Before Kenobi, the timeline was crystal clear: Vader and Obi-Wan hadn’t seen each other since Mustafar. That’s what made their duel in A New Hope hit so hard.
Vader’s line, “I sense a presence I haven’t felt since…” wasn’t just suspenseful—it carried the weight of their epic final battle.
But Kenobi flipped the script, and… well, let’s just say the results are divisive.
Table of Contents
1. Obi-Wan’s Real Job on Tatooine
Let’s be real: Obi-Wan had one mission on Tatooine—protect Luke Skywalker. Leaving the planet to go fight Vader (again) seems… reckless, at best.
The whole point of his exile was to stay off Vader’s radar, not paint a giant neon target on his back. If Vader had so much as suspected Obi-Wan was alive, it would’ve been game over for Luke. Instead, we get an epic fight that—while visually stunning—puts the entire rebellion at risk. Canon? Who needs it when you’ve got cool lightsaber choreography, right?
2. Flashbacks and Nightmares Could’ve Worked Better
Look, nobody’s saying we don’t want Obi-Wan and Vader in Kenobi. But there were so many other ways to make it happen without breaking the timeline. Imagine flashbacks to their Clone Wars days, showing us their bond as brothers-in-arms before everything went to hell.
Or picture Obi-Wan haunted by nightmares—visions of Vader as the monster he created. That would’ve been a perfect way to explore Obi-Wan’s trauma and guilt without rewriting history. But no, we got a full-on duel that feels… forced.
3. Vader’s Rise Deserved Its Own Spotlight
Vader’s rise to power is one of the most compelling parts of the Star Wars saga. Why not show us more of that? His hunt for surviving Jedi, his struggle with his own demons, his transformation into the Empire’s enforcer—there’s so much ground to cover.
Instead, Kenobi drags him back into another clash with his former master. It’s like the writers didn’t trust us to care about Vader unless he was fighting Obi-Wan. Spoiler: we do.
4. What About the Magic of A New Hope?
At the core of this debate is the original trilogy. When Obi-Wan and Vader meet on the Death Star, it’s a moment. It’s two titans clashing after years of history and regret. Adding another duel before that dilutes the impact.
The Kenobi series tries to recreate the magic, but in doing so, it takes away from what made their showdown in A New Hope so special. It’s like eating dessert before dinner—sure, it’s fun, but it ruins the main course.
The Duel We Didn’t Need
The Kenobi series had so much potential, and let’s be honest—the fight between Obi-Wan and Vader looked incredible. But was it worth messing up decades of lore? Not really. There were other ways to give us drama and character development without stepping on the toes of canon.
Here’s hoping future Star Wars stories focus less on spectacle and more on storytelling. May the Force guide them better next time.