Obi-Wan Faces Vader

A New Hope

It’s easy to be cynical about the first ever lightsaber duel. We’ve got plenty of examples in the bank for comparisons now and, without doubt, the action in the tussle between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader doesn’t exactly stand up against the rest from a physicality standpoint.

Earlier this year, Christopher Clements published a fan film to YouTube which was a modern take on the duel, effectively addressing a classic fan fiction. If A New Hope was made today, with modern film-making techniques, how would the duel look? Answer, a feast of brilliant VFX, lightsaber clashes that you can feel in your own shoulder blades and – Vader’s armour briefly and poignantly catching fire.

The video is brilliant, make no mistake.

But, at least in my head canon, the lethargic nature of the original version is exactly the point. This isn’t a young Jedi in training fighting for his life against a Sith Lord – that comes three years later. This isn’t two Jedi in their prime fighting a young Sith apprentice who would bring home gymnastics gold for Dathomir.

Instead, Obi-Wan’s final encounter with Vader is an emotional reunion between one tired Jedi and his former apprentice who destroyed it all. It’s an bout that Kenobi hasn’t really turned up to. This isn’t really a lightsaber duel at all.

Kenobi is simply stalling. He’s waiting for the moment to pass the baton to Luke Skywalker – the man who will reinvigorate the Jedi Order and bring peace to the galaxy. “You can’t win Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” Kenobi’s fate is sealed before a blade is clashed. The two of them are simply going through the motions. Vader, perhaps duelling more with his own internal struggle than his former master standing in front of him.

Luke turns the corner to see Ben fighting Vader. At that moment, Kenobi knows that it’s time for a demonstration of the force and to allow Luke to begin his journey. He lifts his blade in surrender and Vader strikes – albeit, ending up slicing through air as Kenobi vanishes to become one with the force.

It’s a showpiece of the power of force wielders and the most poignant demonstration yet that it’s more than simply lifting rocks. And Kenobi’s the first to achieve this – or at least, the first Jedi that Vader has ever seen vanish into thin air. His prodding of the empty robes always strikes me as a moment of reflection. Perhaps Kenobi was right. Perhaps he now was more powerful.

The fate of the galaxy is now in Luke’s hands. Having guided the moisture farmer to his date with destiny, Kenobi’s legacy has become more powerful than Vader could have imagined.