Looking back at the duel on Naboo, we can clearly see how aggressively Obi-Wan fought beside his master Qui-Gon Jinn. Both of them relied on Form IV — Ataru, the fast, acrobatic, high-energy style built for constant offense. But after Episode I, we never see Obi-Wan fight this way again. Instead, he switches almost completely to Form III, Soresu, the most defensive style in the Jedi Order.
So what happened? Why did Obi-Wan abandon the form he trained in for years and suddenly commit to a completely different philosophy of combat?
How Qui-Gon’s Fall Forced Obi-Wan to Change His Lightsaber Form
When Obi-Wan watched Qui-Gon fall on Naboo, it changed more than just the course of his life, it changed the way he fought. Up until that moment, Obi-Wan followed in his master’s footsteps, using Form IV, Ataru, the same aggressive, acrobatic style Qui-Gon had mastered. It was fast, fluid, and powerful… until the moment it wasn’t.
In the duel with Darth Maul, Obi-Wan saw Ataru’s greatest flaw play out in front of him: once the fighter tires or loses momentum, the form leaves too many openings. Qui-Gon had no way to recover, no defensive spine to fall back on, and Maul exploited that perfectly.
That moment left a mark on Obi-Wan. It wasn’t just the grief of losing his master — it was the realization that if he kept fighting the way Qui-Gon fought, he might fall the same way.
As Star Wars Insider #62 explains:
“Obi-Wan Kenobi takes up a dedication to Form III after the death of Qui-Gon Jinn (who favored from IV) since it was apparent to Kenobi that Jinn’s defense was insufficient against the Sith techniques of Darth Maul. True Form III masters are considered Invicible. Even in his elder years, Kenobi remains a formidable Form III practitioner.”
Not Just a Switch, Obi-Wan Went On to Master Form III
Switching to Form III wasn’t just a reaction to Qui-Gon’s death. Obi-Wan committed to it so completely that he eventually became the Jedi Order’s greatest Soresu practitioner. By the later years of the Clone Wars, his defense wasn’t just strong — it was the best in the Jedi Order.
We actually get one of the clearest acknowledgments of this in the Revenge of the Sith novel, where even Mace Windu — the creator of the lethal Vaapad style — admits how rare Obi-Wan’s mastery truly is:
“That is so like you, Master Kenobi. I am called a great swordsman because I invented a lethal style; but who is greater, the creator of a killing form—or the master of the classic form?”
Coming from Mace, that says everything. Obi-Wan didn’t become famous for raw power or flashy techniques — he became the Jedi who could not be broken. Form III became the thing that defined his entire identity as a duelist.