In the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, viewers saw Obi-Wan return from a hidden life and emerge as a Jedi. After the Clone Wars and his duel on Mustafar, we may have thought he would have abandoned the prophecy. Instead, Obi-Wan fully embraced it. Why did this happen? We can count his relationship with the Force and belief in Luke as two of the reasons.
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Why Didn’t Obi-Wan Abandon the Prophecy?
After Anakin’s downfall and the elimination of the Jedi, Obi-Wan had reason to stop believing in the prophecy. After all, the Chosen One had fallen to the dark side and the Jedi faced extinction. Yet, with the rise of the Empire, as we know, Kenobi pursued the prophecy by training Luke to fulfill that role instead of Anakin.
One reason why Obi-Wan didn’t abandon the prophecy and embrace it instead has to do with his belief in the power of the Force. Since Obi-Wan had spent his life immersed in the Force, he believed it would set the prophecy on the right track again.
As this site succinctly summarizes, Obi-Wan was “highly attuned to the will of the Force,” which instilled him with an “ability to act with clarity and purpose.” Obi-Wan’s dedication to the Force and time spent meditating grounded his relationship with it and allowed him to follow and support its will.
On Tatooine, Obi-Wan sought to atone for Anakin’s downfall and what had happened on Mustafar. He looked to find himself again within the Force, restore his connection to the Force, and be on better footing to protect Luke.
Coincidingly, Obi-Wan felt a sense of duty to now guide Luke, now that Anakin had fallen. In essence, Kenobi believed that “Luke would succeed where Anakin had failed.” He had faith in Luke and the Force to set the galaxy straight again, as indicated by hiding Luke and himself on Tatooine and watching over Luke’s family life.
We could also add that Qui-Gon influenced Obi-Wan’s motivation to continue with the prophecy. Their respect for one another and “father-son bond” transcended Qui-Gon’s physical death. The long-lasting relationship would influence Kenobi across the saga, including taking on Anakin as his apprentice. Obi-Wan felt a dedication to Qui-Gon that informed his continued belief in the prophecy.
Conversely, we could look at Obi-Wan’s embrace of the prophecy as his “last string of hope” to hang on to. Without the prophecy, the dark side could “reign forever” over the galaxy, and Obi-Wan would bear the burden of that catastrophic result. In this sense, he had to believe since he had no other options, which fits very well with “A New Hope.”
Did Obi-Wan Abandon the Prophecy for a Time?
One post on the above Reddit discussion also suggests that Obi-Wan actually did abandon the prophecy while on Tatooine before the events of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. That is another way to see Obi-Wan’s development–that he did give up hope, only to return to it.
Obi-Wan had to retreat to deal with his loss of Anakin and his guilt, blame, and involvement in the coming of Darth Vader. This video explores how Obi-Wan had to ponder the agony of leaving Anakin on Mustafar and possibly pushing him even farther into the arms of the Emperor.
We could see how Obi-Wan could have given up on the prophecy for a time. After all, the Obi-Wan show focused on Kenobi at “his lowest point”, or as a “defeated man” who had weakened Force abilities and seemingly lost hope. His efforts to rescue Leia rekindled his vision and purpose, though, and he moved toward the light side and the prophecy.
Reconnecting with Qui-Gon’s Force ghost also helped spark that hope. As we see in this scene, Qui-Gon appears to have been waiting for Obi-Wan to return to his support of the prophecy. By the conclusion of the series, Obi-Wan was ready “to see” the way and follow the Force once more.
Obi-Wan and the Prophecy
By either temporarily retreating from the prophecy or clinging to it throughout his exile, Obi-Wan nevertheless continued to believe in it. His commitment to the Force and belief in Luke help explain why. So do his lack of options and the redemption of recommitting himself to a better galaxy.