Every Star Wars fan has seen the memes. “Don’t try it!” Obi-Wan warns, and Anakin—furious, broken, and overconfident—leaps anyway… and gets sliced down.
The Duel on Mustafar is one of the most iconic scenes in the entire saga, and like many fans, I’ve rewatched it countless times. But let’s be real—at some point, we’ve all asked the same question: Why did Anakin try to jump over Obi-Wan?
He knew Obi-Wan. He trained under him. He was warned. So why go for such a risky move? Was Anakin really that reckless—or worse, stupid?
In fact, Anakin knew exactly what he was doing. He was trying to pull off the same move Obi-Wan used to defeat Darth Maul back in The Phantom Menace. And considering how many times he probably watched that fight, it makes sense that Anakin thought he could do it too.
Anakin Learned the Jump From Watching Obi-Wan vs. Maul
In the canon comic Obi-Wan & Anakin (2016), issue #1, there’s a moment that explains a lot more about Anakin’s mindset than most people realize. Back when he was still a Padawan, Anakin watched Obi-Wan’s fight with Darth Maul on Naboo over and over again. He didn’t just study it—he tried to mimic Obi-Wan’s exact move.
In one scene, Anakin is practicing lightsaber combat in front of a group of younglings inside the Jedi Temple. He’s being watched by none other than Mace Windu, Obi-Wan, and even Chancellor Palpatine. And when he notices them watching, Anakin starts showing off. He changes the appearance of the training droid to look like Darth Maul, complete with a double-bladed lightsaber, and then flips over it, slicing it in half just like Obi-Wan did on Naboo.
Even the Jedi Masters pick up on what he’s doing. Mace Windu asks, “What is he doing? Is that…” and Obi-Wan replies, “Anakin’s been asking me about my fight with the Sith on Naboo—very detailed questions… but I assumed it was just natural curiosity. I had no idea he would…”
That short moment says everything. Years later, on Mustafar, when Anakin leapt over Obi-Wan, it wasn’t some wild, reckless move. It was a move he trained himself to believe in. In his mind, it had worked before—and now, he was going to use it against the man who first showed him how.
Hayden Christensen Reveals Why Anakin Truly Made the Jump
What’s even better is that we have an explanation from the actor himself. Hayden Christensen actually explained why Anakin made the leap.
At SpaceCon, when a fan randomly shouted, “WHY DID YOU JUMP?” Christensen laughed—but then gave a surprisingly thoughtful answer.
He replied:
“The arrogance of youth. I also like to think that there was like this sort of, you know, lore within the Jedi that when Obi-Wan defeated Darth Maul… Darth Maul had the high ground and [Obi-Wan] did the amazing flip. And so I like to think that they talked about that—it was like this big deal. And so Anakin, in the back of his head, he hears Obi-Wan say ‘I have the high ground,’ and he’s like, ‘I’m going to show him.’”
This perspective aligns with Anakin’s established character traits—his impulsiveness, pride, and tendency to overestimate his abilities. Throughout the prequel trilogy, Anakin often struggled with authority and believed he was destined for greatness, which sometimes clouded his judgment. Christensen’s insight adds depth to this pivotal moment, highlighting that Anakin’s downfall was not merely due to tactical error but also a culmination of his internal flaws.