As The Clone Wars evolved, we saw Anakin’s relationship with Padme grow. As this transpired, we may wonder why Obi-Wan didn’t inform the Jedi Council about Anakin’s feelings for Padme. There are several reasons why he didn’t expose Anakin, especially because of empathy and a desire for their happiness.
Why Didn’t Obi-Wan Inform the Jedi Council?
The bond between Obi-Wan and Anakin is most likely the first reason we think of to explain why Obi-Wan didn’t tell the Jedi Council about Anakin’s feelings for Padme. Their bond provides a foundation to answer this question.
Obi-Wan served as Anakin’s mentor, but, as we probably know already, they forged “a close friendship and considered each other brothers.” We might call it the brotherhood of the Jedi that, like brothers, faced strains. As one article phrased it, “the two began bickering like brothers,” but their bond held tight until the final downfall (and even afterward until the Kenobi series).
That gets us part of the way to explaining Obi-Wan’s silence. Another compelling reason offered by a fan here is that although the Jedi “discouraged relationships,” “Anakin was far from the first to have one.” So, Obi-Wan was inclined to turn a blind eye to Anakin’s growing relationship with Padme.
In Legends, Qui-Gon and Jedi Master Tahl, a librarian at the Jedi archives, forged a relationship. Likewise, Quinlan Vos and Khaleen Hentz fell in love, and Hentz became a wife and mother. Both Vos’s Padawan and former Master protested against this relationship, but it proceeded anyway.
This second layer of the explanation especially makes sense because Obi-Wan had developed his own feelings for Satine Kryze and thus could empathize with Anakin. In these combined scenes from The Clone Wars, we get a glimpse of their long-term, hidden relationship and how important it became to Obi-Wan over time.
Certainly, Anakin noticed Obi-Wan’s underlying feelings for Satine and felt empathy for him. In turn, Obi-Wan understood how much Padme meant to Anakin and felt an obligation to support his relationship, not expose it.
Through Obi-Wan’s relationship with Satine, we get a sense of Obi-Wan’s longing for something more meaningful in his life. As one article expressed about their relationship, “Obi-Wan admitted that he would have left the Jedi Order for her in an instant when they were younger.” He instead chose duty over love and lived with the loss of a true relationship.
We may contend, as this video does, that Obi-Wan also didn’t disclose Anakin and Padme’s relationship because he hoped that “Anakin would eventually overcome this attachment.” Yet, it seems more likely that Obi-Wan kept it a secret because he actually hoped they would be able to balance their love and duty to the Republic in a way he couldn’t.
Obi-Wan Wanted Anakin’s Happiness
Coinciding with the above explanation, Obi-Wan ultimately wished for Anakin and Padme’s happiness. The Revenge of the Sith novel supports this connecting reason, as it explores “the tragic couple’s relationship” in a way that the movie doesn’t.
Coinciding with the novel, this deleted scene from the movie provides revealing dialogue that reflects Obi-Wan’s true motivations. As Obi-Wan said, “I am not blind, Padme…Anakin has loved you since the day you met…He’s never even tried to hide it, though we do not speak of it.” In this dialogue, Obi-Wan expressed how he knew quite well about their relationship, but kept it as an unspoken topic.
Obi-Wan went on to express his empathy for Anakin and Padme that overrode his desire to inform the Council. He also stated, “We…pretend that I don’t know. And I was happy to, because it made him happy.” Obi-Wan sided with the idea that Padme made Anakin happy “when nothing else ever truly could.”
As a mentor, friend, and someone who had lost out on love, Obi-Wan wished that Anakin and Padme could have a fulfilling life together. In a way, this rationale circles back to the bond between Obi-Wan and Anakin, but with the added angle of Kenobi’s past seeping into his decision.
Since Obi-Wan cared so much for Anakin, he didn’t want to expose their relationship. Yet, there is also the element of Obi-Wan’s personal life that presses his decision to conceal the love between Anakin and Padme.
Obi-Wan Didn’t Complain
Obi-Wan didn’t complain to the Jedi Council because of the bond he had developed with Anakin and the tendency not to expose such relationships. More importantly, Obi-Wan personally knew about love lost and wished for Anakin and Padme to be happy together. Obi-Wan ultimately believed he could have his cake and eat it too.