The climactic duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin in Revenge of the Sith has left fans pondering over many questions and “what-if” scenarios. One of the most pressing questions is what if Obi-Wan had saved Anakin? We can outline three positive outcomes in this scenario and two darker ones.
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Three Major Outcomes of Saving Anakin
The overall hypothesis is that Obi-Wan saving Anakin would have been deeply transformative. For one, this action would have allowed Anakin to redeem himself and come back to the light side.
This leading video about this topic includes that very premise (and others). Obi-Wan may have been guided by Qui-Gon and a quest to save the Chosen One. Yet, what is more certain is that Obi-Wan could have managed to save Anakin on the planet and then restore him through medical technology without the cursed prosthetics that encased him and forged Darth Vader.
Two, through his bond with Anakin, Obi-Wan could have also directed Anakin’s rage back toward higher purposes and set him on the path of helping the galaxy. To that end, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Yoda could have staved off the Empire. We can speculate over how Yoda could have possibly beaten Palpatine and why he didn’t, but combined their energy could have outmatched Sidious’s plans.
With Anakin back in the fold, Palpatine’s imperial plans would have been shaken at least. With Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Yoda pursuing Sidious, they could have gained extra momentum from the surviving and resurrected Jedi. Parallel speculation, like this video, conjures up the idea of the Jedi springing back in this manner and defending against the rise of the Empire.
Third, Obi-Wan’s actions could have led to Padme’s survival. As the first video above indicates, Obi-Wan probably would have prioritized this outcome. We can add that Obi-Wan’s efforts would not only be for Padme’s sake, but for Anakin’s. Her survival would play a pivotal role in returning Anakin to the way of the Jedi.
This third video emphasizes a dual thread of saving Padme and redeeming Anakin. With Padme at his side, Anakin could come to realize that what he had become wasn’t truly him, as in killing younglings and “turning on the woman” he loved. Moreover, the birth of Luke and Leia would have aided Anakin’s redemption, extending his love and emboldening him back to the right pathway for the Chosen One.
Two Darker Outcomes
We could also conjure up the possibility of Obi-Wan contending directly with Sidious on Mustafar. As we see in this depiction, Palpatine could have inflicted Obi-Wan with Force Lightning and overtaken the latter, leading to the demise of Obi-Wan and Anakin–a galaxy ridden with darkness.
This scenario is not far-fetched, given that Obi-Wan knew Sidious had arrived on the planet. We may even agree that what prevented “Obi-Wan from finishing Anakin off” in the movie was “the dark feeling that accompanied Emperor Palpatine’s shuttle landing on Mustafar.” If Obi-Wan had taken the time to save Anakin, he most likely would have encountered Palpatine.
We could have also seen Anakin turn on Obi-Wan and continue down his spiral into the dark side. This video stresses Obi-Wan’s fall and Anakin’s return to Padme, but with devastating results. Padme would have perished, Anakin pursued the dark side, and Luke and Leia are under the spell of the Empire too.
Three Light and Two Dark Outcomes
The dark side alternatives of Obi-Wan saving Anakin are compelling, but the three light side ones appear more likely. Obi-Wan could have acted quickly and taken Anakin to the shuttle, whisked him away, and restored him to the light side. These actions would have gone a long way toward saving Padme and the galaxy.