the confrontation. He’s afraid of what will happen to Leia if he fails to defeat Vader, Obi-Wan thought. He must kill Vader.”
However, Everything Changed When Vader Saved Luke in Front of Obi-Wan
Fast forward to the duel between Luke and his father in front of the Emperor — Obi-Wan was almost losing his mind, fearing that Luke might give in to the dark side just like Anakin once did.
When Luke struck off Vader’s hand, the moment we all know well, Palpatine slowly stepped forward from the shadows, urging Luke to kill Vader and take his place as the new Sith apprentice. Obi-Wan’s spirit was filled with fear — the last hope of the galaxy seemed to be slipping away.
But when Luke threw away his lightsaber and declared that he would never turn, Obi-Wan finally felt relief. However, the Emperor didn’t take it kindly and unleashed his fury, striking Luke again and again with Force lightning.
As Luke cried out for help, Obi-Wan thought:
“Obi-Wan knew that Vader would never help, and he felt almost overwhelmed by a sense of dread. Luke would soon be dead, and Vader would remain the Emperor’s puppet. In fact, Obi-Wan was so convinced of Vader’s nature that he was stunned by what happened next.”
Then it happened — Vader, or rather Anakin Skywalker, saved his son. He lifted the Emperor and threw the Dark Lord down the Death Star’s reactor shaft.
Witnessing that moment, Obi-Wan could hardly believe what he was seeing. For the first time, he finally understood the lesson Qui-Gon had tried to teach him so long ago — the one he had failed to grasp.
“Obi-Wan recalled what Qui-Gon Jinn’s spirit had told him so long ago, when he said that Obi-Wan was not ready, and that he failed to understand. For so many years, Obi-Wan had thought Qui-Gon meant that he wasn’t ready to comprehend details about Anakin’s conversion to the dark side. But now, he finally understood his Master’s words.”
And with that realization came Obi-Wan’s final words:
“I wasn’t ready to forgive Anakin. And he won’t be entirely free unless I do.”
Through Luke’s compassion, Obi-Wan learned the truth — that redemption was never about power, but forgiveness. And through that forgiveness, both he and Anakin were finally set free.
